Bompastor answered the assembled journalists' questions about the game, in which the top two teams in the WSL prepare to face off for the first time this season - with just a couple of points separating the sides.

The head coach reported that Lauren James and Naomi Girma will be unavailable until the conclusion of this block of fixtures next weekend, prior to the forthcoming international break.

And here are the rest of the key talking points from our head coach’s pre-match press conference on Friday as she looked ahead to a mouthwatering contest.

On how the game will play out…

‘From what you could see from the beginning of the season, probably both teams will want to win the game, and both teams will attack to win the game.

‘Probably you will see goals tomorrow, hopefully for everyone, and not too much for us in terms of conceding!

‘It’s never easy to play teams who are sitting in the low block and not really allowing you to find spaces. I think this game will be different, for sure, in terms of space on the pitch. We need to be smart to recognise that and exploit it.’

On being more efficient in front of goal…

‘The two last results have been frustrating for us, so it's good to see from the players' reaction, but also the staff reaction, that we are hungry.

‘We have hunger going into the game tomorrow. We need to keep working, and I'm convinced we'll create opportunities, and we need to make sure we are clinical.

‘Many things can happen when you are in those moments, and we keep working on the pitch, providing details to the players, reviewing the games, trying to understand what we can do even better to make sure we are able to score in every game.’

On Ellie Carpenter’s attacking impact this season…

‘She's been really good. She's a player who is able to defend but also to attack, as you could see this season.

‘She’s able to run through that outside corridor. She has improved a lot in terms of the quality of her crossing, but also when she gets in the box, the decision-making on the ball.

‘She's scored some great goals and she's making an impact for us. Even if sometimes people think she can be predictable in what she's doing, she's still really good at doing what she does.’

On stopping the in-form Bunny Shaw…

‘If we go focus too much on her, another player from Man City will find a way maybe to create and score a goal. We know that because they have a lot of quality as a team, but also they have a lot of great individuals.

‘We believe in the quality of the players we have on the pitch as well. We believe in what we are doing as a team also to defend, especially in the box. We proved that already when we played against Arsenal, when we played against Lyon in the Champions League.

‘We were able to not concede much during those games, we took some learnings, and we'll try to apply the same for the game tomorrow.’

On learning from the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Man City in May…

‘In that game, the mental aspects were the most important ones. When you are leading at home by two goals and you have 15 minutes left in the game, I think you can't let the game go the way it went.

‘But it happens. We took the learnings, and what we know from that game and the quality City has on their side, from minute one until the end of the game they have the opportunity to be a good team and to score at any time.

‘So obviously we know we will have to be a good team from minute one until the end of the game, and make sure we are really switched on.’

See the Blues in action against Man City at Stamford Bridge! Tickets are available here...