As Chelsea Ladies enter the final training phase of the week ahead the crucial second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Montpellier on Wednesday night, there are mixed feelings about the weekend’s league game at home to Reading, when a late Fran Kirby goal helped Chelsea salvage a point against Reading to hang on to top spot.

The Blues fell behind to goals from Brooke Chaplen and Fara Williams, but Jonna Andersson and Kirby saved the day during the second half at Kingsmeadow – to general relief, mixed with nervousness about the apparent fragility of a two-goal lead. It is by that margin that Chelsea Ladies lead Montpellier after the French leg of the European duel.

Chelsea still have a two-point lead over Manchester City in the domestic table, but are conscious that the rapid string of fixtures in the coming weeks could be a distraction to the goal of winning the season’s title.

“It is difficult when you play Champions League; you have a tough game against Reading, then you’ve got a tough Champions League fixture and then you’ve got Arsenal,” said Kirby. “It is really difficult, I think for us as footballers we want to be playing, we don’t want to spend three or four weeks training and not have a game. It is every footballer’s dream to play the big games. We have got a big squad that we are able to rotate and we have got many international players sitting on the bench. It is important now that the squad pulls together.”

Her rallying cry will be welcomed by manager Emma Hayes, who attributed the draw against Reading to “heavy legs” after the Montpellier expedition.

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