Chelsea’s games in November concluded with a superb performance as we battled to a 1-1 draw with Barcelona. Bompastor explained after that match how a different tactical approach yielded better results than last season, when we succumbed to 4-1 defeats in both legs of our Women’s Champions League semi-final against Pere Romeu’s side.

As we look to build on that display after the international break, the boss explained why it’s so crucial to have as many players as possible fit and ready to play.

‘I think as a general rule, when you are at Chelsea as a manager, it's important to have your players available because we have high expectations and high standards,’ said Bompastor. ‘Especially when we play every three days in different competitions. The league is strong, and the Champions League is also becoming more and more competitive.

‘You can see there are no weak teams now. Everyone can compete against the best teams. For that reason, it's really important for me to have quality, to have numbers, to have the depth in the squad, but also to keep almost everyone available.’

The coach had both Naomi Girma and Lauren James back available for that clash against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge after they had both made their respective returns from injury against St Polten earlier in the month.

While they have strong individual strengths, their reintroduction into the side gives Bompastor even more variables to utilise when she formulates her plans against the opposition.

‘When we speak about LJ, she can bring her talent to this team,’ the head coach continued. ‘She has a lot of magic in her feet, and she can make an impact in every moment of the game. Naomi is a great player. She brings a lot of confidence to the team, and she's a great defender.

‘Of course, they are not the only two. We have a big squad and big numbers, with a lot of quality. That's really important because having numbers and quality brings you that option when you want to be unpredictable going into every game, and when you want to bring in fresh legs.’

Bompastor’s record in her first season in charge of Chelsea was remarkable. Of her 40 matches in all competitions during 2024/25, she won 34, drew three and lost just three, all of which came in Europe and two of those were against Barcelona.

This season, we have drawn against Manchester United, FC Twente, Arsenal, Liverpool and Barca, but the hopes of remaining unbeaten throughout the season remain. It was only natural that last season’s record would serve to raise expectations sky high, but the coach is pragmatic about the reaction to this season’s games so far.

‘People never stop talking about our results, especially when we draw,’ continued Bompastor. ‘When you are at Chelsea, it’s not acceptable when the team doesn’t win, and I understand that. We are working hard to make sure it doesn’t happen.

‘We are the first to be unhappy when we drop points. Even if we want to win every game, sometimes draws happen, and sometimes things become a drama for the fans. But behind the scenes, we know it's not a drama, and we have a lot of quality to achieve our goals.

‘Sometimes people think you just have to put your Chelsea shirt on and results and performances will come instantly, but that's not that easy. The mentality from the players has been great. They are working hard, making sure they give their all on the pitch, and that's what we need to focus on.’