Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor says departure is an option if there is agreement that change is needed, after a 5-1 defeat to Manchester City left the club’s Women’s Super League title streak on the brink of ending this season.
The loss at Etihad Stadium means Chelsea sit 12 points behind league leaders City, who moved 11 points clear of second-placed Manchester United. The result leaves Chelsea facing a serious battle just to secure Champions League qualification.
The title outlook is bleak according to the Opta supercomputer, which gives City a 97.1% chance of finishing top. Arsenal are listed as second favourites at 1.8%, while Chelsea are projected to win the Women’s Super League in only 0.9% of simulated seasons.
Pressure is increasing because
Arsenal and Tottenham are both only one point behind Chelsea. Arsenal did not play last weekend and still have a game in hand, so there is a strong possibility that Chelsea could drop out of the top three places.
Chelsea’s title defence has unravelled across two games, with a 2-0 home defeat to Arsenal followed by the heavy loss to City. It is the first time Chelsea have suffered consecutive Women’s Super League defeats since July 2015, against Sunderland and Manchester City.
Bompastor initially stressed a short-term focus after the latest setback, stating the approach would be to move "game by game". Later, Bompastor accepted that personal position must come after the wider needs of the club, while still stressing commitment to the role.
"I'm really confident and someone who is really honest. If people think I'm not the right person to stay for this job at the club, I'll be happy to go, if they think thats the right thing. But I will never give up. I know in football, sometimes it happens, you can be in this situation. I will always fight. But again, the institution of Chelsea is a lot more important than myself. "
Chelsea Women’s Super League title race and upcoming fixtures
Chelsea now turn attention to three important fixtures across league and cup. They travel to Tottenham on Sunday in a key match for European qualification hopes, then host Liverpool, before facing Manchester United on 22 February in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
| Competition | Opponent | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women’s Super League | Tottenham | Away | Sunday (next match) |
| Women’s Super League | Liverpool | Home | Following week |
| FA Cup fifth round | Manchester United | Neutral / To be confirmed | 22 February |
The coming weeks therefore carry major influence on how Chelsea’s season is judged. The club’s long domestic dominance is at risk, Champions League qualification is under threat, and Bompastor’s future could depend on how players respond to this difficult spell.
