Sonia Bompastor’s Chelsea remain “a work in progress” but when you can still beat teams 7-0, it is a pretty good place to be in.
The Frenchwoman is starting to put her stamp on things and the Blues were full of swagger as they put newly-promoted Crystal Palace to the sword at Selhurst Park.
It was a ruthless display as Chelsea scored six goals in the second half, wearing down Palace and making the most of the chances they created.
Two games in, Bompastor is getting used to winning in the Women’s Super League – but she insisted there was more to come.
“It was a great win, three more points and a good performance – even if in the first half it was a difficult game,” said the former Lyon boss.
“Yes, it is a work in progress. We still have room for improvements for sure, in possession and out of possession.
“I just think, we are only at the beginning of the season. It’s only the second game of the season. At the high level it is about getting results, [but] it still takes time to get the right chemistry.
“I think we are getting there but there is still a lot of work to be done.”
Bronze and Kaneryd’s exciting ‘chemistry’
While early signs of Bompastor’s Chelsea era are encouraging, two players in particular have shone.
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Lucy Bronze have formed a strong partnership down the right-hand side, with both contributing to goals in the first two matches.
They are finding the chemistry the manager hopes will start to flow throughout her entire squad.
“For sure, coming from pre-season and in the last two games, they have a lot of chemistry,” admitted Bompastor.
“It’s always good for them to know each other and to get used to each other. They understand the way they want to play together and that is good for us.
“We have different options but this one is a good one.”
Bronze, one of the players signed by Bompastor this summer, scored her first WSL goal in 1,323 days having spent two seasons in Barcelona.
Former Aston Villa manager Carla Ward told Sky Sports the England full-back’s goal was typically “Bronze-esque”.
“We’ve seen her do that at every club she has been at,” said Ward. “When she made the move [to Chelsea], there were a lot of question marks.
“I wasn’t quite sure why because I think she has still got it. She has got everything and still got an awful lot to give for club and country.”
Chelsea team-mate Guro Reiten also had an enjoyable night, netting two goals in the second half.
She said it has been “intense” under Bompastor but is enjoying it.
“I love it,” added the Norwegian. “It’s a new start for everyone, new players in, new staff – it’s been good so far and we can only continue building on what we started.”
‘Fans understand mammoth task’ for Palace
Palace’s start to the WSL season paints a grim picture. Two defeats, 11 goals conceded and no goals scored.
But that is not the full picture.
In both defeats by Tottenham and Chelsea, Laura Kaminski’s side have performed well in the first half, testing their opponents before falling away after the break.
“These nights are tough,” said Kaminski. “We’ve had back-to-back games against what you could say is world-class opposition.
“It’s about as tough as it gets for a start for a club who have just come up [from the second tier]. But I am not making any excuses.
“We must be better after half-time, it’s as simple as that.”
If Chelsea are a work in progress to become multiple trophy winners again under Bompastor, Palace are doing the same to become a WSL team.
Kaminski said these defeats are tests they need to endure in order to improve.
“We created some good chances and caused them some trouble,” she added. “To do that against a world-class side shows a lot of promise and potential.
“We’re still finding our way and these [first two games] don’t define our season. These are the opportunities we need to improve.
“The players are disappointed we dropped points but these are the harsh learnings we need to go through to get better and get those points on the table.”
It was a first WSL game at Selhurst Park for Palace and more than 5,000 were in attendance.
After witnessing a 7-0 thrashing, they could be excused for showing their frustration but there was little of that.
Instead, fans chanted “Eagles” late on and stayed to applaud Kaminski’s players off the pitch.
“The fans deserve some credit for the reaction to the way we have started this journey,” added Kaminski. “They have an understanding of the level and what this group is trying to achieve.
“Not many teams just promoted have back-to-back London derbies to start with but there are no calm games. Every game is really, really important to us.
“I do feel like the fans have stuck by us though, and they understand the mammoth task that is in front of us.”