United are the visitors to Kingsmeadow in the fifth round of this season’s competition, before we face the same opponents again in the final of the Women’s League Cup three weeks later, continuing our defence of both domestic knockout trophies.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup tie, Bompastor was asked whether facing the same opposition in consecutive games changes anything in our preparations, especially when it comes to the balance between focusing on our own game plan and countering that of the other team.

‘I think it's a balance between both, because every game is different,’ she explained. ‘You need to come into every game with consistency in terms of the way you want to set up, the way you want to play, your playing style and things like that.

‘So if I focus on my team, I would say we have to come into these games with the basics, in terms of game model and things like that, but also every game brings something different. You have to be prepared to face every challenge in every game.'

One thing Bompasor believes gives the Blues an edge when it comes to adapting to any challenge is the strength in depth available in the squad, meaning our head coach always has options on the bench to adjust mid-game.

‘I have quality in the squad enough to bring players in and change the game,’ she continued. ‘I think that's important to have that depth and the quality on the bench to be able to do that.

‘As a coach, sometimes you want to change some tactics in the game. Being able to bring in different profiles with different strengths into the game helps a lot.

‘Sometimes you need more speed. Sometimes it’s players who can be smart on the ball, you might need more technicality. I have different profiles available.’

Furthermore, Sonia expects that strength in depth to work to our advantage if this knockout tie should it go the full distance, requiring an additional 30 minutes of extra time and maybe even a penalty shootout to decide which team progresses to the quarter-finals.

‘We are prepared for that, we prepared for the game in that way too,’ added Bompastor. ‘Physically, we have been playing only one game a week, so we should be fresh for the game on Sunday.

‘We have been rotating the squad as well, giving opportunities to some players, but also to balance the players who have been getting a lot of minutes. We are in a good place physically and I'm hoping for us to make the difference in the game on Sunday.’

Kick-off in the Women’s FA Cup is at 1.30pm on Sunday 22 February, when our knockout double-header with the Red Devils begins.