Man City loss proves Chelsea need reinforcements at the back

Chelsea's 2-0 loss against Manchester City highlighted the need for reinforcements in defence next season.

Emma Hayes spoke after the match about how her players were exhausted given the fact that Chelsea are competing in all competitions.

However, the drop off in performances is quite steep when Millie Bright isn't in the team, and it's a problem that Chelsea will need to address in the summer.

Bright was forced off through injury just before half-time during Chelsea's first leg quarter-final match in the UWCL against Lyon. Hayes confirmed that the defender should be back in time for the second leg, but her absence was huge against City.

Bright is such a key component to Chelsea; she brings experience, technical ability to play the ball out from the back, proper tackling technique, immense strength, and ability in the air, all traits that make her one of the world's best defenders.

Without her, Chelsea became incredibly easy to press, showed that they struggle with balls coming into the box, and were unable to pass the ball out from the back. There also seemed to be a lack of communication on roles within the backline.

Both Maren Mjelde and Magdalena Eriksson have been great servers for Chelsea over the years, but together, as a partnership, they are no longer able to perform at the standard Chelsea needs if the club want to maintain their success. The loss of speed, agility, and timing means the Blues cannot rely on their solid defensive shape, which is a staple in Hayes' best Chelsea sides.

Regardless of whether Chelsea win the WSL title this year, the summer needs to be spent recruiting and bringing a younger core that can solidify Chelsea once again, or else they risk becoming too reliant on their first team, and thus not being able to compete on all fronts.