"This team will go down in history, I'm certain of it. I know when you're winning a lot there's just this expectation you're going to keep doing it, but this is the best Chelsea team I've ever had."
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes was in a bullish mood speaking to Chelsea TV after her side thumped Aston Villa 4-0 on Wednesday to set a new Women’s Super League record of 32 games without defeat, breaking the tally previously set by Manchester City. Chelsea’s last league defeat came two years ago, in January 2019, making this a record-breaking run envied all across the globe.
The Blues are now level on points at the top of the table with an impressive Manchester United side, although they do boast a game in hand on their title rivals. In a squad bursting with quality, they asserted their dominance over Villa in the 4-0 win, with Australian forward Sam Kerr opening the scoring with a cracking left-footed volley which was too powerful and accurate for Villa keeper Lisa Weiss to stop.
The 27-year-old Kerr, who has eight goals this term, then set up striker Beth England, who headed home for Chelsea to double their lead at the Bescot Stadium before half-time. It was more of the same in the second half as Pernille Harder struck a third before captain Magdalena Eriksson added the icing on the cake with the fourth. That record-breaking win left manager Hayes bursting with praise after the final whistle.
"The group is growing with me, it's not like I'm here on my own. Some of us have been together three, four, five, six years and that collective wisdom is why we have more experience than most teams.
"I'm always afraid of the youthful endeavour of our rivals because I know how important ambition and energy and drive is to winning. What we are learning is to be consistent winners, we have to have consistent behaviours daily. If you come into our training environment, there's no time for a passenger, and that's every day, including recovery days."
Chelsea, who have won two of the last three WSL titles, now look in pole position to defend their crown for the very first time. With football and team spirit like this, who is going to stop them? Huge praise must be given to Hayes and her staff for putting together a side that can produce on such a consistent basis.
They host Tottenham this weekend as they look to assert their dominance over the rest of the division and take another step closer to that WSL title.
