We met the Cityzens a record five times last season, twice in the league, once in the League Cup final and twice in the Women’s Champions League. The Blues won four of those five meetings, but Bompastor isn’t feeling complacent.

She said: ‘I know about them; they have a really good squad, really good players, and it's never been easy to play against them,’ she said. ‘We expect a big game tomorrow, facing a big opponent, and I think if you analyse them from last season, it's fair to say they also had some big injuries in the squad.

‘They will be back to having almost a full squad, so it will be different for sure. I think going into the game tomorrow, we know what to expect. We will also know we are going to face a good team with a lot of quality in every position.

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‘I think as a competitive person, I want to face the best teams. I learned a lot about them last season, but I would say I want to focus on this season. They changed the manager, and they have a different squad going into this new season.’

Bompastor led Chelsea through an invincible domestic season during her first campaign in charge in 2024/25.

Ahead of the first game of her second season in blue, she explained what it would take to be successful once more.

‘This league is the most competitive in the world,’ she continued. ‘If we want to be in a position where we have the chance to win it again, we need to be at our best level.

‘It was difficult last season, and it will be even more difficult this season. We expect that. So we just need to make sure we keep the right mentality, work hard and keep our winning attitude going into this new season.

‘We need to take confidence from what we have achieved in the past, while also making sure we don't take it for granted, because we know every team will be difficult to beat again this season. No one is going to give us the trophy.’

Six of our players contributed to England’s win at Women’s Euro 2025 this summer, and the boss was keen to highlight the importance of that victory to the WSL and the knock-on effect for the players involved.

‘Chelsea as a club are supporting the women's team in the best way possible by investing in the players, but also in the infrastructure, the facilities, and the staff,’ said Bompastor.

‘We have set the bar high and I think that's what we need to do. If other clubs want to do the same, I think it's great for the women’s game. Especially here in England, I think we are in a really good place, especially after winning the Euros.

'My players were flying after winning the Euros, and I think that's a nice feeling for them, but it also brings confidence into the squad. I think as a player, when you are able to win the Euros with your national team, back-to-back, it brings you a lot of confidence.

'Even if LJ (Lauren James) and Lucy (Bronze) are not on the pitch yet, the other four are even more confident than they were before. They have good vibes and bring that to the team, so I think it's nice.’

Chelsea have Bronze, James and Mayra Ramirez out with injuries, and the boss gave some insight into how the club analyses each physical problem.

She pointed to the number of games played at the highest level in women’s football and raised concerns over players’ physical and mental well-being.

‘Anytime we have an injury, minor or major, we need to investigate and try to find out if there is a reason why,’ she said. ‘I'm confident in my staff. I know we are going in the right direction, and for that reason, anytime something is happening, we have everything we need to analyse the situation. Sometimes we think it’s bad luck or things we cannot control.

‘To be fair, I think the women's game is going in a direction where the players are playing so many games during the season in different competitions and combined with the athletic level, the intensity is growing, and sometimes it's difficult to avoid injuries.

‘I would also say in terms of mental health, when you play back-to-back in every competition with your club or with the national team. Some of the players didn't have any break in summer for such a long time because they played in big competitions in the summer. So mental health is also something I'm concerned about.’

Help cheer on Sam Kerr and Chelsea at Stamford Bridge against Manchester City in the first Women's Super League game of the season this Friday! Secure your tickets for that fixture here.