Sonia Bompastor's Chelsea: Formation, style of play and key players
Introducing tactical deep dives on all 12 Barclays Women's Super League sides from The Cutback and Football Manager
The Cutback has partnered with Football Manager to deliver a series of articles that go deeper on the tactics and gameplay of the world’s leading football management simulation game ahead of Football Manager 26’s release.
This year, women’s football features in Football Manager for the very first time, so to get fans ready for a brand new experience, The Cutback has put together the ultimate insights on FM26. Find out about the secrets of building FM26, dive into the tactical details of all 12 Barclays Women’s Super League sides and hear about the next gen talent that will feature in the game.
The first team to be profiled in this deep dives series is Chelsea.
Formation: After six consecutive Barclays Women’s Super League titles, Chelsea now set their sights on the one prize that has eluded them: the UEFA Women’s Champions League. To achieve it, tactical continuity remains central to their approach. Chelsea’s default structure last season was primarily a 4-2-3-1. This season they have switched between a 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-3. The back line features two attacking full-backs who provide natural width and are heavily involved in possession phases, often advancing simultaneously.
This proactive approach forces the centre-backs, led by Naomi Girma, when she has been fit, and club captain Millie Bright, to remain compact and disciplined, ensuring stability in defensive transition. In midfield, the addition of Keira Walsh has introduced a reliable deep-lying playmaker who dictates tempo and distributes vertically, making Chelsea less dependent on wide circulation. She is flanked by a box-to-box player, usually Erin Cuthbert, with an advanced midfielder in front of them, giving balance between vertical runs and positional security. This central triangle is expected to become even more central to the team’s identity, shifting them gradually from wing-dominated play towards a more possession-oriented style.
Up front, Chelsea frequently deploy an inside forward who cuts inside to attack the half-spaces while leaving corridors for full-back overlapping runs, alongside a more classic winger tasked with holding the width and often supported by an inside full-back. The flank on which these partnerships operate depends heavily on the personnel chosen for a specific game, as the team boasts incredible attacking depth. The striker typically operates as an advanced forward, capable of both playing with her back to goal and making runs in behind. This balance allows Chelsea to alternate between patient possession and direct vertical attacks. While much of the early-season build-up leaned heavily towards the left, the team grew more balanced as the campaign progressed, and both flanks are now utilised with equal importance.
In possession: Chelsea’s attacking identity is built on a mixture of wing play and more recently, vertical tiki-taka through the middle. Traditionally, they favoured vertical progression down the flanks, using wingers and overlapping full-backs to stretch the field and allow other forwards to attack central areas. Under manager Sonia Bompastor, however, Chelsea have shown greater willingness to recycle possession centrally, building attacks with more patience rather than relying solely on wide overloads.
The idea to advance the ball is to quickly switch between the inside and outside, using both long and short combinations. Player positioning and the distances between them are key to this strategy: players stay tighter in the ball area, with at least 2 in between the opposition’s lines (usually players like Lauren James, Guro Reiten, and Maika Hamano) to give them more space to receive the ball. In contrast, there is more isolation in the space the ball is meant to reach.
In prolonged possessions, Chelsea often evolve into a 2-1-5-2, especially against teams sitting deep and compact like Liverpool or Everton. The centre-backs spread as the only 2 deep players, Walsh positions herself just ahead as the single pivot, and five players occupy the attacking line. Depending on personnel, the width can be provided either by the full-backs pushing high or by the wingers holding the touchline, in this case, the full-backs tuck inside to create central overloads. The striker is frequently joined by an advanced midfielder or inside forward to create a front 2, ensuring multiple options to attack the penalty area.
Out of possession: Out of possession, Chelsea defend in a compact 4-4-1-1, with wingers dropping into midfield and the No.10 leading the press on the opposition’s first build-up player. This role is one of the most demanding defensively, which explains the rotation between energetic profiles like Hamano, Kaptein or Nüsken in high-pressing games, and more creative players such as James or Macario against deeper blocks. Chelsea’s counter-pressing is a major strength, often producing immediate chances, as in the 2-1 comeback win over Everton.
Their main weaknesses are in defensive transition and aerial defence. Space ahead of the pivots can be exploited when full-backs are advanced, as seen in their narrow 2-1 win in last year’s FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool. Diagonal crosses into the space behind the defensive line have also hurt them, notably against Barcelona, Manchester City and in a 2-2 draw with West Ham last season.
The team has tried to limit these risks, rotating the No.10 to maintain pressing intensity and reducing the right-back’s forward runs to cover aerial deliveries, but they remain the most frequent avenues through which opponents create danger.
Key players:
Lauren James - Chelsea’s most unpredictable attacking talent, James excels both as an attacking midfielder and as an inside forward drifting into central spaces. Her 1v1 ability and creativity make her a constant threat, capable of breaking defensive lines through dribbling, combination play and an incredible shooting ability with both feet. In key matches last season, her vision and ability to find half-spaces were decisive. If Chelsea is to fully embrace a possession-oriented style, James’ flair and ball retention will be pivotal in unlocking compact defences.
Aggie Beever-Jones - A homegrown rising talent within the squad, Beever-Jones offers a more direct profile compared to James. Her vertical runs and instinctive finishing give Chelsea an option to stretch defences and exploit space behind the back line. She was particularly impactful in league fixtures against mid-table sides, where her pace and willingness to attack depth created consistent danger, massively helping the Blues in the final stretch of their last 2 Barclays Women’s Super titles. As Chelsea balances experience with youth, Beever-Jones represents both present impact and future potential.
Naomi Girma - Girma was signed to be the cornerstone of Chelsea’s defence but has suffered with injury issues since her arrival in January 2025. In the latter half of the 2024-25 season, she showcased her composure in possession and reliable defensive presence. Her ability to read the game allows her to step out and intercept, while her efficient distribution with both feet is crucial to Chelsea’s build-up. Girma’s leadership has quickly established her as a central figure despite being still just six months into her time at the club. And her incredible tackling, paired with blistering pace and acceleration, ensures stability even when the full-backs push high.
This is a paid partnership between The Cutback and Football Manager.