Chelsea completed the first step in their quest for an historic quadruple by winning the Women’s League Cup with a 2-1 victory over Manchester City.
Mayra Ramirez’s early opener and Yui Hasegawa’s own goal at Pride Park gave Sonia Bompastor her first trophy in charge of Chelsea, who drew first blood in their run of four successive matches against City.
It is the Blues’ third League Cup title and banishes a run of three successive final defeats.
YOUR SUBWAY WOMEN''S LEAGUE CUP WINNERS 2025: CHELSEA! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/d9IMDBRMaI
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) March 15, 2025
City had levelled through Aoba Fujino’s fine strike but they fell short in Nick Cushing’s first game in charge following Monday’s sacking of Gareth Taylor.
The two sides renew rivalries again on Wednesday in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final before a Women’s Super League clash and the second leg of the European tie.
Bompastor’s side will be favourites in all three of those games as the Frenchwoman remains on course for a glorious first season in charge after taking over from Emma Hayes, with Chelsea also in contention for the FA Cup and on course for an invincible season.
They landed the first blow at Derby with just eight minutes on the clock.
Lauren James sliced the City defence open and Ramirez got lucky as her first effort was blocked by goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita but the rebound fell kindly to her and she poked home into an empty net.
City tried to respond and Chelsea keeper Hannah Hampton made good saves to deny Leila Ouahabi and Fujino.
Chelsea continued to threatened and Ramirez should have had a second in the 26th minute as Sandy Baltimore’s long ball sent her through on goal but she could only fire into the side-netting after rounding Yamashita.
They had another great chance to extend her lead in the 60th minute as they cut City open again.
Erin Cuthbert’s incisive pass was perfect for Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, who looked primed to score but Yamashita stayed big and produced a big block.
That proved pivotal as four minutes later City were level after a fine individual goal from Fujino, who drove into space down the right hand side and unleashed a powerful shot that flew in at the near post.
Questions will be asked of Hampton and how she was beaten but she made up for it soon after with a big save to deny Khadija Shaw.
Lucy Bronze was caught in possession and Fujino slipped in her Jamaican team-mate but her low shot was smothered by Hampton.
Chelsea made the decisive breakthrough in the 76th minute as Hasegawa got her clearance from Ramirez’s cross all wrong and it looped into the far corner.
City never looked like getting back into it as Chelsea lifted the first silverware of the season.
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