Only two teams have succeeded in putting the apparently indomitable Chelsea in the Super League for women this season.
Before the admirable efforts of Brighton on Sunday to hold Chelsea against a 2-2 draw, Leicester City was the only side to steal a point of the champions.
Chelsea remains unbeaten and Leicester hopes for the same, if not when they travel to Meadow Park, live live on Sky on Wednesday.
“If you play a team like Chelsea, all you can do is the result,” Leicester -Baas Amandine Miquel told Sky Sports.
“The pressure is more on them to miss something. The state of mind was really important for the players to defend together.”
“We have focused a lot on the defensive aspects. That certainly helped us in the last game of the first phase because we were really strongly defensive. We were a team that had admitted very few goals and we were well defended in a block.
“So this was something we built about the games to come across Chelsea, knowing that there was no pressure on us. We were lucky to score on one of our rare attacks, which makes a big difference against Chelsea.
“And if you lead against Chelsea, it gives the players energy. It is so unusual, but I think this gives a lift to every player who leads against Chelsea and ensures that you want to keep it as long as possible and we almost did that.”
Miquel's side took the lead for just over 50 minutes against Chelsea. Missy Goodwin gave the Foxes an advantage before Chelsea's Wieke Kaptein reacted late to claw a point back. However, it is crucial that Leicester scored with their only shot on goal.
“As we saw against Brighton, they are people and sometimes they have a few times a few times that they are a little less focused or are a little more or a little less or the intensity is lower,” Miquel said.
“That is when a team like mine or a team of them in the table has to take advantage of those rare moments. But they are a strong team and I would say the whole team, because those who also come in, and those who don't come in are very good. Some of us would be very happy to have it play for 10 minutes in our team!”
Just like Chelsea and former Lyon -Baas Sonia Bompastor, Miquel took over in France this summer, with the Leicester Boss spent seven years with Reims. Miquel, familiar with Bompastor from their collisions in France, is not shocked by her impact.
“Bompastor has a hatred for defeat,” Miquel told Sky Sports.
“Even pulls, and for her it is unusual. Even losing a point for them, I think it takes them three days to get back from it. So they are very upset about the first game.
“I expected that she would do what she did because she coached Lyon, so we played her in similar situations with a great team, with great individuals. And when you have that kind of players and you manage to have a clear game plan and the connections work, then it is much easier.”
View Chelsea vs Brighton in the Super League for Women, live on Sky Sports Football with kick -off at 7.30 p.m.
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