Chelsea are the team being chased in the Women’s Super League again but it does not seem to faze them.
Germany international Melanie Leupolz has won the title in each season since she joined the club from Bayern Munich and she knows the only thing that matters is who is sitting top of the table in May.
Emma Hayes’ side are preparing for a blockbuster tie with London rivals Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Friday.
Chelsea sit top of the table on goal difference, level on points with Manchester City and three points above Arsenal.
“We are used to that situation. I don’t really look at the table, to be honest,” Leupolz told BBC Sport.
“The league is so tight. You have to win every single game so it doesn’t matter who’s on top of the league during the season – only who is on top at the end.
“We are pretty comfortable with that. In the last couple of years we have always been top at the end of the season.”
Leupolz says the team “want to give something back” to departing manager Hayes, who will leave the club after 12 years to become USA head coach in the summer.
But Chelsea’s rivals are out to spoil the party and Arsenal have bounced back from setbacks against West Ham, Tottenham and Liverpool already this season to keep within touching distance.
“Arsenal is always difficult to play against. Now, finally, they have all their injured players back,” added Leupolz.
“They were really unlucky last season. It makes it more difficult for us now. It’s great for the league and the fans. The big goal is to win this game.
“Maybe they didn’t have the performances in [those] games, but now they want to show up, step up and prove how good they are. Maybe that makes it even more difficult for us. But we are fully focused.”
‘I could earn respect on the pitch’
Winning WSL titles is familiar territory for Leupolz but Chelsea’s January signing Nathalie Bjorn is hoping to win her first trophy on English soil.
She has seen Chelsea’s rivalry with Arsenal develop from afar, particularly during her three years at Everton, and hopes to be involved for the first time, although she was forced off with a calf issue in Sunday’s FA Cup victory.
“Arsenal are always up there at the top. It’s going to be amazing to play a derby against them,” Bjorn told BBC Sport.
“It will be extra heated because it’s a derby. Watching the games from the outside, it looks like there is always an amazing atmosphere when they have played.
“To be able to be in that position and to play in a full stadium with fans behind your back with Chelsea is something I’m really looking forward to. These games are what you want to be in, to come up against the best opponents.”
Bjorn admits she can be “a bit nervous” before games but she rarely shows that on the pitch.
Her move to Chelsea has been seamless so far, with Bjorn slotting into their defence and impressing in the absence of injured captain Millie Bright.
“I’m surprised actually at how well I’ve been feeling from the very beginning,” said Bjorn.
“That transition can be big from maybe going from Everton to Chelsea. It’s two different teams. But playing in the WSL helped me.
“When I spoke with Emma she wanted me to just be me – that is communicating on the pitch with my team-mates. That’s one of the reasons that she sees me as a leader because I am communicating and solving problems on the pitch.
“I got that space to be me from the start. It really helped to come into the team straight away and to be able to show the girls who I am on the pitch. I could earn respect in that aspect.”
‘Chelsea started a journey towards a dream’
Bjorn says it is “like a dream” to play for Chelsea and she will “never forget” her first game at Stamford Bridge – a 3-1 win over Manchester United 11 days after her arrival.
“It’s a game I will remember for the rest of my life. It was an amazing atmosphere. Everyone is so friendly, so welcoming and I couldn’t have wished for a better welcome,” added Bjorn.
“It’s a very big club and has been for a long time. It feels like everything around Chelsea and within the organisation, that the women’s team is very big. They really believe in the women’s team.
“They started a journey a few years ago and kept working on this dream. The club as a whole is a big one for the women’s team and has listened to them about what they need. They have built foundations going forward and that’s so important.
“It’s showing other teams what you can do and other clubs should take [note of] that.”
As well as securing another WSL title – their fifth in a row – Chelsea are aiming to go far in the Women’s Champions League.
They face Ajax in the quarter-finals following their crucial game with Arsenal, and it is a competition Bjorn enjoyed during her time at Rosengard.
“I really miss the Champions League – really miss it. It was a long time ago I played in it, but I remember the feeling of the night games. It’s a different kind of feeling,” added Bjorn.
“It’s a big thing for Chelsea that they want to win, especially now it’s Emma’s last few months here. That would be a dream if that ever happened.”
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