When Emma Hayes brought her iconic 12-year stint as Chelsea boss to an end last summer, it was perfectly natural for fans to be a little anxious about a new era. While the squad and club certainly felt in a good place for her successor, to follow in the footsteps of such a legendary figure and one of the best managers the women’s game has ever seen was not going to be straight-forward for any candidate. And yet, the events of the last six months mean any nervous feelings have dissipated remarkably fast.
With nine games of the Women’s Super League season remaining, the Blues are seven points clear at the top of the table and still yet to lose under new head coach Sonia Bompastor, putting them firmly on course for a sixth-successive league title while success on all four fronts remains possible.
If that wasn’t a marvellous position to be in already, Chelsea only strengthened it in the January transfer window, making an almighty splash by signing two genuinely world-class footballers, in American centre-back Naomi Girma and England midfielder Keira Walsh. The prices of those acquisitions, at £890,000 ($1.1 million) and £457,000 ($563,000), respectively, highlighted the Blues’ ambition, with no English rival coming close in this regard. Both deals are among the top five most expensive in the history of women’s football.
Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United have all tried and failed to dethrone this winning machine in the past five years; what chance do any of them have of succeeding in the next half-decade, as Chelsea continue to only get stronger?