West Ham United Women head into Sunday's Barclays Women’s Super League meeting with Chelsea buoyed by a morale-boosting Subway Players Cup victory over Southampton, but Head Coach Rita Guarino insists her side must remain focused on their own performance if they are to challenge one of Europe's elite teams.
The Hammers welcome the Blues to the Chigwell Construction Stadium looking to finish the opening block of the season on a high, although Guarino has been dealt an injury setback ahead of the London derby.
Defender Eva Nyström and forward Ebony Salmon will both miss the match after sustaining injuries during last weekend's defeat at Manchester United. The pair were absent from Wednesday's 3-1 victory over Southampton and will remain unavailable this weekend.
"Unfortunately, after the Man United game we picked up a couple of injuries, Eva Nyström and Ebony Salmon will not be in the squad. The medical staff are working on it, so we don't have a timeline, but they won’t be in the squad for Sunday."
Their absence presents another challenge for a West Ham side still adapting to several new arrivals, but Guarino believes her team are continuing to develop despite a mixed start to the campaign.
The Hammers have already shown what they are capable of, producing impressive performances against London City Lionesses and Southampton, while also taking two points from their Subway Players Cup opener against Tottenham Hotspur.
"We've played different kinds of games, We started well against London City at home, but have paid for mistakes in other games, especially against Everton. I'm happy for part of the games, but not for all of them. We know we're in a process, so we need to work every day and keep improving."
Chelsea arrive in east London as one of the strongest teams in the Women's Super League and among the favourites for major honours this season. Guarino knows her side must be close to perfect to compete.
"We have a plan, but it's not easy, It's a tough game against one of the top teams in Europe. We need to prepare well with our strategy and tactics and be focused on every single detail. You pay for mistakes against this kind of team."
The Italian highlighted Chelsea's ability to hurt teams in a variety of ways.
"We know their wide areas are one of their strengths, but they're also able to play inside with overloads. They're an unpredictable team and we need to pay attention to every single area of the pitch.
"They've only conceded once this season, which shows how organised they are defensively. We need to understand the momentum of the game and exploit opportunities when they come."
Despite Chelsea's quality, Guarino believes the Hammers' primary focus should be on their own game.
"It's important we can express ourselves at as high a level as possible. If we focus on our opponent too much, you can be distracted from what you need to do to compete against this kind of team."
One player heading into the fixture full of confidence is Oona Siren, whose second-half brace helped fire West Ham to victory over Southampton on Wednesday evening.
The Finnish midfielder admitted it had been a while since she had scored twice in a game, but was delighted to help the team secure the win.
"I don't remember the last time I scored two goals, but it was nice to score. I feel like I was in the right place at the right time.
"It wasn't easy because Southampton defended really well, but we stayed patient and believed we were going to score. I'm happy with the performance."
Siren felt the comeback against the Saints could prove important psychologically heading into Sunday's challenge.
"The beginning of the game was hard because they scored the early goal, but I thought we handled it well and kept going. It was important that we scored goals and were able to come back after conceding. It was important for our mentality ahead of Sunday."
The midfielder is relishing the prospect of facing Chelsea in front of a home crowd and hopes the supporters can help drive the Hammers forward.
"I'm really looking forward to the game against Chelsea. Of course it's going to be a tough game, but we're playing at home and we're strong here, so I'm really excited about it.
"It's always great to hear the fans' support and the fans are going to be important again on Sunday."
Guarino echoed those sentiments, once again calling on the Claret and Blue Army to play their part.
"We say every time that our home stadium needs to be a fortress, so the support of our fans is important, especially in the tough moments of the game. It encourages and pushes the players over the line."
After Wednesday's comeback victory and with confidence growing within the squad, West Ham will be hoping they can produce another spirited display as they take on one of the Women's Super League's biggest tests.
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