Chelsea vs Man City LIVE: Women’s FA Cup result and final score as Sam Kerr hits extra-time winner
The Australian’s strike deflected in off Alex Greenwood as Emma Hayes landed her 11th piece of silverware with the Blues
Chelsea retained the Women’s FA Cup on Sunday with a 3-2 extra-time win over Manchester City, completing the double this season after winning the Super League title last week.
City had twice equalised, first through Lauren Hemp after Sam Kerr’s opener and, near the end, Hayley Raso cancelled out Erin Cuthbert’s screamer. However, Kerr struck early in the first period of extra time to give Chelsea their fourth FA Cup.
It is the 11th major trophy for Chelsea under Emma Hayes since the Briton took charge in 2012.
The holders opened the scoring around the half-hour mark at a wet Wembley with a header from Australian striker Kerr after a deep cross from Millie Bright. But, they were pegged back by a beautiful finish from City forward Hemp shortly before halftime.
Chelsea midfielder Cuthbert thundered a long-range effort in off the crossbar around the hour mark to retake the lead and that looked like it would be enough to win as the clock ticked down.
However, Gareth Taylor’s City never gave in and in the 89th minute a long cross-field ball from City’s Alex Greenwood was taken down well by Australian Raso who ran at goal and fired in the equaliser to take the game to extra time.
City pressed for a winner but were undone nine minutes into the first period when Kerr picked up the ball in her own half and ran at goal before seeing her shot take a big deflection off Greenwood and trickle in.
Chelsea then kept City at bay to win a second successive FA Cup in front of 49,094 fans, a record attendance for the final beating the previous mark of 45,423 set in 2018.
“I don’t score goals like that but it’s an amazing honour, Cuthbert told the BBC.
“I thought it was going to be a winning goal and it wasn’t, Sam’s was just as important, it took a deflection and it doesn’t matter what the goal looks like as long as it goes in. If they go in like that at Wembley I’m happy.
“So many times this year we have been faced with adversity, COVID, injuries, we’ve had to use the squad. We used the squad today and I’m proud to end it on such a high.”
Chelsea vs Man City
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes has explained Fran Kirby’s place on the bench today amid her health concerns.
She told BBC One: “I think it’s important that Fran [Kirby] comes into the group but the pressure is not on Fran.
“We have done really well second half of the season and we’re delighted she’s back and we have a squad of players we believe can retain this title.”
On the FA Cup final, she then added: “We have an amazing squad and I trust them, we pout a group out to star the game but we’ve done so well is finish games.
“I respect them, they’ve done an amazing job this year. They have individuals that can win games and so do we, I hope it’s an epic FA Cup final with a big crowd because that is really what we want.”
Chelsea vs Man City
Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor has given his thoughts ahead of the FA Cup final - which kicks off in just five minutes time.
He told BBC Sport: “I always like to see how players check in and train in the week and look at the rhythm and the cohesion and a little about who we’re playing. Everyone has put their bit in but it’s always about what you bring to the team and the capacity in the role you’re given.
“We try to concentrate on what we do, bring our identity to the game as much as we can and we hope that we can do that today.
“It’s huge, an amazing occasion with the supporters. Regardless of today we have had a sensational last two thirds of the season where the players have shown an identity and character and that has been inspiring for anyone see.”
Chelsea vs Man City
Speaking of doubles, a reminder that Manchester City’s Lauren Hemp has scored double the goals of any other player in the FA Cup this season.
She has already netted six times. The next closest to her in the competition is a cluster of eight players on three goals.
That is some return from the 21-year-old England star.
Chelsea vs Man City
Both sides are going for variations of a double today.
Manchester City have already claimed the League Cup this season and so will be hoping they can win a second final of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Chelsea clinched the Women’s Super League title last weekend and are now searching for the more traditional double.
Chelsea vs Man City latest
Emma Hayes is looking to win a fourth FA Cup medal this afternoon. She has also won five WSL titles now.
Man City, though, denied her a third League Cup medal earlier this term.
Chelsea vs Man City latest
Atmosphere building and the teams out warming up at Wembley as we move closer to kick-off.
Will Chelsea complete back-to-back league and cup doubles, or are City going to deny them and make it a domestic cup double season of their own?
‘This is a chess match’: Chelsea boss Emma Hayes expecting tough Women’s FA Cup final
Emma Hayes believes Chelsea will have to be prepared for a “chess match” against Manchester City in what is anticipated to be the largest crowd for a Women’s FA Cup final.
Chelsea are bidding for a domestic double, having already captured a third successive Women’s Super League crown, and give a fitting farewell to outgoing trio Ji So-yun, Drew Spence and Jonna Andersson.
But while Chelsea defeated City in both WSL matches this season, Gareth Taylor’s side have been rejuvenated in recent months and prevailed when the teams met in the Continental Cup final in March.
