Chelsea women’s head coach Sonia Bonpaser says the team “want to be in our position” despite a “disappointing” 2-2 draw against the WSL West Ham women.
The Bruce took a 2-0 lead in 20 minutes in the dominant opening, but were glued to two Shechiera Martinez goals when the informed Hammer fought for the draw.
The result was a cut in the lead at the top of the table to six points, with the Chasing Packs – Arsenal, Man UTD and Man City – winning the match on Sunday.
But despite her own confession that the element was “not enough,” Bonpazar still has a balanced view with the team this season in WSL.
She told Sky Sports:
“We then allowed West Ham to score from a throw-in, which isn’t good from us, and our late performance wasn’t enough to get a better result.
“We acknowledged too many situations defensively, but looking at the big picture, there are four games left, six points clear, and we’re in a really good position. The team hopes we’re in our position.
“That’s a disappointing result, but we’re still in a really good position, still on the next block… we need to be together and be positive.”
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Maika Hamano and Aggie Beever-Jones Gavechelse’s goal was early leads with WSL Clash
Sunday’s match marked the end of a tough few weeks for Chelsea, including a four-game showdown with Man City in three tournaments. They reached the semifinals by beating WSL rivals in the Champions League on Thursday night, and also reached the final four of the FA Cup.
But Bompastor doesn’t use the schedule as an excuse for a draw. [of games] It was crazy. We played so many games – 8 games in 28 days, traveled a lot, played intense games.
“But that’s not an excuse. We have enough depth and quality to our team to finish this block with better results. But sometimes it happens when you’re not clinical enough.”
Corsie: Bonpaster’s Balance is a Sign of Her Leadership
Rachel Corsy from Sky Sports:
“Sonia Bonpaser was very measured, but very honest. Rather than making excuses, she was disappointed with the goals they recognized, but she knows they are in a good position.
“But she won’t be happy. She’s not that difficult for the players, but she’ll want to remind them that this isn’t the standard we set and that we need to go again.
“It’s a measure of her leadership that balances her.”
Skinner was delighted with the West Ham character.
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West Ham’s Shechiera Martinez volleyed to make it 2-1 against the team’s WSL Clash
For West Ham, they have been undefeated in the last three WSL games and have lost once in the last five. That run includes scoring points from Chelsea and Man City.
Hammers boss Lehanne Skinner told Sky Sports:
“We probably want to forget about the first 20 minutes or so, but then we grew into it and worked towards the end to achieve our goal.
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West Ham’s Shechiera Martinez scored in the second half of the WSL’s clash with Chelsea, but was the striker in an offside position towards goal?
“The team’s depth has improved, and the whole team is an attitude of “never die.” My belief and confidence in the team grew based on the way we played.
“The characters on the team lead us to the point where we know we can get something out of it.”
West Ham is currently ranked seventh in the WSL table, with Skinner adding:
“I don’t look at the bottom of the table. It’s just the team we’re trying to catch, and that’s what propelled this team game in the game. We’re focusing on the previous one and wanting to beat the next team.”
Martinez: We were in the game after our first goal
West Ham scorer Shakeira Martinez to Sky Sports:
“We are really proud to get this point, and in the first 20 minutes, that wasn’t the way we wanted, but then we came back strongly.
“Both goals were really important, and my team gave me a lot of good motivation and empowerment.
“After our initial goal, we knew we were back in the game.”
Christensen: West Ham is not lucky, they worked hard
Izzy Christensen of Sky Sports: “By taking Martinez to the side, West Ham gave the area a lot of conviction.
“What impressed me the most today was staying in the game and being competitive, and the way they followed in the second half, they stood up on Chelsea’s face and deserved a lot of credit.
“West Ham is not lucky right now, he has worked hard to get this outcome, because they stick to their work and believe in what they are doing.
“This is a message to other teams in this league, and I’m patient and I know that it’s a process. The Champion’s points are exceptional for West Ham.”
