Playing as an aggressive wing-back, the Australian won eight of nine total duels, won back possession on seven occasions, made six tackles, two interceptions, and in attack created two big chances and put six crosses into the box.

It was Carpenter's cross that supplied the assist for Aggie Beever-Jones' opening goal, and the boss was keen to praise a player with whom she had managed previously at Lyon.

'I know Ellie by heart, and I'm not really surprised about her Chelsea debut and her debut in the league,' said Bompastor. 'She's a great player. As you could see tonight, she brought an immediate impact on the performance and on the result.

'She has this quality, so it's a good addition to our squad and it's good to have her here. 
Having the opportunity to bring players with her quality into Chelsea is always something really positive, and we are really proud to have her in our squad.'

Chelsea had to fight hard for the 2-1 win against a quality opponent on Friday evening. While Bompastor was pleased with the performance, she was pragmatic about what it meant at this early stage of the season.

'I'm pleased with the result, but also with the performance. I think we had control in the first half. We created the most dangerous opportunities in the game, but conceded from a set piece.

'At the end, the game was more transitional because I think both teams were probably not 100% physically, but overall, I think we had a good performance in and out of possession. 
We were strong.

'We were able to keep some really good Man City players quiet, which was good. 
We had a strong start to the season tonight, and I'm pleased with that. But it's only the first game, and it's always important to start with three points, but we still have a long way to go.'

Naomi Girma was missing from the squad this evening, and the boss to the time to explain that her absence was due to a small injury problem.

Bompastor also gave her thoughts on new signing Alyssa Thompson, who joined Chelsea in a deadline day deal from NWSL side Angel City.

'Naomi had a small issue with her calf during the week,' she explained. 'We will assess her next week to see how long it will be. It's hopefully not too bad, but she was not ready and fit to play the game tonight. It's not the same issue as last season.

'Alyssa is a player who will have a big impact on the team. I think it's important for us to have depth, but also to have a healthy competition in the squad. We already planned earlier in the transfer window to bring her into the squad, so it took quite a long time, but I'm really pleased. I know her quality, I know what she can bring to the team, and I'm sure she will continue to have success and also impact our performances and results.

'She's a great player, a great person, so I'm really pleased she's with us.'