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Guro Reiten pulls a face when asked about Chelsea’s developing rivalry with Arsenal that looks like a mixture of distaste and wryness. The clubs meet at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, with the opportunity to make statements.
For Arsenal, there is a chance to extend their unbeaten run under new manager Renée Slegers, close the gap on the rampant league leaders from seven points to four and ensure there is a title race. For Chelsea, their invincibility under Sonia Bompastor is on the line. They could go 10 points clear of the Gunners.
“Arsenal is special for everyone, both us and for them,” says Reiten. “It’s a derby, it’s for London. They’re the games you love to win and hate to lose.”
Chelsea painted London blue in October, two goals inside 16 minutes giving Bompastor’s side a 2-1 win at the Emirates Stadium that would contribute to Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall’s resignation three days later. They welcome a very different Arsenal this time, an Arsenal who have their mojo back, but are yet to be tested in a game like this at a hostile ground. At the time of writing, 33,000 tickets had been sold. “We love playing at Stamford Bridge,” says the 30-year-old. “The atmosphere is amazing.”
Playing more regularly at the main stadium is something the players enjoy, but it does create a change in the relationship with fans. “I think people understand that we cannot be walking around the pitch and signing 25,000 shirts, but we try,” says the Norwegian forward. “We give a lot of ourselves to the fans because they mean so much to us and we try our best to give back in any way possible. Playing in a big stadium with a lot of fans you have to look at different possibilities of how you build that relationship.”
The relationship between Reiten and the fanbase is strong. The winger has been at Chelsea for five and a half years and the club recently exercised a one-year extension option on her contract. She achieved cult status and became an iconic meme when, in an interview before a game against Barcelona she was hilariously dismissive, saying: “Everyone keeps talking about Barcelona: ‘They are the favourites’. Blah, blah, blah. I don’t care.”
It is no surprise then that when she says: “I like to have fun”, before adding: “Things also need to be challenging and I like people to be very direct, I prefer that to people being a bit soft with me.”
Painting is her escape, her way to have fun away from the pitch, something she began doing with her mother. She paints abstracts, in different media, and has decorated the walls of her apartment with her artwork. “I actually have a few in my mum’s living room,” she says. “That made me feel like I’d actually made it, because she’s picky.”
Fun was the name of the game on Chelsea’s mid-season training camp in Portugal, with lots of team bonding sessions. “That was funny. There was a TikTok challenge, dancing, carpool karaoke. It’s cool to see people in different ways, outside of football,” says Reiten. “Everyone loves to compete and will do anything possible to win. There was one rule while we were there, you weren’t allowed to run, and then you turned around and there was one person running everywhere: Sonia.”
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There was purpose to Portugal too, a chance to play in the sun and on better pitches to the ones fighting to be fit to play on in the freezing winter temperatures in London. They also had time to go into detail on the things they need to work on. “We’re in a good place right now but I definitely think there are things we can improve on, we need to better in possession of the ball, get the right movements, improve the execution of passes, stuff like that,” says Reiten.
We’re talking small issues though, because the only blot on Chelsea’s report card this season is the draw with Leicester in December. How, despite several new recruits, a new manager and predominantly new team of staff, have they not had a dip in that period of transition? “Mentality is one thing and then it’s about the tactics,” says Reiten. “The coaches have done a great job at being very clear on what’s expected from you in the different positions, so that even if I haven’t played with a player, I know exactly what they’re trying to do.”
Despite Chelsea’s dominance, the hunger remains. “We’re not happy with where we are right now. We want to go further and win more,” she says. “Every club is doing the same. They are thinking the exact same as us. They know they have to get better. We’ve always said that what got us to one trophy won’t get us to the next. No matter where you are or who you play for, you have that mentality.”
