As the quest for silverware begins, Chelsea‘s women gear up to defend their League Cup title against Manchester United this Sunday.
Both teams have faced their fair share of challenges this season, but who will emerge victorious?
Why is winning crucial for Chelsea?
Chelsea is determined to avoid a trophyless season, a streak they haven’t experienced since 2018-19. However, their situation has become increasingly tenuous.
In the Women’s Super League (WSL), despite their impressive six-title streak, they find themselves nine points behind Manchester City at the top of the table and risk falling out of the top three altogether, making domestic cup competitions all the more critical.
For supporters and players alike, achieving an FA Cup and League Cup double might not be viewed as a fully successful season, particularly if Chelsea faces an unexpected Champions League exit against either Arsenal (quarterfinals) or Wolfsburg/OL Lyonnes (semifinals). Yet, these trophies still hold significant value.
Manager Sonia Bompastor recently extended her contract until 2030, despite consecutive league defeats, and failing to secure silverware this season would cast a shadow over her initial campaign where she led the team to an unbeaten league finish and victories in both the FA Cup and League Cup.
Off the field, the stakes have been raised by the departure of head of women’s football Paul Green, making this summer the first transfer window in over a decade without his guidance. Bompastor is already adapting the squad she inherited from former manager Emma Hayes, a transition that may help explain Chelsea’s inconsistency this season. The outcome of this campaign could heavily influence her ability to construct a competitive team for future seasons.
A trophy win could significantly boost the team’s morale and impact their performance for next season. — Emily Keogh
What’s Chelsea’s route to victory?
The reigning champions can take motivation from their recent FA Cup success against Manchester United, where Chelsea secured a 2-1 victory after extra time, with goals from Naomi Girma and Sam Kerr, both scored from set pieces.
Manager Marc Skinner’s side has demonstrated weaknesses from dead-ball situations, conceding nearly 30% of their total shots from set pieces—the second-highest rate in the WSL, just behind West Ham United (29.5%). Moreover, a quarter of United’s expected goals against (xGA) have originated from set pieces.
United have allowed five headed goals this WSL season, second only to Aston Villa’s seven. Although Chelsea will miss Kerr’s aerial capabilities and Carpenter’s crossing abilities during their participation in the Asian Cup with Australia, they should still aim to exploit this weakness.
Lauren James, Alyssa Thompson, and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd will play crucial roles in providing offensive depth and quality deliveries into the box, but Chelsea’s attacking threat has been lacking due to the ongoing injury of Mayra Ramírez.
Midfield is another area crucial for Chelsea’s success. United’s midfield, led by Hinata Miyazawa and Julia Zigiotti Olme, has been effective, but Miyazawa’s absence due to the Asian Cup will leave a gap. Bompastor can benefit by employing a midfield trio to overload United’s weakened center and create more scoring opportunities.
The three-time League Cup champions need to ensure they push as many players into the box as possible to take advantage of United’s difficulties in clearing the ball. — Yash Thakur
What’s at stake for Manchester United?
While Manchester United may consider their season a success even without a trophy thanks to an unexpected run to the knockout stages of their European campaign, evidenced by facing Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals, they still have noticeable gaps domestically to address.
Despite improvements compared to past seasons, setbacks in key matches against Manchester City and frustrating draws with Chelsea and Arsenal reveal that United’s growth is not yet complete. With dropped points sidelining any serious challenge for the WSL title—currently eight points behind City with only six games remaining—focus naturally shifts to the cup competitions.
Having won the FA Cup in 2024, a defeat to Chelsea in this season’s fifth round has heightened the significance of the League Cup, marking it as their most viable chance to add another trophy to their cabinet.
For a club that reinstated its women’s side only in 2018, their trophy case is still modest. Besides the 2019 promotion to the WSL and the 2024 FA Cup victory, they have no additional major honors. As another potential trophy-less season approaches, clinching the League Cup would provide solid evidence of United’s upward trajectory. — Keogh
What strategies can Manchester United employ to win?
United’s attacking lineup has been impressive this season, ranking second for goals scored in the WSL (35). Skinner has a diverse mix of talent in his attacking quartet, including Elisabeth Terland, Melvine Malard, Jess Park, and Ellen Wangerheim, all capable of providing quick transitions and fluid attacks. However, the success of their wide players will be pivotal in this final.
Against Chelsea, Skinner’s team needs to exploit the vulnerabilities present between the defending center-backs and wingbacks, as Bompastor’s back three has shown inconsistency this season. Notably, approximately 66% of the chances Chelsea has conceded have come from wide areas.
The versatility of United’s forwards is crucial for accessing these zones and generating goal-scoring opportunities, especially with Carpenter unavailable, which weakens Chelsea’s right flank.
To devise a game plan against Chelsea, United could draw inspiration from Arsenal’s 2-0 win in January, which effectively crowded the midfield and capitalized on turnovers.
In Bompastor’s 3-4-1-2 formation, midfielder Keira Walsh plays a critical role in ball retention and mitigating transitions, so Skinner can aim to neutralize her by employing Park to create numerical superiority in the center. Park could embody a role similar to Beth Mead in Arsenal’s successful plan, engaging in midfield duels while applying pressure to Chelsea’s center-backs and limiting Walsh’s influence.
Additionally, Chelsea has the lowest average win percentage for ground duels in the WSL this season (45.8%), indicating that United should capitalize on their opportunities to generate turnovers, initiate contests, and exploit spaces behind Chelsea’s midfield. — Thakur