Chelsea vs West Ham, Conti Cup semi preview: final on the horizon

Despite Konchesky and the Irons beginning to form some sort of solidity in the back, goals have been a lingering issue. If Dagny Brynjarsdottir can’t find the back of the net, where is a West Ham goal going to come from? Three out of the Irons last five goals have come from Brynjarsdottir, and one of the five was an own goal against Wolves. If the Blues are going to begin to collect clean sheets, this is where is starts. Brynjarsdottir height is an issue, but given the lack of clean sheets as of late for CFC, the main focus must be keeping West Ham out of the back of the net.

In the two clubs’ meetings early on in the WSL campaign, the Blues were still trying to get their bearings. The heart and soul of the Irons, Brynjarsdottir punished CFC right off the bat. Helped on by the miscommunication of Sam Kerr, and Kadeisha Buchanan, Brynjarsdottir showed off her 5 foot 11 inch frame, netting a free header to put West Ham in front at Kingsmeadow. It took the Blues 37 minutes to respond, but when they did, there was no looking back. For the west Londoners, it was a much-needed victory before it headed back on the road for the first time since the defeat to Liverpool.

As far as the lineup goes, Hayes has kept a fairly consistent 4-2-3-1 with Zecira Musovic to have appeared to taken over the No. 1 role between the sticks with the confirmation of her new contract extension until 2025. For a game that is just four days from the last, stability is key.