USWNT star Alyssa Thompson explains how she has exceeded expectations at Chelsea while drawing up WSL & Champions League trophy targets for 2026-27

Thompson enjoyed a better debut season at Chelsea than she initially expected after making the move from Angel City, with the USWNT star now determined to build on a campaign that established her as one of the Blues' key attacking players.

The 21-year-old finished the season as Chelsea's second-highest scorer with nine goals in all competitions and admitted she quickly surpassed the targets she had set for herself when arriving in England.

"I feel like I did a lot better than I thought I would," Thompson told Chelsea’s official website. "Being able to come to Chelsea was an honour and a privilege, and I was so excited to join this team and get better every day."

While Thompson enjoyed an impressive individual campaign, she acknowledged Chelsea fell short of the standards traditionally associated with the club. Despite winning the previous six consecutive Women's Super League titles, the Blues plummeted to a third-place finish in their second season under Sonia Bompastor. They also failed to make it three consecutive semi-final appearances in the Women's Champions League, losing 3-2 on aggregate to Arsenal in the quarter-finals.

"As a team, we left a lot that we wanted this season on the table," Thompson said. "That's not what Chelsea is about as a club. We have always won a lot of trophies, and being top of the league is something that's really important."

Despite those frustrations, the American international believes the setbacks ultimately strengthened the squad and will help the team respond more effectively next season. Chelsea endured a number of difficult moments throughout the campaign but remained united behind the scenes.

"We had a lot of adversity, and I think we leaned on each other a lot," she said. "So I know that next season, whatever comes our way, we have each other, and we know we can get out of it and still be a great team."

With her debut season now behind her, Thompson's focus has already shifted toward helping Chelsea return to the top of both domestic and European football. The winger believes the squad has the quality required to challenge for the game's biggest honours.

"My hopes for next season are for us to win more trophies than we did this year," she said. "I think that's doable. I want us to be a force in the league and in the Champions League, so hopefully we can do better in that."