Chelsea’s Title Ambitions Loom Large, Despite Claiming ‘Still Not at Our Peak’

Chelsea is positioned to secure a record-extending sixth consecutive WSL title. The announcement of Emma Hayes’ departure from Chelsea at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season had initially provided optimism for their Women’s Super League competitors. Hayes had established a successful era in west London, achieving four consecutive WSL titles and a fifth in her final game. With this highly successful figure no longer involved, it was anticipated that Chelsea would require a period of adjustment to a new coach, potentially allowing other clubs to gain an advantage. However, this expectation has not materialized. Sonia Bompastor’s team defeated Manchester United 1-0 on Sunday, preserving their perfect start to the season and extending their lead at the top to five points. Forebodingly, they have not yet reached their optimal performance level. Chelsea commenced the season in remarkable fashion, securing victories in their initial eight league matches, scoring 26 goals while conceding only three. In the Women’s Champions League – the sole trophy that eluded Hayes prior to her departure to manage the United States women’s national team – they secured a quarter-final spot by winning all four of their matches. Bompastor previously guided Lyon to a victory in this competition during the 2021-22 season, in addition to three domestic league titles, and has already expressed ambitions for further triumphs with the Blues. Manchester City, widely considered favorites to break Chelsea’s dominance for the title after narrowly missing out last season due to goal difference, currently lag five points behind the leaders after eight games. This raises the question: is the title race already concluded? “You don’t want to say it, because we’re only in November,” stated former Chelsea striker Helen Ward on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra. “However, it looks a real tough job for the other teams to catch up.” She added, “It just looks like such a mountain to climb. You’re looking at Chelsea dropping points in two or three games and the way they are playing at the minute that doesn’t look possible.” Chelsea, for their part, are not becoming complacent. “I think it’s still so early and I think so much can change with the amount of competitions we’re going to be competing in and the heavy game load,” commented captain Millie Bright. She continued, “I think anything’s possible, anything can change. We saw that last season in how one week we were out of the title race and the next week we were winning it.” No manager has commenced their WSL career with the same level of success as Sonia Bompastor. Despite securing five consecutive league titles, Chelsea did not begin any of those previous campaigns in such an impressive manner. In the previous season, they accumulated 22 points from their initial eight games, mirroring their performance in 2019-20. This current start ranks as the second-best ever in a WSL season, with London rivals Arsenal holding the record of nine wins from nine in 2018-19. Should Chelsea defeat Brighton & Hove Albion and Leicester following the international break, they will achieve a historical milestone. Furthermore, they have now won their last 11 WSL matches, placing them within four victories of surpassing Manchester City’s record of 14, established last season. However, Chelsea’s strength extends beyond their offense; their defense has not allowed a goal in their last four WSL appearances, a streak totaling 419 minutes. Last weekend, Bompastor made history by becoming the first manager in WSL history to win her initial seven matches in the competition. This achievement brings the Frenchwoman’s total league victories as manager for both Lyon and Chelsea to 41 in 43 matches. While Hayes has moved on, the Blues are led by another successful manager. The most concerning aspect for Chelsea’s title contenders is that the team has not yet achieved its peak performance. Manchester United manager Marc Skinner had believed his team could capitalize on the hosts, but Bright stated: “To be honest I think we’re disappointed it was only 1-0, I think we had some really good chances to punish them in the first half and especially the second.” She added, “It’s always difficult when you leave a team hanging in there.” Bright continued, “We want the momentum. I think we’re in a really good rhythm, but we’re still not at our peak which is a really good place to be in when we’re already performing and getting the results. “She further noted, “There’s still lots of work to do and lots more to come. We’ve faced this amount of games for a long time and if anything we actually really enjoy it. We’ve got a big squad to deal with it.” When questioned about her team’s potential for improvement, Bompastor informed Sky Sports: “I think the main one will be the possession of the ball. We have to have the confidence and the ability to hold the ball more. Even when the opposition is applying high pressure. We are trying to work a lot on that.” Even without performing at their highest level, Chelsea has already defeated all of last season’s top six teams. “That’s what champions do, even when they’re not at the races, they get the points,” former Man City striker Toni Duggan commented on Sky Sports. Former Aston Villa manager Carla Ward also remarked: “They have had a lot of big games recently – they’re going to be happy, but from the sounds of it they want to be better in every single department.”