Before Chelsea’s 3-2 defeat to Arsenal on the opening day of last season, Emma Hayes was asked about her decision to leave key players Sam Kerr and Fran Kirby on the bench. She confirmed that it was about giving Chelsea’s Olympic players more recovery time. “For us, it’s about the whole season,” she said. “Not just this game.”
After that game, and Arsenal’s win, and the attention-grabbing, eye-bulging, fist-pumping celebrations of rival manager Jonas Eidevall, Hayes remained focused on the long road ahead. Should she make changes, Sky Sports asked? “No. Process, process,” she replied. “It’s the first game of the season—no one wins the league today. Focus on the process.”
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