Hayes therefore knows City have the ability to frustrate Chelsea in a game for which more than 50,000 tickets have already been sold at Wembley Stadium, with the current record attendance for a Women’s FA Cup final standing at 45,423 – when the Blues beat Arsenal in 2018 at the same venue.
“This is a chess match,” said the Chelsea boss. “We’ve got our strengths that could expose them and they’ve got theirs that could expose us and that’s what you want from a football match.
“I just know I’ve got a plan and it’s important for the team to realise we have to suffer, too. They possess the ball very well and we’re not always going to have it, so we’ll have to be disciplined.”
‘This is a chess match’: Chelsea boss Emma Hayes expecting tough Women’s FA Cup final
The Blues take on Manchester City at Wembley
Chelsea vs Man City: Route to the FA Cup final
Here’s how both sides have reached the showpiece event this season.
Chelsea:
3-1 vs Aston Villa (Reiten 2, Harder pen)
7-0 vs Leicester (Harder 2, Kerr 2, Ji, Nouwen, England)
5-0 vs Birmingham (Eriksson, Spence, England 2, Charles)
2-0 vs Arsenal (Reiten, Ji)
Man City:
8-0 vs Nottingham Forest (Weir, Shaw 2, Angeldahl, Stanway 3, Hemp)
4-1 vs Man United (Hemp, White, Weir, Shaw)
4-0 vs Everton (Hemp 2, Weir, White)
4-1 vs West Ham (White, Kelly, Hemp 2)
‘I’m a risk-taker, I go big or go home’: Sam Kerr ready to grace Wembley again
After her show-stopping display at Kingsmeadow last Sunday, Sam Kerr is relishing the opportunity to light up Wembley for a second time in six months this weekend.
The Australia forward netted two stunning volleys as Chelsea came from behind to beat Manchester United 4-2 at home and seal a third successive Women’s Super League title on the final day of the campaign.
Seven days on they will look to complete a double when they face Manchester City in the FA Cup final, another competition in which they are defending champions.
Emma Hayes’ Blues defeated Arsenal 3-0 in the delayed 2020-21 final in December, with Kerr also scoring a brace on that occasion, including a delightful dinked effort.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s clash, Kerr said: “We’re excited, Emma’s excited and I can’t wait to play at Wembley.
“The buzz from winning the league gives us massive confidence. City are a great team, they took the League Cup off us (beating Chelsea 3-1 in the final in March), so it’s going to be an amazing game. We respect City a lot, but I think we’re even more pumped than we were, to win two trophies in two weekends would be amazing.
“(The FA Cup final in December) was one of the best experiences of my life. It’s something I’ll never forget. Hopefully this weekend has the same kind of storyline.
“I’d play there (at Wembley) every week if I could. When the fans pack it out it’s an amazing experience. Mum, dad, everyone’s coming over, so I’ll have a few people in the crowd this time.”
‘I’m a risk-taker, I go big or go home’: Sam Kerr ready to grace Wembley again
The Chelsea forward is looking to add another FA Cup to the Women’s Super League title she helped seal last weekend
Sam Kerr aims to elevate another Women’s FA Cup final as Chelsea meet Manchester City
“Never in my career have I seen that,” Hayes said afterwards. What followed was inevitable and Kerr knew it, Chelsea’s opponents knew it, and ahead of the Women’s FA Cup final on Sunday it is Manchester City’s challenge to overturn it. They are tasked with bringing down this winning machine, which is itself so certain of its place at the top of English football.
The reason Chelsea are only going for a double and not a second successive treble is because City have previously frustrated them this season. City’s victory in the League Cup final in March proves Chelsea are not unbeatable, even though the form and presence of Kerr can make them appear so on such occasions – and they don’t get much bigger than the FA Cup final at Wembley.
A record-breaking crowd would make it special, but the game itself does not need selling. Both teams come into the final on the backs of long winning runs and you could argue both sides can approach the match in a good frame of mind, having already achieved what they would have targeted at the mid-point of the season.
For Chelsea, it was getting through an intense title race and making sure they beat rivals Arsenal to the league. City have been focused on salvaging Champions League qualification, after recovering from their horrific start, and already having a trophy in the bag helps. There won’t be the same desperation a team like Arsenal or Manchester United, who both narrowly fell short in the WSL, might have had if they had reached this stage.
It sets up a great cup final on paper, but a player with the aura of Kerr can elevate it further. It is what the Australian has done to the English game over the past two seasons. When Kerr made her Chelsea debut in January 2020 it came just weeks before the world shut down due to the pandemic and she did not score in her first six appearances. Chelsea never doubted that the goals would follow – and how they did – but it is the 28-year-old’s sense of timing that separates her from the rest.
Jamie Braidwood’s pre-FA Cup final feature looks at the free-scoring Aussie who put the seal on the title last week.
Sam Kerr aims to elevate another Women’s FA Cup final as Chelsea meet Manchester City
A record-breaking crowd at Wembley would be fitting for the best striker in the world and ultimate big-game player
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