Chelsea rediscover ruthless edge as Bompastor's vision takes shape

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  Emily KeoghOct 28, 2026, 05:31 PM ET

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  Based in London, Emily Keogh is ESPN's women's soccer correspondent, specializing in the WSL and UWCL

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LONDON -- Chelsea's 2-0 victory over Roma in the UEFA Women's Champions League extends their unbeaten run to 12 games in all competitions as momentum builds and things continue to fall into place for Sonia Bompastor's team.

Thanks to goals off the bench from Ellie Carpenter and Kadeisha Buchanan's late header, the Blues' momentum is ticking away nicely, temporarily topping the table in both the Champions League and Women's Super League.

It may not have been the prettiest or most clinical game, but Chelsea's comprehensive performance was reflective of the ruthless Chelsea of old, a team that finds a way to win even when frustration hits and confidence drops.

It's the second game in a row that Bompastor has had to turn to her bench earlier than she'd like to make an impact. Against Crystal Palace, the newly promoted side took an early lead and went into halftime with the advantage. The French coach made halftime substitutions, replacing Alyssa Thompson and Maika Hamano with Sandy Baltimore and Erin Cuthbert, eventually coming from behind to win 3-1.

The halftime swaps against Roma -- Thompson and Lauren James being switched for Sjoeke Nüsken and Carpenter -- were also needed to change the frustrations for Chelsea. The duo made an immediate impact and within five minutes had given Chelsea a much-deserved lead through Carpenter, having been on top throughout the evening, yet failed to convert their chances.

Out-of-form and struggling for minutes, Aggie Beever-Jones was substituted for Melvine Malard not long after. The England international was visibly lacking confidence and failed to convert a stunning pass from goalkeeper Hannah Hampton that was worthy of a confident finish to take the lead. Instead, she took one too many touches in the box and was dispossessed.

Despite several chances missing the final touch to send them goal-bound, the hosts got their second of the evening through Buchanan in the 89th minute.

A two-goal lead is not the best reflection of how dominant Chelsea had been. Six of their 16 chances were on target, dominating against Roma's measly three off-target chances and having four times as many touches (33) as the visitors did. They kept 60% possession and completed 83 successful passes into the final third.

While it is a frustration that Chelsea's starting lineup has been unable to perform their half of the job, the underlying positive is that the Blues' depth -- and their finishing -- have been able to keep Chelsea's stellar record.

It also reflects Bompastor's tactical nous and game management, able to make the right changes at the right moments to keep pressure on the visitors.

Last season was a transition period for the club in Bompastor's second term in charge. Her first was a domestic treble-winning season, but had heavy influence from former manager Emma Hayes and the squad she had built.

Last season had a heavy focus on combining old and new, riding the struggles that came with introducing new faces, a new style of play, and further cementing her leadership.

This season, the squad is fully her own. Chelsea moved on familiar faces that made up the "old guard" like Sam Kerr, Millie Bright and Niamh Charles in the summer and brought in players that better suited Bompastor's vision like Malard, Giulia Dragoni -- who featured briefly against her former team -- and Manaka Matsukubo.

There are fewer excuses now when things do not go to plan. The grace period of allowing the coaching staff and players to adapt to Bompastor's management has passed.

Fortunately for all, this hasn't happened. If anything, it is all starting to click for Chelsea. They have shown they can take their game up a gear when needed, evidenced when Tottenham Hotspur leveled early, but Chelsea responded, winning 6-2, or when OL Lyonnes pushed Chelsea back into their own half, keeping a 0-0 draw, a good reflection of two teams going end to end in a well-matched battle.

Even the 5-0 win over Manchester United, 1-0 win over Arsenal and even this 2-0 display against Roma are reflective of a defense who have stepped up their game. Last season, when the club was faced with back-to-the-wall defending, it was their undoing. Now, they seem far more comfortable and composed, yet to concede in the Champions League and only shipping four goals in the WSL, the lowest tally thus far.

Chelsea was always praised for their ruthless mentality. It was the differentiator that made them back-to-back domestic winners six times in a row and regular European contenders. Having lost part of that last season, it appears to have been restored to full force, now 12 games unbeaten and scoring the most goals (21) in the league.

This should be the indicator for a team in form. They haven't been the most clinical team, played the prettiest soccer or set huge goal lines in either competition, but they have found ways to round out wins, keep clean sheets and ensure they are on top. They've also found a range of ways to win, something that Bompastor praised in her squad.

"I think it's important," she said.

"Tonight and on Sunday, we rotated the team a little bit. I think probably the first half was not good enough tonight, and it's always important for us to come into the second half with the solutions, but also the mindset to turn things around. I'm pleased with the fact we scored really early in the second half. We could have probably killed the game a little bit earlier."

The club has set such high standards for themselves that even a 2-0 win seems like a missed opportunity. That, in itself, reflects how high the ceiling is for this crop of players and how, if the season continues on an upward trajectory, this team could end up back on top.