Chelsea’s 4-0 win over Aston Villa in midweek marked their 32nd consecutive unbeaten game in the league, a Barclays FA Women’s Super League record. The run includes going unbeaten throughout the 2019/2020 league season, from which they emerged as champions.
Discussing the record, manager Emma Hayes struggled to put the achievement into words, telling FAWSL Full-Time “It’s not a trophy, but it is a record that shows just how consistent this team has been in the last couple of years.
“That’s what happens when you have such a great group of people. I represent a fantastic bunch who are all deserving, they put a shift in and work hard. I’m very proud of all of them and everybody who works at the football club.”
Whilst Hayes was unable to pick out just one key moment from the unbeaten run, which has now lasted over two years, she highlighted the importance of the process and the lessons she has learnt along the way. She said “Nothing is achieved overnight.
“You need the setbacks. They are what serve as the reminders for future reference of what not to do in your next moments. I’m an experienced manager because of all those failures and setbacks, not because of all the wins.”
The culture and relationships within the squad is another thing that Hayes credits as a vital driver in their success. With many of the core players having been at the club long-term, she believes that experience has given Chelsea the edge over other sides, helping to shape the environment within the West London club.
The Blues boss said “I’m always afraid of the youthful endeavour of our rivals because I know how important ambition, energy and drive is to winning, but what we are learning is that to be consistent winners you have to have consistent behaviours daily.
“You come into our training environment and there’s no time for a passenger. That’s every day including recovery days. I think that’s what makes high performance.”
Nevertheless, Hayes wants to ensure the staff and players don’t get too get caught up in records and statistics.
“It almost sounds like I’m ungrateful” she said. “I know it’s a big achievement but I’ve learnt with the highs and lows that you have to remove the emotion. You have to constantly remind yourself of the daily processes you have to go through in order to get one win, not subsequent wins.
“It is about not being complacent, about making them uncomfortable, demanding higher standards and I think I’ve been able to achieve that because I have a brilliant group of staff around me that help keep those standards high.
“I know the threats have been bigger than they’ve ever been in the women’s game but I also know the quality that we’ve got in front of us too.”
Hayes has consistently strengthened her side throughout her tenure with recent additions including ex-Bayern Munich captain Melanie Leupolz, as well as world class forward Pernille Harder, whose move from VfL Wolfsburg last summer bore women’s football’s record transfer fee. However, such is Hayes’ ambitious nature that she is still always looking to improve her squad.
“It’s about having players in the environment that don’t want to be passengers, that want to keep pushing” she explained. “We’ve got a group of players coming through that I’m excited about and we add to what we are doing by developing the next generation that are training with us every day.
“It is extremely difficult to improve this team but I’ll find a way” Hayes concluded with a laugh.
Chelsea will be hoping to extend their record-breaking run when Tottenham Hotspur are the visitors to Kingsmeadow on Sunday.
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