Chelsea beat lowly Man United 2-0 with goals from Lauren James and Aggie Beaver-Jones, as Sonia Bompastre’s side retained their Women’s League Cup title.
James took control of his team by scoring the first goal against his old club in the first half after a mistake from Dominic Jansen, and substitute Beaver Jones scored in the 75th minute to give the Blues a victory in the competition’s seventh consecutive final.
A lackluster performance saw Manchester United suffer their 16th defeat in 20 games against their opponents as they wait for a second major title.
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Lauren James scores a goal between Chelsea and Manchester United in the Women’s League Cup final.
A frenetic start to the match created early chances for both sides, but it was Chelsea who took the lead when Jansen’s misplaced backpass left James one-on-one with the keeper. The England winger made no mistake, firing a near-post finish past Fallon Tallis-Joyce, who was swinging in the Manchester United goal.
Despite being second in line, Mark Skinner’s side almost hit back just before half-time when Ellen Wangerheim failed to convert Melvin Mallard’s tempting cross from close range in the first half’s best chance.
Man United had a series of chances early on, and Chelsea took control in the second half, but Nathalie Bjorn suffered a serious calf injury due to non-contact and broke down in tears two minutes into her first substitute appearance since November.
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Chelsea face Manchester United 2-0 in the Women’s League Cup final thanks to Aggie Beaver-Jones.
But a determined Beaver Jones took home Joanna Cannairdo’s dangerous cross and put the game out of the Red Devils’ reach.
A number of chances in stoppage time, which fell to Mallard, proved to be too late, too little for Skinner’s side as Chelsea hung on to claim a fourth Women’s League Cup title.
Bompastor: ‘Winning titles is the essence of Chelsea’
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Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastre has reflected on her team’s victory over Manchester United in the Subway Women’s League Cup final and how this will build momentum heading into the final game of the season.
Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastre told Sky Sports:
“There’s always pressure when it comes to finals, but I think it’s good pressure. Chelsea want to be involved in games like this and win the title. I’m really proud of the players today.”
“We scored a really good goal with LJ (Lauren James). In a game like this you know it’s close. We exploited their mistakes and being 1-0 up really helped. We were efficient in the second half. Not conceding against Man United was a big statement and to score twice in the final was great.”
“I just said it before the game. There are things we can’t control. We’re getting into the business end. We need to focus on what we can control. We know we have what it takes to achieve big things this season.”
“It’s been a tough season, a transition period, but I think we can still achieve more. Part of our DNA is to not take anything for granted and to work hard. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Bronze: Cup wins motivate you
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Lucy Bronze and Lauren James react to Chelsea winning the Women’s League Cup.
Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze told Sky Sports:
“It was an exciting game from start to finish. We started strong and deserved the goal. LJ’s pressing was great. There was a bit of a battle at the end when United threw everyone up. It was an exciting game to play. I’ll be watching too.”
“It’s always special to win a trophy, no matter what it is. This one is unusual because it’s not the end of the season. It gives us a little bit of a boost and motivation to know that we’ve already won a little bit of silver.
“We deserved it today and it gives us confidence for the rest of the season.
“We can celebrate without alcohol. We’re all adults. But we have a big month ahead. We need to be professional and stick to it.”
