Alyssa Thompson — alyssa thompson: ‘I thought I wouldn’t play… or score!’ on £1m move, sister and Arsenal derby
alyssa thompson says she did not expect to play or score so soon after a £1m transfer from Angel City to Chelsea, telling how the move forced her to leave Los Angeles and her sister behind; she described struggling with London’s cold and preparing for a decisive Arsenal derby ahead of the second leg. The forward, 21, has nine goals and three assists in her first 22 appearances for Chelsea and reflects on advice from Emma Hayes about the personal cost of moving. Updated 1: 39 PM ET.
Fast rise, hard choices
At 21 years old, alyssa thompson has already moved from Angel City to one of Europe’s biggest clubs for a reported £1m and become one of the club’s most eye-catching signings. She was the youngest draft pick in NWSL history at 18 in 2023, made her national team debut three-and-a-half years ago as a substitute for Megan Rapinoe at Wembley, and has delivered nine goals and three assists in her first 22 appearances for the new club.
Thompson described the personal upheaval behind those numbers: a framed photograph of her playing with her younger sister Gisele at Angel City still hangs on her wall, alongside a framed album cover of Sade, a reminder of home amid new surroundings. She admitted that the cold in England is a shock — “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to how cold it is” — and that she had prepared herself for limited minutes and a slow start when she moved.
Alyssa Thompson on expectations and advice
Thompson said she initially told herself she “probably won’t play that much, probably won’t score for a while” and that she would “have grace and be OK with the hard times. ” She also recalled asking Emma Hayes for guidance before the move, saying Hayes posed hard questions about leaving LA and family: “What about your sister? What about leaving LA?” Thompson said those questions helped confirm her decision to go.
On the field, she has already produced decisive moments. She scored at the Emirates Stadium in the Women’s Super League in November, and in a recent Champions League tie she came close again when a shot clipped the left-hand post. After that match — a 3-1 defeat that leaves the tie alive for a second leg at Stamford Bridge — she called the result “definitely a tough result” and urged her team to be more clinical when they return home.
Immediate reaction and stakes ahead
Thompson said being at Chelsea is a dream and that she is focusing on development: training with experienced teammates has helped her improve regardless of game minutes. She set a clear objective for the Champions League quarter-final second leg, saying the team will “do everything that we can to get back into the game and finish our chances, ” and highlighted the boost of playing at Stamford Bridge in front of home fans.
For now, alyssa thompson remains grounded amid rapid change: balancing the rush of early goals and assists with the personal cost of leaving family, while preparing for a make-or-break domestic and European fixture that will define the next chapter of her season.
