Lucy Bronze & Chelsea ‘not making excuses’ for sorry WSL title defence as Lionesses legend sets her sights on another trophy

The disappointment of a Women’s Champions League exit usually leaves a lingering shadow, but Lucy is already looking ahead to the next mission. With the Women's Super League title race proving to be an uphill battle, the focus has shifted sharply toward domestic cup success to salvage the campaign.

Bronze, a serial winner who joined Chelsea with a pedigree for trophies, is adamant that the squad has plenty left to fight for. "We’ve got an FA Cup game on Monday, we’re the holders of that," Bronze said. "We want to get to Wembley, we want to get to the final. We want to win another trophy this season."

Sonia Bompastor’s side has been ravaged by fitness issues this term, losing key personnel at critical junctures. However, Bronze is refusing to use the treatment room as a shield for performances, pointing out that the depth at Kingsmeadow remains among the best in world football.

Addressing the fitness struggles, Bronze stated: "It’s been difficult, but that’s just the nature of the game. We had more fit players last year and won the (domestic) Treble, but this season we are missing players, and we just keep going. We’ve always got our best XI out on the field, who are full internationals, so we’re not making excuses for missing players and not having people available".

The narrative of Chelsea's season has been one of peaks and valleys, a stark contrast to the relentless dominance seen in previous years under Emma Hayes. Bronze believes the squad must rediscover their mental fortitude to secure a top-three finish and ensure Champions League football returns to west London next year.

She explained the philosophy required to navigate the final months: "We talk about different phases of the season. Just because you start well, it doesn’t mean you’re going to end well and vice versa. You’ve got to be consistent throughout the season. We tried our best to do that; we’ve had tricky spells in the last few weeks, but we’ve come out of it not too badly in terms of performance and just sticking together as a team."

The immediate hurdle for the Blues is an FA Cup quarter-final clash against London rivals Tottenham. With the final at Wembley acting as the ultimate carrot, the stakes could not be higher for a group of players used to regular trips to the national stadium.

Bronze concluded by outlining the multiple fronts Chelsea are still battling on: "We need to do well in the league, too, because we need to qualify for the Champions League next year. It’s really tight, and it’s been a tough campaign, but we’ve got a lot to focus on still and a lot to play for."