Sat 03 May 2025, 09:00
Tottenham HotspurAll eyes will be on Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon (2.15pm UK, tickets still available) as we face Chelsea in our final home match of the 2024/25 Barclays Women’s Super League campaign.
A 1-0 win over Manchester United in the week saw the Blues secured their sixth successive WSL title – eighth overall – and Sonia Bompastor’s side will look to complete the season unbeaten.
Ahead of the London derby in N17, we had a chat with Sophie Downey to discuss Chelsea’s impressive season to date…
How would you reflect on Chelsea's season across all competitions?
Sophie: “Chelsea's record speaks for itself - unbeaten in the league with two games to play, winning the Subway Women's League Cup, reaching the Adobe Women's FA Cup Final and reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League. The recruitment over the summer only served to bolster a squad already high in quality and their ability to win no matter the circumstances is what has set them apart from the rest.
“You think of Erin Cuthbert's injury time winner over Manchester City and Lauren James' 93rd-minute strike against Everton are just two examples of their ability to get results over the line. Their Champions League semi-final defeat to Barcelona will have been a huge disappointment but wrapping up the title against Manchester United on Wednesday illustrated their mental strength. Sealed with two games to spare, it was the earliest the WSL has been won in its history.”
Who have been the standout players?
Sophie: “It is important to stress that Chelsea's strength comes from being the sum of their parts. Their strength in depth has allowed them to compete deep into competitions and the way Sonia Bompastor has rotated at times means that so many of the squad have played a part as they paved their way to their sixth consecutive league trophy.
“There have been a few standouts, however. Captain Millie Bright has arguably had one of the seasons of her career and has started every league game for Bompastor. Lucy Bronze and Sandy Baltimore, meanwhile, joined the summer and have led the way with their energetic play from the full-back positions. Further up the field, Wieke Kaptein has enjoyed a strong inaugural season in the WSL while forward Aggie Beever-Jones has continued her goalscoring form with eight goals in the league to date.”
How would you look back on Sonia Bompastor's first season in charge?
Sophie: “Taking over at Chelsea would have been impressive for any manager coming in. Emma Hayes' decade-long legacy runs deep but Bompastor hit the ground running. Their fast start to the season laid the foundations where others faltered and Bompastor has brought a new-found energy to the sides. Beating every other member of the top four twice has gone a long way to their success this season, although there have been slight hiccups along the way. There remains the feeling that Chelsea have yet to reach their best and the French manager will know how important the summer window will be to shape the team fully in her image.”
What could we expect from Chelsea against Tottenham at the weekend?
Sophie: “With the league title decided, Chelsea could play with a freedom rarely seen in recent weeks. Rotation should be expected due to the amount of minutes key members of the squad have played in recent weeks. The Blues will look to dominate the ball and use the width of the pitch. Spurs will need to be comfortable and patient without the ball, working to remain compact while proving clinical on the transition.”
