Sonia Bompastor Praises Chelsea’s ‘Resilience and Bravery’ in Draw with Arsenal

Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor praised her team’s resilience and bravery after they held Arsenal to a 1–1 draw at the Emirates Stadium, despite missing several chances to secure victory.

The Blues took the lead in the ninth minute when Alyssa Thompson broke away from the Arsenal defence, exchanged passes with Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, and lifted a superb finish into the top corner.

Chelsea struck the woodwork twice in a dominant first half, but Arsenal grew into the contest after the break and were rewarded when Alessia Russo equalised in the 87th minute following sustained pressure.

Although disappointed not to have taken all three points, Bompastor expressed pride in her side’s determination and defensive discipline during a difficult second period.

“I need to watch the game again, but I think we created some really good opportunities earlier on,” said the Chelsea boss. “We hit the post, the crossbar, and the most important thing is to be more clinical in these types of high-level games where the margins are fine.
“You keep the opposition alive by not scoring the second goal, especially with the quality Arsenal have. We wanted to have more control in the second half, but we couldn’t. Perhaps we conceded too many situations.”

Despite Arsenal’s late dominance, Bompastor was encouraged by Chelsea’s defensive spirit and collective effort.

“Out of possession, we were quite resilient and brave,” she continued. “We stayed together as a team and protected our goal. I’m probably more proud of the second half because resilience is so important. When you want to go far in every competition, it’s crucial.”

Squad Depth Gives Chelsea Tactical Flexibility

Bompastor made five changes to her starting line-up, bringing in Niamh Charles, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Wieke Kaptein, Catarina Macario, and Alyssa Thompson.

The rotation came as part of a busy fixture schedule, and the Chelsea head coach emphasised the benefit of having a deep and versatile squad.

“I feel lucky to have depth in the squad,” she said. “We have different profiles in the team, which allows me to make decisions depending on the game and what we want to achieve.
“Fortunately, I have intelligent players who can adapt to different styles and positions without disrupting our play. That’s important because unpredictability is a big advantage in the women’s game today.”

Chelsea remain among the leading contenders in the Women’s Super League, with Bompastor’s side showing both the attacking flair and mental strength required to challenge for silverware this season.