Chelsea are accustomed to success, and the hunt for more trophies is proving to be a difficult one. Emma Hayes’ side are on track to win the Treble this season and will be heading to Wembley in May for a third consecutive Women’s FA Cup victory after their narrow 1-0 win over Aston Villa. Despite a long list of injuries and a determined Villa side, Chelsea managed to find a way to win, as they often do.
The Blues have won three of the past five Women’s FA Cups, including the last two in a row, and last season secured their third successive Women’s Super League title. In addition, they beat European champions Lyon in a dramatic penalty shootout last month to book their place in the Women’s Champions League semi-finals, where they will face Barcelona.
Chelsea were without several key players in Walsall, including first-choice centre-backs Millie Bright and Kadeisha Buchanan. Star forwards Fran Kirby and Pernille Harder have also been absent for most of the season, leaving Sam Kerr to take on the responsibility of delivering goals – which she has done, scoring her 24th goal in all competitions against Aston Villa.
Kerr is determined to win three trophies with Chelsea this season, following their domestic treble two years ago. Emma Hayes was pleased with the performance of centre-backs Magdalena Eriksson and Maren Mjelde against Villa and welcomed Harder’s return to the bench after a six-month absence.
Chelsea will face Manchester United in the FA Cup final while also competing against them, Arsenal, and Manchester City for the WSL title. However, their quest for a first Champions League crown is set to be their toughest as they take on former winners Barcelona, who beat them 4-0 in the final two years ago.
Ex-England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis said: “It’s a massive, massive month for Chelsea. When Chelsea got to the [Champions League] final, they got absolutely demolished. Emma Hayes’ ultimate goal is to win that Champions League. It is the only one missing.”
Chelsea have shown that they can rise to the challenge despite difficult circumstances, and if they can maintain their hunger for success, they may be able to add more trophies to their collection this season.