Victory in Albania last week secured Chelsea Women’s place in the knockout phase of the Women’s Champions League, and left manager Emma Hayes feeling buoyant about 2023’s prospects.

Her dream of lifting the European trophy that has so far eluded her moved a step closer in Tirana with a 4-0 win over Vllaznia, meaning there is no pressure to beat Paris Saint-Germain at the Bridge this week.

Then the birds fly home for their winter break; the four-week season’s lull allowing Sam Kerr to head back Down Under to warm weather, and every other player to scatter to their homelands.

But it’s the new signings of the blossoming Katerina Svitkova – a tattooed tough cookie with an eye for goal, Eve Perisset – the French defender whose corner kicks are divine, and Jelena Cankovic – the Serb midfielder who has already scored twice in four appearances, that is giving Hayes real belief.

This time last year Chelsea were unceremoniously dumped out of the Champions League, despite major investment in the team.

Now the overall quality has been raised, and Hayes genuinely feels the Blues can crack the one nut she has been hammering away at for years.

“Our depth has always been a strength of ours, but I feel the quality in the way we control games now is different from previous years,” said the manager, whose 70% decade-long win rate with Chelsea bears comparison with the greats in the men’s game.

Competition for places is now intense. “It’s tough,” Hayes admitted. “I get more earache on a weekly basis because of the depth and squad size, because we’ve got so many quality players.”

The one she repeatedly singles out for special mention is Guro Reiten, whose inch-perfect crosses from the left wing and total match focus inspire younger team members and set the template for newer arrivals.

Hayes says that only two things matter – how hard the team trains and the conviction that Chelsea can be top. “Everything else is nothing,” she declared, in what could stand as her personal mission statement.

First up in January, a trip to Arsenal on the 15^th to face Jonas Eidevall’s Gunners in a WSL showdown on the grand stage of the Emirates.