Emma Hayes had described going up against Manchester City as a chess match. It is a fitting description of how Sunday’s FA Cup final played out. Every move the Chelsea boss made, Gareth Taylor’s side had a response.
Sam Kerr put the Blues ahead in the 33rd minute, Lauren Hemp levelled before half-time. After a strike from Erin Cuthbert saw Chelsea re-take the lead on the hour mark, an 89th minute equaliser from Hayley Raso brought extra-time. But when it comes to tactical battles, Hayes is the grandmaster.
She had been outwitted by Taylor in the Continental League Cup final in March but there would be no repeat at Wembley. Kerr’s goal nine minutes into extra-time delivered checkmate and a domestic double for the Women’s Super League champions.
Chelsea Women completed the double after winning the FA Cup following a 3-2 victory
Sam Kerr celebrates after scoring the goal to win the FA Cup for Chelsea at Wembley
Magdalena Eriksson and Millie Bright of Chelsea lift the Women’s FA Cup trophy at Wembley
Chelsea Women embrace after retaining the Women’s FA Cup title on Sunday afternoon
City players fall to the turf following Kerr’s extra-time winner in the 99th minute
‘I’m so f****** happy,’ said a jubilant Hayes. ‘That was so amazing for the women’s game today. Two teams, respect the c**p out of each other. Going toe to toe. Us taking the lead, them equalising, finding a winner. It was so gutsy. I loved the game plan. I thought it was really aggressive. To dig it [the win] out doesn’t surprise me.
‘Those women, they will go down in history. I will look back in 10 years’ time and I’ll be like “that group was immense”, the best team I’ve ever coached.
‘It’s a huge win for Marina [Granovskaia, Chelsea director] and Bruce [Buck, Chelsea chairman] and I want to put that on record for the work they’ve done for not just me, the team over a period of time, they’ve epitomised everything that Chelsea’s about.’
Hayes had said her team would have to suffer and at times they did. City had more possession, 14 more shots and completed 178 more passes. But Chelsea were calmness personified, as they have been all season.
A record of crowd of 49,094 watched on as Hayes picked up her 13th trophy as manager. But she is right when she says the aim has to be to fill Wembley in the future. This was a brilliant cup final that deserved a bigger audience. Over 58,000 tickets had been sold before kick-off. That 9,000 people did not show is an issue the FA must look to resolve.
In what was a cagey opening to the game, City created the first two chances.
Lauren Hemp’s cut-back found Caroline Weir inside the box but the midfielder fired over the bar. Hemp then saw an effort blocked by Millie Bright.
Matchwinner Kerr hugs her manager Emma Hayes after scoring in extra time to decide clash
Kerr opened the scoring on the half-hour mark but the Blues were pegged back before interval
Lauren Hemp equalised for City three minutes before half-time in front of record crowd
Erin Cuthbert (left) restored Chelsea’s lead in the 63rd minute but City weren’t finished
City’s Hayley Raso equalised late on to take the FA Cup final to extra time at Wembley
The Blues eventually grew into things mid-way through the first half. Kerr had the ball in the net after rounding Ellie Roebuck but the striker was correctly flagged offside.
They did not have to wait much longer for the opener. Bright’s cross sailed over the head of Roebuck and was heading into the net but Kerr made sure the ball crossed the line by nodding in at the back post.
But Chelsea were not ahead for long as Hemp brought City level before the break. The winger was allowed to cut inside from the right as she skipped past Bright before curling a shot into the top far corner.
Hemp almost gave City the lead after the restart but Chelsea goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger made a big save at the back-post. City’s failure to captialise proved crucial as a moment of magic saw Chelsea go back in front. Beth England laid the ball back to Cuthbert on the edge of the box and the midfielder took one touch out of her feet before unleashing an unstoppable shot that clipped the underside of the bar before hitting the net.
That goal looked as if it would be the winner but substitute Hayley Raso clawed Taylor’s side level again in the 89th minute. Alex Greenwood’s chipped pass found the winger in behind Magdalena Eriksson and she controlled the ball on her chest before poking it past Berger with the outside of her foot.
Ellen White could have put City ahead at the start of extra-time as she tried to meet Weir’s cross but Berger got there first to prevent the forward tapping-in.
Minutes after that chance, Chelsea went ahead for the third time. Alanna Kennedy misjudged Bright’s clearance on the half-way line and Kerr nipped in to drive forward. The striker’s shot was poor but the ball deflected off the outstretched foot of Greenwood and trickled past Roebuck. City could not respond a third time.
Raso celebrates with her City team-mates but Chelsea came out on top after 120 minutes