The Blues battled to a 1-1 stalemate away at Manchester United in our last outing in the Women’s Super League, and were held by the same scoreline at the hands of Twente in the UEFA Women’s Champions League in midweek.

While Chelsea struggled to break down Tottenham’s defence at Kingsmeadow on Sunday for long periods of the game, a strike from range by Keira Walsh in the 61st minute was enough to see us take all three points.

‘It was really important,’ said Bompastor afterwards. ‘It’s crucial for what we want to achieve. I’m pleased with the result today, for sure, but also the performance we put in on the pitch.

‘It’s never easy to bounce back when you drop points in two different competitions. The players showed character on the pitch, and the performance was exactly what we had to do.

‘We created a lot, we were dominant and I’m pleased with that because reflecting on the Spurs dynamic coming into the game, they looked really strong. Today, we were able to control the game.

‘I said at half-time for us to continue what we were doing because I was confident enough that we would at least score one, and we did.’

Chelsea took 27 shots on goal during the match and saw 11 of those blocked by a resolute Tottenham side who had won four of their five opening matches in the WSL this season.

Bompastor was content to see her players attempting shots from distance and, ultimately, Walsh’s strike from 18 yards out was the difference between the two teams on the day.

‘I always tell my players to be brave on the pitch,’ Bompastor continued. ‘They have the quality to take risks. Even if they try and sometimes they are not successful, they always have their team-mates to back them up.

‘Having many different options is crucial when you face teams like Spurs, who are really resilient and defend the box really well. They were really compact and really aggressive inside the box today, so Keira’s long-range shot was the right thing to do.’

Walsh hasn’t previously held a reputation for scoring goals from her position as a holding midfielder. Bompastor explained why she’s been encouraging the 28-year-old to take more shots, leaning into her ability to strike the ball with power and accuracy.

‘Keira has this strength in her game,’ said the head coach. ‘Technically she’s really good and she has a lot of power when she shoots from distance. For me, she has this feeling of knowing where she needs to be around the edge of the box.

‘She showed that this summer in the Euros and with us in training sessions and in games she’s doing that as well. Her goal was really important for us today. She helped the team to perform and win the match, and in these tight games it’s crucial that players show their individual talents.’