Being ruthless is not a problem Chelsea have encountered often in recent years, but it has crept in this term.
An early-season defeat at Aston Villa, underwhelming draws with Manchester United and Liverpool, and a shock 1-0 loss by Everton in December have all proved costly, with City taking command at the top.
In those games, creating chances were not the issue – it was scoring goals. But after managing 14 in their past two matches – including a 9-1 League Cup win at Liverpool in December – Chelsea seem to have rediscovered their finishing touch.
Against West Ham, they capitalised on two defensive errors and converted five of 10 shots on target, as well as hitting the crossbar.
Given Chelsea boast the meanest defence in the division with just six goals conceded from 12 games, being clinical at the other end could be a lethal combination.
“If you reflect on the first part of the season, if you analysed the performances and looked at the stats, we created a lot of opportunities” added Bompastor.
“It’s really important that you are efficient. We speak a lot about performances but the most important thing when you are at Chelsea is to win.”
That is the main message until the end of the campaign.
Chelsea know there is wriggle room in the title race with meetings against Arsenal and City to follow later this month.
They also visit an in-form Tottenham side, while their busy schedule will include the Women’s Champions League quarter-finals in March.
“When you play for Chelsea, you have to compete in four competitions and win titles,” said Bompastor. “It’s reinforcing these messages all the time.
“We want to go as far as possible in every competition.”
