Chelsea Clinch Women’s League Cup with Thrilling Victory Over Manchester City in Final

Chelsea triumphed over Manchester City with a 2-1 victory to clinch the Women’s League Cup on Saturday, marking a significant achievement for manager Sonia Bompastor in her inaugural season, as a crucial own goal from Yui Hasegawa sealed the outcome at Pride Park.

Mayra Ramirez opened the scoring for Chelsea against the odds in the eighth minute, capitalising on a perfectly timed pass from Lauren James that sliced through City’s defence. Although Ayaka Yamashita parried Ramirez’s initial attempt, the Colombian swiftly pounced on the rebound to find the net.

Aoba Fujino restored parity for City in the 64th minute, but Hasegawa inadvertently turned into her own net just 11 minutes later, attempting to clear a low cross from Ramirez.

This victory marked Chelsea’s first win in four successive League Cup finals.

“We are absolutely buzzing,” proclaimed Chelsea captain Millie Bright in an interview with the BBC. “Moments like this linger in your memory for a long time; it’s certainly been on my mind. We’re really pleased, and it’s the perfect start as we head into our next four matches.”

The final was the first of four consecutive clashes in a short period against their rivals City. The two sides are set to face each other in a two-legged Champions League quarter-final starting on Wednesday, which will be sandwiched between a Women’s Super League (WSL) match.

“It’s all about resting, recovering, and getting back into it,” Bright added. “It’s a peculiar time for both teams, as we’ve never been in a situation quite like this.”

Since joining as Chelsea’s manager in May, Bompastor has maintained an unbeaten streak, steering her team to the top of the WSL with 44 points, eight clear of second-placed Arsenal, while City sits in fourth.

“We are definitely thrilled,” Bompastor told the BBC. “When you’re in a final, the primary goal is always to secure the win. Today’s match wasn’t straightforward, but I’m very satisfied with the outcome. Winning our first trophy of the season is always significant.”