Chelsea Women through to Champions League knockouts
By Vishnu Raj
Chelsea Women have finished the UEFA Women’s Champions League group stages as the team with the best record. Their victory over Paris Saint Germain solidifies their position as the group champions as they qualify for the knockouts. Unlike the previous season, the Blues were able to finish the job towards the end.
A year ago, Chelsea only needed to get at least two points from the final two fixtures in the group. After their brilliant victory over Arsenal in the postponed 2020-21 FA Cup Final, it should have only been a formality. But a goalless draw at home against Juventus and a thumbing four-nil loss away to Wolfsburg meant they could only finish third on goal difference. The margin against the German side proved the vital difference.
Emma Hayes made sure there will be no such issues in her team this time around. They dropped only two points in the group stages. They embarked on their campaign with a win over PSG away and ended it with another win over the team from France. A sensational outside-the-box goal from Sam Kerr and a double for Lauren James proved the difference as they won at Stamford Bridge to end the year on a high.
CFCW ended the year on top in the Women’s Super League table as well. After a shocking away defeat to the Reds in their first match, they won the subsequent nine matches. This run included victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge, too. The blues finished the year unbeaten at home in all competitions.
The UWCL remains the ultimate target for Hayes and her team; Chelsea has the quality and players in their ranks to go all the way. However, they need to be careful about injuries. Pernille Harder is currently out after undergoing surgery on a hamstring problem; Fran Kirby has had her injury issues this season. They also had to deal with many stars’ absences during the turn of the new year last season.
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The depth of talent is something that has served the Blues. It will depend on the manager to give athletes sufficient minutes when they are on the bench, or else it will come back to bite them if first-team players are unavailable. Hayes has dealt with these matters almost faultlessly. The fans will be praying ‘long may it continue’.