Chelsea win first silverware of season as they beat Man City in Women’s League Cup final: Five things we learned | OneFootball

Chelsea beat Manchester City 2-1 in the Subway Women’s League Cup final to secure their first trophy under Sonia Bompastor.

Mayra Ramirez got the Blues off to a flying start, tapping in a rebound from close range after Lauren James’ pinpoint pass sent her through on goal. Chelsea’s number seven opened the scoring in the eighth minute and set the tone for an electrifying first-half.

Leila Ouahabi forced Hannah Hampton into a stunning save in the 18th minute, clawing the ball away from the bottom left corner before getting two strong hands on Aoba Fujino’s powerful strike in the 20th minute.

Ramirez had a golden chance to double Chelsea’s lead, rounding City goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita but sending her shot into the side netting rather than the open net.

Bunny Shaw proved to be a continuous threat throughout the first half, but the Blues backline put their bodies on the line to deny City scoring. Each member of the Chelsea back four made at least one crucial block or tackle during the first 45 minutes, showing their desire to work collectively to prevent City from scoring.

The Blues had the opportunity to double their lead just after half-time through Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, before Fujino got the crucial equaliser against the run of play in the 65th minute.

The Japanese international’s goal shifted the momentum in City’s favour. Her through pass to Shaw saw the Jamaican international staring down the Chelsea goal with no defender in sight, but Hampton’s outstretched leg came to the Blues’ rescue. The England international was once again called upon just minutes later to stop Vivianne Miedema’s left-footed drilled attempt.

Bompastor responded by bringing on Maika Hamano and Aggie Beever-Jones, both of whom combined with Ramirez to force an own goal from Yui Hasegawa in the 77th minute.

Despite their best efforts, Nick Cushing’s side were unable to find their way back into the game.

Here are five things we learned from the game:

Bompastor wins first trophy

Bompastor got her hands on her first piece of silverware as Chelsea manager. Given the dominance the Blues have shown this season, it seems like this will not be their last. Bompastor has picked up right where Emma Hayes left off, kickstarting a new era for Chelsea Women.

Chelsea break League Cup final curse

After losing the previous three consecutive League Cup finals, Chelsea have finally put an end to their curse. It was a statement victory for the Blues, who have now lifted the trophy three times in the last six years.

This trophy has evaded them for the last three years, during which the Blues have significantly revamped their squad. Among the matchday squad, only Erin Cuthbert, Millie Bright, and Niamh Charles had previously won this competition with Chelsea, giving the rest of the players extra motivation to put in a winning display.

Nick Cushing has work to do

Nick Cushing was announced as Manchester City’s interim manager until the end of the season after the club parted ways with Gareth Taylor. The former City head coach previously spent seven years at the club between 2013 and 2020.

During this spell, he boasted an impressive record against Chelsea, facing the Blues 19 times in all competitions, winning nine and losing just five. However, he was unable to build on his record and will certainly need something special to beat this Chelsea team over the next three games they have still to play.

Battle of the best strikers

Shaw and Ramirez are among the two best strikers in the world and they both put on a striker’s clinic in this game. They were the focal point of attack for both their sides, but it was Ramirez who came out on top in this game. The Colombian international opened the scoring and bagged the crucial assist to give Chelsea the win.

Chelsea win round one of four

After a hard-fought battle, Chelsea came away with the win in an extremely entertaining game. The Blues will face the Citizens three more times in the next 11 days, and if today’s is going to be the blueprint for what is to come, then football fans are in for an absolute treat.