Chelsea can’t afford WSL slip up after big Champions League win in midweek
BY PAUL LAGAN
paul@slpmedia.co.uk
Emma Hayes has to bring her Champions League semi-finalists back down to earth quickly following their historic 5-1 aggregate win against Wolfsburg on Wednesday as they return to WSL action on Sunday.
The west Londoners are top of the table, two points ahead of Manchester City, but know anything other than three points against mid-table Birmingham City at Kingsmeadow will give the chasing pack all the ammunition they need to mount a late-season charge.
Hayes will ring the changes to give the line-up a fresh feel about it.
Striker Beth England is likely to be restored to the starting line-up following an absence of four matches due to concussion. Niamh Charles will return following her one-match suspension in Europe to play right-back at the expense of Jess Carter, who will go to the bench.
Ji is expected to take the place of Pernille Harder.
With the FA Cup looming on the horizon – the Blues are at home to London City Lionesses on April 18 -the Blues are setting themselves up for the possibility of nabbing a clutch of trophies this season.
Still fresh in her mind following goals from Sam Kerr, Harder and Fran Kirby saw off her old nemesis Wolfsburg, Hayes can still hardly believe it.
She said: “I’ve faced that opponent so many times and have felt humiliated and lost. I always thought they were the benchmark for women’s football alongside Lyon.
“To think the players played with that level of control, discipline, assured nature – they carried out what I wanted them to do in its entirety – I cannot tell you how crucial we think those things matter and everybody does their job.
“This is not just a win to get through to the semi-finals. This is a nine-year project.
“It’s a really big day for us and a really big day for women’s football in England.
“But it’s not enough. I want more.”
Chelsea will face Germany’s Bayern Munich in the semi-final.
Chelsea men return to Premier League action tomorrow following international duty as they face West Bromwich Albion in the early kick-off at Stamford Bridge.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel will assess the fitness levels of Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi, the latter returned to the club this week after getting a shoulder injured away with the England U21s.
Having missed out on part of his training with England ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Poland in midweek, he started the match at Wembley, but Tuchel may err on the side of caution and give him a rest.
If Mount has anything to say on the matter he will want to play.
Talking about playing for England, it’s the same attitude to club football, Mount said: “I’m still young, so I want to play every game I can and as many games as I can.
“My mentality is always that I just keep working hard to get into the team, to stay in the team and try to get as many games as I can. That is always my focus.”