After starting our Women's Super League campaign with a victory over Manchester City at Stamford Bridge, Bright and her Blues team-mates are looking to record a first win on the road this season.

And while our skipper will be able to spend some quality post-match time with her Daly Brightness counterpart, battle lines will be firmly drawn between kick-off and the full-time whistle.

‘It's funny because everyone loves the thought of best friends playing against each other,’ explains Bright. ‘Walking out in the tunnel side by side, both leading our teams out – it's a special moment.

'The minute we step on the pitch, she knows that I'm going to tackle her in the same way as anyone else, and she's going to try and go against me the same way she does any defender.

‘It makes no difference once we're on the pitch, but it is the norm now, we’re used to it. I've always said it doesn't matter who you are, you're an opponent when I step on that pitch representing Chelsea. Whoever's in the way will be getting moved out of the way!

‘It’s nice, though, because we have such busy schedules and we always get to catch up after the game, see each other, give each other a big hug.’

Supporters may imagine that two professional footballers would talk about the game non-stop when they are together. But that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth in the case of Bright and Daly.

‘Literally, we just share cleaning hacks we found on TikTok!' Bright laughs. 'Or we catch up about family. We try to avoid football at all costs. We like to reminisce and speak about memories, but mostly it's, "Oh my god, Rachel has done some DIY!" or maybe I've done some DIY, or she's got a cleaning hack or whatever.

‘We wake up and eat, sleep, breathe football, every single day, so the minute you get to sit down with your best friend and have a conversation, we definitely avoid talking about sport. Then you become two normal people just having a normal conversation, and you can briefly forget about the world that you live in.’

Having claimed a hard-fought goalless draw with Brighton in their opening match of the season, Aston Villa are likely to provide stern opposition for the Blues on Sunday. For this reason, our captain is feeling alert to their threats.

‘I think Villa will have a good season,’ she says. ‘They're definitely ones to watch. They have a lot of talent, a lot of attacking threat. They had a tricky start last season, but finished on a real high note. They probably didn't want the season to end when it did.

‘We need to be defensively on it from minute one until the end of the game. They've got a lot of fast players, so it could be a little bit transitional, and equally defensively, they are a hardworking team. They'll put the bodies on the line. It’ll be a tough test physically, and we’re not expecting to go there and just have all the ball.’

Aston Villa appointed former Real Sociedad manager Natalia Arroyo in January, and Bright believes having two female bosses in the dugout is important for the next generation of coaches.

‘It shows the development of the game and everything that goes on behind the scenes to get women into a position where they can become managers and be successful at the top level,’ Bright explains.

‘It'll start becoming the norm. I'm also a big believer that whoever's best for the job should get the job, but it’s nice to see two strong females side by side and competing against each other, representing two big clubs like Chelsea and Villa.

‘Youngsters are going to see two women being top managers for these big clubs, and once you get that representation, they can then dream of being a manager one day. So I think it sends a bigger message.’

Chelsea brought in goalkeeper Livia Peng, defender Ellie Carpenter, midfielder Mara Alber, and forward Alyssa Thompson during the summer transfer window. And Bright has outlined how she has helped the new arrivals to acclimatise.

‘I think every signing that's come in has settled immediately and felt a warm welcome,’ Bright explains. ‘I wouldn't expect anything less from the players and people here; it's something we pride ourselves on.

‘It's about making sure everyone's having fun, and the flip side, I'm demanding the standard straight away. In one way, we allow people to ease in, but right from the off, people come in and they know what's expected to be a Chelsea player.’

Against Manchester City, Sonia Bompastor deployed Bright in a back three along with Niamh Charles and Nathalie Bjorn. For the defender, that tactical flexibility is something that can be built on over the season to make the side even more difficult to beat.

‘For us, adding another string to our bow is super important,' says Bright. 'Being able to play back three, back four – at times a back five – gives you so many different options. You've got to be able to adapt in all situations.

‘In pre-season, we've had a lot of exposure to both, and I think it's about all players being comfortable in all formations because football is so fluid, and it can't be rigid. We can't just have one way of playing. A superpower of ours has been that we've always found a way to win because we've been so flexible.

‘For me, being versatile in the way we play can only be seen as an advantage.’