Chelsea manager Emma Hayes says that her side are prepared to have to break down a significant defensive block from Brighton & Hove Albion at Kingsmeadow on Saturday.
The Seagulls ended Chelsea’s 33-match unbeaten run in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League in the same fixture last season while the Sussex club have started the new campaign with some real momentum, taking six points from three games.
When speaking ahead of this weekend’s contest, Chelsea boss Hayes said that her side are prepared for the challenge and they are expecting to come up against an Albion side who will have plenty of players behind the ball.
“They beat us last year, they took a point from us two years ago, they have been a very tough team for us to break down,” Hayes said. “There will be zero underestimation from us, the team will be ready at the weekend.
“We are going to have to face a real difficult test in terms of breaking a block down, that is one thing for certain that she (Hope Powell) will do, put numbers behind the ball and that will make it difficult for us to penetrate.”
Chelsea were slightly off-colour when the pair last met at Kingsmeadow and Hayes went on to say that her side simply cannot put in anything less than their very best efforts on Saturday.
She added “You just can’t have any off-moments at this level. For players coming in, everything has to be 100%, the application of everything has to be 100% because any team can turn you over.
“That was one game (last season) where we just didn’t perform at the levels that I know and that’s why we work so hard as a squad to make sure that the whole squad is ready all of the time.”
The Barclays FA Women’s Super League fixture between Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion kicks-off at 11.30am on Saturday lunchtime and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.