BIG GAME HUNT. Arsenal v Chelsea – Champions League quarter-finals

The stakes could not be higher. Arsenal v Chelsea in a two-legged Champions League quarter final. Starting at the Emirates in front of a huge crowd, then finishing at Stamford Bridge. It’s under the lights, it’s winner takes all.

This season’s WSL games between them finished 1-1 at the Emirates and 2-0 to Arsenal at the Bridge. But the Champions League is different…

I spoke to Chelsea head coach, Sonia Bompastor, plus Arsenal’s head coach Renée Slegers and star striker Alessia Russo, straight after their upbeat training session.

Starting with Bompastor, straight after Chelsea’s 1-1 draw away at London City Lionesses.

Sonia Bompastor: I’m not focusing on next season, not at all. I think we have an important end of season to finish.

My focus was very much on trying to rotate the squad to have fresh legs going into the game on Tuesday.

When you have depth and a lot of players available, I think you can rotate and have almost two teams to play in different competitions.

Right now with the players available, in terms of numbers, it’s important for me to try to go into every game, to perform and to win the game.

But at the same time we need to be smart, because we also know we are playing with quick turnarounds, big competition coming on Tuesday.

The Champions League is a competition we love to play so we are trying our best to perform in every competition but also to try not to risk too many injuries.

I need to take care of the players and sometimes when they are playing too many minutes it’s difficult for them, so I need to manage them.

[Against London City Lionesses] we knew it was a top game, big test, but it’s probably a good preparation going into the game on Tuesday.

How do you think your team could deal with the Arsenal team that just won 5-0?

I’m confident.

I know it will be a tough challenge, of course. Challenging because Arsenal is a great team.

They are in a good momentum, good dynamic, but we also have quality.

So the plan for us is to try to prepare the team who is going to play on Tuesday the best way possible.

Maybe [against London City] one small positive thing was it went to plan… and what we plan to do to have the players fresh for Tuesday.

We knew it was a top game, big test, and [playing LCL] was probably a good preparation going into the game on Tuesday.

For Arsenal, Renée Slegers says she’s watched the last couple of Chelsea matches in the WSL, where they faltered in the second half.

Renée Slegers: We’ve watched those last two Chelsea games and we pick up on really good detail; our analysts do an amazing job.

But every game is different.

It’s different challenges, different opponents, personnel can change.

All we know is that in Chelsea’s games, they are strong in certain phases of the game, certain periods in the game, and we have to be ready for that.

There will be momentum shifts, so there will be phases where we are strong there will be phases where they will be and I think it’s about who manages those moments the best way.

But we’re definitely preparing for a very strong Chelsea coming.

The other notable thing on Saturday was Chelsea put out their youngest first XI since 2013 and it strikes me that maybe tomorrow you’re both going to have very young benches?

Yeah, I think there’s injuries, there’s the Asia Cup, so both teams having players away, players missing.

But I also think it’s important of course that in the top teams – and I’ve been doing some studies – you see often in the winning teams that the average age is quite high.

If you look at historically the Champions League, for example, and what the squads look like, I think it’s important to have experience, but it’s also very important to have young players because the game is growing so fast.

We’re going to need those young players who are growing with the game.

They’re to play a huge role, I think, in the here and now and in the coming years.

So it’s great to see young players get opportunities.

Alessia, when you play against Chelsea, which you do many times, there’s so many of their players who are your mates. So how hard is it when you’re going into a tackle, and it’s your actual mate?

Alessia Russo: I mean, I think everyone will say as soon as the whistle blows, you kind of put that aside.

Before and after the game, we’ll always be friends, but in that 90 minutes, we’ll do everything we can to win the game.

Is there anything, doing so many England camps, where in the memory bank you’re putting in little things where you think there’s maybe a blind spot for, say someone like Hannah Hampton?

I think obviously I get to play with amazing players and you learn lots about them, and whether things help you in the games I don’t know.

That’s what we have the analysts for, to do all the research.

But yeah I think like I said you’re friends always before and after, but in the game we’ll just do whatever we can to win.

Your pace could be key, I think, on the turn, etc.

Yeah, we’ve looked at a lot of things that can try break Chelsea down.

I mean, we’re very aware that they’re a top side and they’re used to competing at the highest level, but so are we.

So we’re prepared, we’re feeling good, we’ve had a good few days of diving into them and looking at where we can hurt them, but also being ready for what they’re going to offer too.