Emma Hayes admitted her side were complacent after Chelsea survived a second-half scare in their 3-2 win over Reading.
The Blues dominated the first half and were three up at the break, Fran Kirby opening the scoring before a Jelena Cankovic double. But Reading very nearly stole a point, silencing the Kingsmeadow crowd through Sanne Troelsgaard and Amalie Eikeland.
Chelsea had started superbly and looked to be coasting to the win. But as the snow made conditions tougher on a wintery Kingsmeadow pitch, Reading fought back to force a close finish.
However, Hayes admitted her team were complacent she refused to only focus on the negatives after a tough week. Only 72 hours earlier they were in Champions League action at Real Madrid, drawing 1-1.
"We were immaculate in the first half," Hayes said. "Especially considering we've made changes to the team.
"We were comfortable, but I think that complacency lied into our second half. It was completely unnecessary from us to make the game 3-2.
"We just wanted to give everyone a Christmas treat and make it tight for the last half an hour, so I hope everyone enjoyed it!
"But I'm not going to be too harsh on my team. We've had a big week and I saw so many good things in the first half, particularly from the players who came into the side.
"I'd rather focus on that. We've been training well and because our environment is so demanding in training, the players know they have to perform whether they are in the starting line-up or not.
"The team that started the game showed those levels, that is how we got control."
The Chelsea boss added that despite their difficult period after the interval, her team remain in a strong position going into the WSL Christmas break.
"I made changes to counter their goals," she added. "Because we were in control but then they (Reading) score a goal and momentum shifts completely.
"It was difficult. I think it took a while for us to counter what they were doing but once the substitutes settled into the game, we saw it out.
"We're top of the league going into Christmas. We're on the verge of qualifying for the last eight of the Champions League this week. We're in a really good position so I can't complain."
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