Chelsea manager Emma Hayes says that she is expecting a dogged and difficult game against a Birmingham City team who should be respected.
The Blues travel to St Andrew’s this evening to face a Birmingham City side who are battling against relegation to the FA Women’s Championship.
When speaking to FAWSL Full-Time ahead of the match, Hayes said that Birmingham City should not be written off and that Darren Carter’s side will make it a dogged and difficult contest for Chelsea.
“I think everybody needs to pay a bit more respect to Birmingham and the fact that they aren’t out of the division yet,” Hayes said. “They’ve been treated a little unfairly in that regard, they are fighting for their lives and knowing Darren (Carter) and his team, they will make this game dogged and difficult. They certainly won’t be underestimated by us, we know that they are confident in their ability to stay in the WSL.
“We again have to find something else to win the game. They are a very different opponent to Tottenham but nonetheless one that will do everything that they can to take points off us.”
The two goals which Chelsea have conceded in the last week have come from set plays and this is an area where Birmingham City will look to hurt the South West Londoners. Hayes agreed that there is room for improvement when it comes to defending set plays.
She said “I think they’ll have five at the back and make it difficult like Tottenham did. I agree that we need to be better, we conceded two goals from set pieces which we hadn’t done previously all year, that’s not good enough from us but it is the way that we are conceding.
“It is the corners and the free-kicks that we are giving away that are the concern for me, you have to stop it at source. It is something that we will focus on before the game.”
Chelsea’s Barclays FA Women’s Super League fixture at Birmingham City kicks-off at 6.45pm.