The home side finished the first half with a string of chances and were gaining a foothold in the game, leaving the Blues boss with no choice but to switch things around.

On came Erin Cuthbert, Sandy Baltimore and forward Alyssa Thompson, who had arrived on deadline day from Angel City in the NWSL. We took back the lead in the second half and – with a stoppage-time goal from a returning Sam Kerr – secured a hard-fought win.

Villa performed well for long periods of the game, and the boss explained that did not come as a surprise.

‘We were expecting a tough game coming to Villa Park,’ said Bompastor. ‘We knew Aston Villa were a really well-organised team. It was already the case last season, but I watched most of their games in pre-season, and I was expecting that from them.

'It was really difficult because they were man-marking us, they put every player on the pitch under pressure, and it’s always the most difficult when you have to perform under pressure.

‘I wasn’t happy at half-time, but we found the solutions in the second half to score and to win the game, which is the most important thing. We had to adjust some things.’

The Blues boss wants to be able to play with different systems this season, but against Villa, she had to quickly change things around to secure the win.

As the season progresses, she wants to see more from her side.

‘We need to be able to do both,’ she continued. ‘To be able to secure the ball under pressure, but also to work with different styles sometimes. You need to recognise where the space is on the pitch.

‘In football, the most important thing is to be efficient, to be clinical and score goals. Sometimes, when the spaces are behind the back line, you need to find a way to go in that space. If it's with a more direct style of football, it's fine for me.

‘So we need to work on both, being able to recognise where the space is, if we need to play direct, that's fine, if we need to be able to be brave, holding the ball, hold the pressure, making some good moments, to be able to break through higher up the pitch, I think that's also something we will focus on.

‘I have a lot of choice on the bench and the good thing is I recognise when we need to have something different, and when I look at the bench, I have many options, I can bring more technicality, more physicality.

‘I felt like from where the game was leading, it was the right thing to do to bring a little bit more physicality, but also more speed in the front line. We wanted to play a more direct style of football.’

The experienced Erin Cuthbert brought her typical energy and drive into the midfield when she was brought on for the second half, helping to turn Chelsea’s fortunes around.

Having started the match against Manchester City last week, Bompastor explained that Cuthbert’s performance was exactly what she wanted to see after she was named on the bench against Villa.

‘When you have healthy competition in the squad, it's really good. And when you come in, you want to show the coach that I was wrong, and that's perfect for me, because that's where you play your best football.

'It was the perfect reaction.’