Emma Hayes warns Chelsea not to underestimate 'aggressive' Leicester City
By Emily Keogh
Emma Hayes has warned Chelsea that they must not underestimate Leicester City ahead of their visit to Kingsmeadow.
The Blues put behind them the disappointment of losing to Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Women's Champions League by crushing Everton 7-0 at the weekend, keeping the heat on Manchester United at the top of the WSL table.
Chelsea are four points behind United with two games more to play, meaning the fate of the WSL title is in their hands, but Hayes isn't worried about the fixtures coming thick and fast. Instead, she believes her side are primed to perform against the Foxes on Wednesday.
“We have to win all four games,” Hayes said, speaking to the media at her pre-match press conference. “We’re in a good rhythm; we like the games. It’s tiring in one element because it’s a quick turnaround, but the dressing room would always prefer back-to-back games over lots of training.”
While Chelsea are within touching distance of a fourth consecutive WSL crown, Leicester are in a less desirable position having spent much of the campaign at the bottom of the table.
Read the latest Chelsea Women news here
feed
But under Willie Kirk, who took over in November when the club had zero points on the board, Leicester have accrued 13 points and now sit two clear of bottom of the table Reading. It's all to play for with three games of the season remaining and every points matters.
“Leicester in their form are indicative of top five, top six,” Hayes continued. “They are the most aggressive team in the league and the most improved side in the whole of the WSL."
The previous meeting between the two sides resulted in an 8-0 win for Chelsea at King Power Stadium, but Leicester have significantly improved since then - their work in the January transfer window was particularly impressive, bringing in the likes of German goalkeeper Janina Leitzig who was pivotal in restricting Arsenal to just a 1-0 win last Friday.
“They are going to be wounded from that ( 8-0 loss at home), and they’ve learned a lot since then," Hayes commented on the development of Kirk's side. “They have a point to prove, and I made that clear to the players. I do not underestimate Leicester in any shape or form, and I think this will be a game that will go the distance.”