“I’m positive the pitch shall be higher on the Joie Stadium,” Man Metropolis’s interim boss Nick Cushing stated following his facet’s League Cup ultimate defeat by Chelsea on the weekend. The dry, bobbly floor at Derby County’s Pleasure Park was hardly befitting of the event.

Greater than that, it performed into Chelsea’s palms.

Man Metropolis have by no means been a staff who favour the ugly facet of the sport. Saturday proved it. Cushing’s facet dominated and managed proceedings: they loved extra possession, a better variety of photographs, extra touches within the opposition field, extra passes into the ultimate third and higher probabilities.

As an alternative, Chelsea wore them down with persistence and dedication – it is a doggedness no home rival has ever fairly matched. Sonia Bompastor’s facet made extra tackles, clearances and ball recoveries than their Manchester counterparts earlier than forcing a game-deciding state of affairs the place Yui Hasegawa turned the ball into her personal web.

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Off the ball Chelsea are the most effective within the enterprise.

“Psychologically, it is actually vital to win the primary one,” Bompastor mirrored. Neither of Chelsea’s two objectives had been notably properly choreographed however that issues not when the result finally belongs to them.

A sandy pitch. A slice of luck. Chelsea all the time handle to return out on high in huge video games whatever the circumstances as a result of they consider wholeheartedly of their standing as winners. And that perception has turn into their superpower. A money-can’t-buy mentality. Captain Millie Brilliant calls it a “magic present”.

The place the Champions League differs, nonetheless, is the advantage of 180 minutes. Cushing, rehired by Metropolis to switch the outgoing Gareth Taylor simply 5 days earlier than Saturday’s ultimate, now has the possibility to train his personal tactical nous. The proper alternative to show Metropolis’s finesse on the ball can overpower Chelsea’s tenacity off it.

Because the returning boss acknowledged post-match, finals “swing on moments”. However a two-legged tie permits Metropolis to hunt management in a extra measured method, taking time within the build-up section, utilizing endurance to attract the opponents out – and preying on Chelsea’s desperation to beat the one competitors that has up to now eluded them. This, after all, is the trophy they yearn for many.

Metropolis’s midfield trio – Hasegawa, Jill Roord and Viv Miedema – have the potential to play any staff in Europe off the park. Add Jess Park to the combo, a doable substitute for the injured Bunny Shaw, they usually have way more creativity and ball intelligence than Chelsea’s central pairing of Erin Cuthbert and Sjoeke Nüsken, if not as a lot trade.

However Metropolis shouldn’t really feel compelled to get dragged right into a dogfight, they want solely exhibit conviction in what they do finest. Cushing’s emotional attachment to the membership and former success ought to assist with that.

“I’ve the assumption this staff can win. I would not be right here if I did not,” he mirrored after dropping spherical one among 4 on the weekend. That confidence must translate to his gamers fairly quick.

Unsurprisingly, final week’s coaching classes had much less concentrate on ways, extra concentrate on gamers displaying what they’ll provide throughout this high-risk, high-reward run of fixtures. The ‘pick-me’ showcase any squad undergoes when a brand new supervisor takes over and vital video games are on the horizon.

Cushing shall be higher knowledgeable this time round and so making an attempt to marry Metropolis’s passing prowess with a sound tactical plan ought to come extra naturally.

Grass on the pitch will assist with fluency, too. It should not be an element value mentioning however it’s.

Metropolis are solely at their finest when zipping the ball with tempo and goal – it is how they beat Barcelona, the defending champions, 2-0 within the group phases. The bodily battle will little question be received by Chelsea however the technical facet must be Metropolis’s to personal. Pack the staff with go masters and belief them to carry out.

Inform Roord to hitch assaults. Use Miedema’s motion. Give Park the license to roam free.

Chelsea defender Brilliant, accumulating her 14th main honour in blue, received it spot on when dissecting the important thing distinction on Saturday. “We will play scruffy… any sort of sport, we’ll be up for it.”

Cushing and Metropolis haven’t got that very same luxurious; they’re way more wedded to a set model nevertheless it’s one that may be liberating for the game-changers amongst his very gifted squad.

Metropolis must be buoyed by their League Cup efficiency, not shackled by it. Solely then can they hope to blemish Bompastor’s near-perfect report and hit Chelsea, maybe, the place it hurts most.

Observe stay updates from Man Metropolis vs Chelsea within the Champions League on Wednesday night in our devoted stay weblog. Kick-off 8pm.