Chelsea suffered their first defeat under manager Sonia Bompastor after 28 games, losing 2-0 to Manchester City in the Women’s Champions League quarter-final first leg. This loss also ended their 31-match unbeaten run across all competitions. If they had avoided defeat, Chelsea would have set a new record for the longest unbeaten streak by a Women’s Super League (WSL) team.

Chelsea’s Struggles

Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze admitted the team was "miles off" their best performance. She said they did not press hard enough, made sloppy passes, and were not well-organized. Chelsea improved slightly in the second half, but that’s when Manchester City scored both goals.

Bronze, who has won the Champions League five times with Lyon and Barcelona, said Chelsea must learn from this and come back stronger. She believes teams try harder when they play against Chelsea because they want to be the first to defeat them. Despite the loss, she is confident that Chelsea can recover in the second leg.

Manchester City’s Strong Performance

Manchester City’s Vivianne Miedema, who scored in the match, said this victory was very special for the team. She mentioned that City was disappointed after losing the League Cup final to Chelsea last Saturday, so this win was important for their confidence.

Miedema started the match on the bench because she is still recovering from past injuries, but she was happy to come on in the second half and help her team win. She hopes this result will give City the confidence they need for the second leg and the upcoming league game against Chelsea.

What’s Next?

Chelsea and Manchester City will face each other again in the WSL on Sunday before meeting for the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final at Stamford Bridge next Thursday.

Despite the defeat, Chelsea is still leading the WSL, eight points ahead of Arsenal and Manchester United, and 12 points above Manchester City. Many believe Chelsea should focus more on the Champions League now, as winning this European title is a major goal for them.

Chelsea manager Bompastor reminded everyone that one loss is not a big problem. She said going unbeaten is nice but not as important as winning trophies. She believes Chelsea still has the quality to turn things around in the second leg.

Former Manchester City striker Ellen White also thinks Chelsea should focus on the next Champions League game. She said that while Chelsea is leading the WSL by a good margin, their main target is the Champions League. To progress, they must win at Stamford Bridge and score multiple goals.

Chelsea will now prepare for the second leg, knowing they need a big performance to stay in the competition.