Perisset: 'We're going to fight until the last day'

Defeats either side of the international break – first to Arsenal in the Conti Cup final and then to Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final – ended the Blues' hopes of claiming all four trophies this season.

Perisset started both matches, which saw Emma Hayes's side create several chances yet end up being punished by conceding goals at key moments.

Despite those setbacks, Chelsea still have plenty to play for this season. A Champions League semi-final against Barcelona looms large while there is a closely fought WSL title race to conclude.

Chelsea return to league action this evening with the visit of Aston Villa to Kingsmeadow. Our commitments have resulted in Man City moving into top spot in the WSL, but Perisset says the Blues are ready to go toe-to-toe with their title rivals until the final day.

'I still think we’re having a good season,' she says. 'We’re in a good position in the title race and we’re semi-finalists in the Champions League.

'April and May are important months for us and I hope we will achieve our objectives. But when you play for a big team like Chelsea, every game is very important. Every team wants to beat us so we have to redouble our efforts to win everything.

'Every year, the English league is difficult. Manchester City are having a great season, but we want to keep the league title because it’s very important for us.

'We have a team with a lot of quality and we’re going to fight until the last day to win the league.'

Perisset also believes the experience of winning the league on the final day of the season in each of the previous two campaigns will stand the Blues in good stead.

'Yeah, it (the league) is very close, but last year it was the same with Manchester United. We won the league by just two points and it was on the last day.'

But the French international also signals that Villa could pose a threat when they come to west London on Wednesday night.

Although the Blues won the reverse WSL fixture against Villa 6-0 in November, they reached the FA Cup semi-finals last season and challenged for a top-four spot before eventually finishing fifth.

'For me, they are a great team, with a lot of quality and some very good players,' says Perisset. 'We are going to have to concentrate for the whole game and give it our all if we’re going to win. It will be a hard game, very hard I think.'

The Villa game comes before a huge Champions League semi-final tie against holders Barcelona. Hayes's side face the Spanish champions in Catalonia on Saturday before the return game at the Bridge a week later.

Having won the Champions League with Lyon, Perisset knows what it takes to claim Europe's top prize. And the defender believes Chelsea are better equipped to beat Barcelona than at this stage last season, where the Blues were beaten 2-1 on aggregate.

'It’s going to be difficult because we are playing Barcelona, a big team,' she explains. 'Last time we lost to them, but this year we have more experience and the quality to compete against this team.

'We have a great squad and I know we will give everything to win the two games. I think we are a better team now [compared to last year], we have a lot of experience and many of our team have played in this competition.

'I am lucky enough to have taken part in two Women’s Champions League finals. The first was with Lyon when I was 21 years old. I was young and I remember a very difficult game.

'We won on penalties and I was happy to win with Lyon, which was my first club as a professional. I hope to relive that feeling with Chelsea. It’s very important to me to win the Champions League with this club.'