How do Chelsea rebuild in WSL after disappointing season?

Pressure has undoubtedly built stress for Bompastor and that has come to the fore on occasions this season.

The 5-1 defeat by City was the catalyst for her comments on squad depth and the first hint that she was battling with club decision-makers.

She was defiant following a 2-0 win over Tottenham but admitted it had “been a difficult time” for her on a personal level.

She was later frustrated after a 3-1 defeat by Arsenal in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League quarter-final in which controversial decisions by the officials marred the tie.

Having failed to make up the deficit in the second leg at Stamford Bridge, Bompastor went one step further, receiving a red card as she questioned referees for a hair pull on Thompson by Arsenal defender Katie McCabe.

With emotions high at full-time, she pulled out her phone in a post-match interview with BBC Sport and replayed the incident to back up her complaints.

Bompastor has not used these frustrations as an excuse, admitting the season has “not been good enough”.

Asked if rival teams have narrowed the gap and if the Blues have stood still, Bompastor said: “Yeah. Everyone is working hard to make sure they catch up with us.

“This season has shown that. To be honest with you, this season from us is not good enough with our ambitions.

“I’m a manager that will always give clarity at the start of the season, saying we want to win the four titles. When I give you that clarity, I always give you the opportunity to question that.

“Other managers might just say ‘we try our best’, but at Chelsea this is not good enough. I’m not happy with the fact I can’t help the team more than I have this season.”

Bompastor already has one eye on the future after admitting she expected a “transitional” campaign.

The Blues have emerged as favourites to sign Manchester City’s star striker Khadija Shaw on a free deal in the summer, with the club hoping to be active in the window.

“We will review everything then look at the future with a lot of ambitions, but also solutions to be able to fight back to win the league,” said Bompastor.

“We have been already doing that for quite a long time. Some of the things that happened [this season], I’m not really surprised.

“We want to make sure next year we are fighting for the title again.”