Takeaways as Chelsea Women advance to Conti Cup semifinals

To begin their quest to reclaim the Conti Cup, Emma Hayes and the Blues took down London rivals Tottenham in a relatively routine 90 minutes that finished with a scoreline that read 3-1. Both teams were coming off weekend fixtures in the WSL that had been postponed due to frozen pitches. That combined with the inclement weather in east London, and lousy pitch conditions resulted in an extremely slow start from both sides.

Overall, it was clear both teams have not played a match for quite some time, but at the end of the day, the Blues were a far too dominant side for a team in the bottom half of the WSL. Hayes made just one change from the lineup that was put out against Liverpool, sliding in Lauren James in the attack on the right flank to replace Niamh Charles in the backline.

CFC kept the pressure on toward the end of the first half and were rewarded with Sam Kerr redirecting Cuthbert’s cross into the back of the net. Two second-half goals sparked by the introduction of Fran Kirby closed the book on Tottenham’s Conti Cup chances, placing the Blues in the friendly semi-final where they will take on West Ham United at the beginning of February.

With Spurs playing five in the back, CFC was forced to adjust, resulting in a dominant second-half display that should have accounted for more than just two goals. Behind the constant activity from Cuthbert in the middle of the park and James’ willingness to attack backlines vertically, CFC proved once again to be too much for their northern rivals advancing to the Conti Cup semifinals for the sixth consecutive campaign. From a windy night at Brisbane Road, here are the takeaways from the Blues’ second straight victory this season over a regressing Spurs’ side:

Fran Kirby lifts Chelsea after inclusion

In the 61′, the English international came onto the pitch for Jelena Cankovic following a solid outing herself with Cuthbert in the middle of the pitch. Whenever Kirby enters the conversation, it looks like everyone on the pitch changes their mindset. She has now had at least one goal involvement in five out of the last seven contests in all competitions.

James’ spacing on the flank and vision in the final third was brilliant, but none of it would have mattered without Kirby’s world-class finish with her right-foot, giving Tinja-Riikka Korpela no chance at keeping the ball out of the net. She had the hockey assist in Kerr’s second goal of the night, and nearly netted the fourth, missing the target just barely after beating the goalkeeper off the dribble.

Cuthbert controls a midfield like nobody else in the WSL, and Guro Reiten has the ability to line up an assist with the best, but nobody has the ability to come off the bench and make an impact like Kirby does. The English international continues to show why she is one of the best finishers on the team, and a player that does not necessarily start to make a difference.

Sam Kerr loves scoring goals against Tottenham Hotspur

Whether or not the Australian’s first goal of the evening should have gone to her is out of the discussion. Kerr may have missed a clear opportunity in the 80’ to triple the Blues’ advantage, but the CFC striker put together an outing that was separated in two segments, one with Kirby on the pitch, and the first 61 minutes without her. Whether it was her finding the end of two of the Blues’ buildups, or connecting passes with Reiten or James on the flank, the Australian’s activity when Kirby came onto the pitch turned the game on its head.

Kerr’s eight goals against Spurs are the most she has managed to net against any other opposition since she joined the west London outfit in 2020. Quick free kicks have been the name of the game for the Blues so far this season, scoring on three of them now. Johanna Rytting Kaneryd’s ball in behind the defense found Kerr who chipped the Tottenham goalkeeper to put the match to bed if it had not already been put out of reach.

It is the sixth straight game that Kerr has scored at least one goal against Spurs, and the second in the last five that the Australian has managed to slot two past the goalkeeper. The Blues take on Spurs in their next WSL fixture, so if we are continuing with the current theme, it is highly likely that Kerr is going to be on the end of at least one of CFC’s goals on the afternoon of February 5.

Emma Hayes views each competition on the same level

Heading into the match at Brisbane Road in what has to be the least significant tournament that Chelsea is still participating in, there were questions if Hayes would rest any of her key contributors. When the lineup was dropped, that question was answered quickly. Even Hayes’ substitutions throughout the match were players that have been regularly featuring in games this season. Jess Carter received her first real start in a CFC kit since the match away at Real Madrid back in December, maybe showing the passing of the torch on the left side of the defense looking at Magdalena Eriksson’s contract situation.

Nearly any lineup Hayes puts out there is considered strong, but to see Cuthbert and James play an entire 90 minutes in a Continental Cup match looked quite unnecessary. To Hayes, there is no such thing as taking any opposition lightly. Hayes told her rivals in England and around the continent that she is not just focused on winning one or two trophies at the conclusion of the season, the club has its eyes on everyone that is still up for grabs. It was the 10th time this season the Blues have scored a goal the 75’ or later in all competitions, demonstrating the team’s ability to see every match through until the final whistle blows.

There was no cameo for Katerina Svitkova, Alsu Abdullina, or Maren Mjelde this time around. When it is a win or go home in any competition, Hayes does not want to tinker too much with what players have been accumulating results together throughout the season. It may only be the Conti Cup, but for Hayes, this is time to take back what the Blues missed out on with a disappointing display in the second half of the final against Manchester City.