By Laura Howard
Chelsea kept their dreams of a quadruple alive as they defeated Manchester City 2-1 to win the Subway Women’s League Cup at Pride Park.
The Blues struck first as Mayra Ramirez bundled home a rebound at the near post to provide the advantage inside the opening 10 minutes.
Chelsea could have had it wrapped up as Ramirez and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd missed big chances for the Blues, and that allowed City back into the game in the 64th minute through Aoba Fujino’s stunning individual effort.
But Chelsea secured victory in the cruelest fashion as Ramirez saw her cross turned into the net by Yui Hasegawa to give the Blues the winner in the 77th minute.
It gives Sonia Bompastor her first piece of silverware in English football, with her side remaining unbeaten this season as they now eye the other three competitions that they remain involved in.
Bompastor flexed her depth as she made four changes from their Adobe Women's FA Cup victory against Crystal Palace even in the absence of Naomi Girma, Keira Walsh and Guro Reiten.
Interim Manchester City boss Nick Cushing was more reserved in his first team selection, making just one change from Gareth Taylor’s winning Adobe Women's FA Cup line-up as Fujino returned to replace Jess Park.
Chelsea got off to the brighter start as Rytting Kaneryd made a surging run down the centre of the pitch to get a shot away in the first minute.
After a further scare for City, in the form of their star striker Khadija Shaw coming off worse in a collision with Millie Bright, they started to build momentum of their own.
Fujino was unlucky not to find a teammate when she cut the ball back into the centre of the box while Hannah Hampton was forced to claim from a corner under pressure from Shaw, who was able to continue.
Chelsea then made the breakthrough after just eight minutes, with Ramirez grabbing the all-important opener.
Lauren James threaded a deftly executed through-ball into the path of Ramirez to put the Colombian through on goal at the edge of the box.
While Ramirez found her first shot saved, an awkward ricochet of Laia Aleixandri meant she was able to bundle home the rebound to give Chelsea the advantage.
But the now trailing City would not hand over the trophy easily as Shaw saw a shot blocked before Leila Ouahabi forced Hampton to tip her effort round the post for a corner.
It was a spell of City dominance that saw Fujino with the best opportunity as she found space to shoot from the right of the box following a quickly taken corner.
The Japanese international attempted to find the far post with a curled effort but Hampton proved equal to it.
It was Chelsea who should have doubled their lead, however, as Ramirez once more found herself clear on goal before the break.
This time she had longer to think, travelling a quarter of the pitch before arriving at the box where she attempted to round Ayaka Yamashita before misjudging her angles and firing into the side-netting.
In a game of ever-shifting momentum, Sandy Baltimore soon proved decisive at the other end as she made a crucial block in the box to stop Shaw’s goal bound shot.
It signalled the start of another sustained period of City pressure but not one they could make pay, as they finished the first-half a goal down.
It was Chelsea who came out the stronger after the restart as Ramirez saw a shot blocked from close-range before Lucy Bronze was booked for simulation in the box.
They seemed the more likely to score as Rytting Kaneryd found herself in behind to the right of the box on 60 minutes.
But once more Yamashita’s presence proved vital as the keeper produced an instinctive save one-on-one from close-range to ensure Chelsea’s advantage was kept to one goal.
It was a miss Rytting Kaneryd would live to regret as minutes later Fujino put City back on level terms with a stunning strike.
The winger picked up the ball deep on the right before surging into the box to unleash a blistering shot from a tight angle to haul her side back into the game.
It provided a renewed impetus to the Citizens as Shaw soon found herself through on goal with the Chelsea goalkeeper but this time Hampton was equal to it, blocking the shot with an outstretched leg.
But while an enlivened City would see Shaw spurn a further audacious effort on the turn, they would have the ball in the wrong net shortly after.
Goalscorer Ramirez’s dangerous cross from the right saw a mistouch from Hasegawa turn the ball into her own net at the far post to restore Chelsea’s advantage with just over 10 minutes remaining.
Chelsea looked hungry for more,too, as Wieke Kaptein forced a block in added time before Soeke Nusken blazed the rebound over the bar.
But the Blues had done enough to get over the line and claim a first Women's League Cup title since 2021, and the third in the club's history.
