Melvine Malard has hit the ground running at Chelsea. Our new number nine has scored eight goals in seven starts and three substitute appearances since signing from Manchester United this summer. Little wonder, then, she is our top scorer so far.
Last season, she netted six times in 21 league outings for the Red Devils, but she has now equalled that tally in her first six WSL games with Chelsea.
When we sit down with the France international, we mention how her strike rate has so clearly improved. We then ask her what she attributes her good form to, but her answer comes as a surprise. Six goals in six league games, and Malard feels we haven't seen anything yet.
‘I don’t think I’m in my good form yet; that’s the thing,’ she says with a huge smile. ‘Not yet.
‘When you play with a lot of quality individuals, it can help you a lot. Having a positive vibe in your head can also help you a lot. I just need to keep going to reach my top form.
‘What I understand more now with the number nine role is you need to have a lot of patience, and you need to be ready in the box when players give you the ball.’
Malard has settled in so quickly to life at Chelsea. She talks about positivity, and she certainly brings the vibes around the training ground and on the pitch. The time has flown since her arrival in July, and she gives us some insight into the team’s hectic schedule and how she stays focused on the task in front of her.
‘It’s busy, very busy,’ she explains. ‘We play a lot of games with big intensity against a lot of quality players, so it’s busy but very good.
‘When you play well, you feel good, and you win. Also, you score goals. That's my job. I’m very happy to be here and to be doing my job at the moment. I’m taking it game by game. We have a lot of matches, with the Champions League and the national team and everything like that.
‘My job is to help the team when I can: to take responsibility, and take the opportunities I have in front of goal and don’t overthink things. If you make sure you play with passion, you enjoy your football and score the goals.
‘You can see that many people can score in this team, so I don’t worry about it. With good team-mates around you, you know you can have a lot of opportunities, a lot of action in front of goal and okay, if you miss that one, the next player will give you another ball to try again.’
Malard played for Sonia Bompastor from the age of 14. After making the move from her home on the island of La Reunion in the Indian Ocean to play for Lyon, she is now in her second spell under Bompastor and details how the head coach has evolved since then.
‘Sonia is the same,’ she says. ‘The same coach demanding a lot. She’s very exigent with you and your quality. But it’s good to have a coach that pushes you a lot and makes sure you don’t become complacent.
‘She’s maybe a little bit more relaxed here. She shows more happiness. We know in England it’s very free, so she can speak her mind. It’s good to feel free.’
This Saturday sees Chelsea host Everton at Stamford Bridge in the WSL. When we ask her what we can expect, the striker pauses and gives us a thoughtful answer on what a fast start could mean for her team-mates. It’s evident she cares very much about the collective.
‘Everton also have good players, good quality,’ she says when asked about the opposition. ‘They play direct, and when they have the opportunity to shoot, they are not scared to do it, no matter who is in front of them.
'We need to make sure we are always focused on every ball and every player. We want to score quickly. We saw against Charlton that when we score quickly in the first half, we can also allow other players to enjoy the game, like Giulia (Dragoni).
'When she scored her first, she had a lot of emotion because the team did their jobs in the first half and gave her the chance to show her football. If we can do that in every game, it's good for our team, and everyone is happy.'
Malard isn’t the kind of player who wants to talk at length about individual accolades. When we ask her about attending last month’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, she once again relates being ranked 28th in the world to how it rewarded the most important people in her life.
‘It was amazing,’ she says. ‘You sacrifice a lot in your life to become a footballer, so it’s special when you are nominated. I went with my wife and my mum. It was a big thank you very much for all the help they have given me in my life.
‘But we need to keep going to be nominated again. Because football is not easy. I went to the ceremony, but now it’s done. We need to move on and keep working hard.
‘I’d like to get higher up the list, but there is a lot of talent so the places are tight. You just need to keep doing your best.’