The players have returned to work at Cobham after a productive period spent on the other side of the world, which included impressive friendly victories against Auckland and an A-League All-Stars side.

Now the start of the season is in sight. First up, we meet Real Sociedad in the UEFA Women's Champions League third qualifying round, with the Spanish side coming to London for the first leg next Wednesday 26 August – a game for which tickets are on now on sale.

As she prepares for her third season in charge of Chelsea, Bompastor is under no illusion as to the standards expected at the club. She is determined to return the Blues to the very top of the domestic game.

‘Obviously the ambition at Chelsea is to win everything,’ said Bompastor.

‘We know that. That's why we work so hard every day. We have set our goals. We want to go as far as possible in every competition, but we also know the competition is becoming more difficult because a lot of clubs are investing, and a lot of clubs now are able to perform at their best. So, we are also realistic.

'I said last season we are facing a transition, and I think we are rebuilding in terms of refreshing the squad, rebuilding the culture within the team, and we'll try our best. We'll work as hard as possible to try to win trophies.

‘There are fine margins, and sometimes as much as you work hard, things don't always go the way you want. It's up to us to make sure we turn things our way.’