Johanna Rytting Kanerd still has a big smile on her face after scoring her first goal of the new campaign against West Ham United last Sunday.
Her strike came from a Wieke Kaptein cross to double our advantage after just 12 minutes of action in east London during our 4-0 win over the Hammers.
There’s a mixture of happiness and relief coming from the Sweden international. The last time she found the back of the net for Chelsea was back in February, also against West Ham, in a 2-0 win in the Women’s League Cup semi-final.
‘Finally, I scored!’ she beams. ‘It was a long time coming. I've been waiting for that moment. So it’s really good to have done it.
‘It was a very positive performance from us. I felt good in the game. I felt like I was involved a lot, we had a lot of possession and we created a lot of opportunities, which we hadn't been able to do in the previous matches.
‘It was great to be able to do that, it gives us confidence, and it was a really fun game to play in.’
It was a special evening when we last faced Manchester United away from home as we clinched the Women’s Super League title with two games still to play. Rytting Kaneryd came on as a first-half substitute for Mayra Ramirez and is looking forward to returning to the scene of the celebrations.
‘Of course, it brings back a lot of positive emotions and really good memories,’ she continues. ‘All of us are excited to go back to that stadium and play a game where we won the league last year.
‘It's always nice to go into a game with good memories like that, but with that being said, we know it's a new game and we want to perform well. It’s about being 100 per cent focused on the game plan. These early matches are super important.
‘The season is long, and every point counts, every win counts. Just like last year, we know anything can happen. Playing good football and performing well at the beginning of the season is super important, both for confidence and to be able to build a good feeling, and then try to keep that up.
‘You don't want to dip too early, and I think maybe we did have a bit of a dip last year during the winter. If that had come earlier, we don't know how the season would have turned out.’
While the Blues hold a good record against Manchester United, last season saw us battle to a duo of 1-0 wins in the league, in both home and away games.
Rytting Kaneryd knows that Marc Skinner’s side will provide a tough test, but is confident enough in Chelsea’s abilities to be able to focus on our own strengths to overcome theirs.
‘It's going to be a tough game for sure,’ she says. ‘We know Man Utd; they've been playing well in the last couple of years. They have a strong team with good individual players. But actually, every game in this league is tough. It doesn't matter if we play Leicester at home or if we play Man Utd away; it's about our performance, it's about our mentality, and it's about our game plan.
‘If we can bring the positive things from the weekend, create a lot of chances, and at the same time, not give them too much hope in their attacking play, we have a good chance to win the game.
‘To play against a team with a low block and who are good defensively is always a challenge.
‘The key is for us to be patient, to be brave on the ball, and move the ball quickly. I think that's how we create our chances. It’s positive for us if we can bring the tempo up and really play with intensity.’