Ingle and Kerr send Chelsea into FA Cup quarterfinals: 3 takeaways

In the first match out of the February international break, Emma Hayes and the Chelsea Women got the job done to advance to the last eight of the Women’s FA Cup.

It was a busy Sunday afternoon in London for Chelsea Football Club. Several miles south of where Graham Potter and his team pieced together another pitiful display against Spurs, the Chelsea Women made yet another step toward their ultimate goal. With just a few days to prepare for a tough FA Cup tie following the international break, the Blues showed immense resolve and professionalism. For the third consecutive campaign, the west London side have extinguished Arsenal’s hopes of its first FA Cup trophy since 2016.

With two of the Gunners’ most lethal attacking threats watching on from the Kingsmeadow stands, Eidevall’s side could not execute a way through the Blues’ backline despite Ann-Katrin Berger being called into action 11 times. Arsenal’s 55 percent shots on target percentage was quite deceiving with almost all of them hit straight into the gloves of the German international. Some would think at some point the Blues would drop off in their consistency. Each member of this team look locked in on winning as much silverware. The relentless that they bring to the pitch each and every day makes this quite a special group.

The Gunners threatened on more than one occasion, but CFC countered with an attack that was much more clinical than its opposition. Lauren James picked up right where she left off at the Arnold Clark Cup, darting passed defenders like a hot knife through butter. Just a few seconds after the Gunners could have been one goal up, Arsenal presents James with far too much space as she set up Sophie Ingle for just her third goal of the season in all competitions.

James collected the hockey assist on the second goal with Sam Kerr haunting the Gunners for the second time in the last two months. It was one of those games where the stat-sheet does not tell the story of how the match went. Yes, the Gunners presented CFC with a threat in the attack, but it was nothing the defense and Berger could not deal with. Hayes will have to clean up a few things ahead of the two’s next meeting at Selhurst Park next weekend, but for now, Chelsea fans should just appreciate a team that plays an inspiring brand of football.

Here are 3 Chelsea takeaways from yet another cup triumph over the Blues’ north London rivals:

Plenty of warning signs for next weekend 

Equipped with the likes of Stina Blackstenius, Frida Maanum, and Caitlin Foord on the wing, the Gunners showed they still possess the firepower to test the CFC back four. Maanum tested the alertness of Berger within the first minute of the game. The German was forced to make a leaping right-handed save.

She was called into action twice within the opening 13 minutes of the match as Arsenal collected the more quality opportunities in the beginning stages. Blackstenius should have absolutely found the back of the net in the first half after pulling away from CFC captain Magdalena Eriksson. Her lack of composure in the final third summed up Arsenal’s day to a tee.

Due to that, the Blues capitalized on their next attack. Just when everyone thought Arsenal had found its first goal of the afternoon, the finish would fall short. Hayes has to know that Chelsea gave the Gunners most talented forward-thinking players far too much space to dictate play. It was the first time since the Conti Cup final of last season against Manchester City that CFC allowed 20 or more shots. No team this season has been able to create double-digit shots on target.

That alone should alert the Blues’ backline to close down the Gunners much quicker next Sunday if they want to finish their revenge tour in the Conti Cup. Niamh Charles struggled significantly on her less-favored side against Foord and an Arsenal attack that asked plenty of questions. Eidevall for some reason moved Foord to the opposite side of the pitch in the next half, helping Charles put together an admirable outing with lots of bright spots on the left flank. Hayes knows what this Arsenal team is capable of, even without its two most potent goal scorers. It goes without saying that the space for the Gunners is going to be far less next weekend.

Cankovic fills No. 10 role well in Kirby’s absence 

It is a luxury to be able to have Jelena Cankovic on the roster to fill the gap that Fran Kirby’s injury presents. This is the kind of player Hayes brought in to make this club serious competitors for all four major trophies. She was involved in the build-up to both of CFC’s goals at Kingsmeadow on Sunday afternoon. Hayes giving the nod to Cankovic in the fifth round of the FA Cup brought back the quality she presented the Gunners with a month ago. Coming in with just nine minutes plus stoppage times at the Emirates in January during a Women’s Super League fixuture, the Serbian flipped the game on its head.

Pure brilliance from Cankovic as she feeds Kerr with a perfectly weighed pass:

Her creativity, and passing range going forward found Kerr to equalize the match and salvage an important point for the Blues on the road. Sunday was the second time that Cankovic assisted a Kerr goal against the north London outfit. In just her first season playing with Kerr, the two seem to have extraordinary chemistry. If it was not for the awareness of Manuela Zinsberger between the sticks, the Serbian could have had a goal for herself.

Her selfless attitude was brought out in her interview post game as she continues to emphasize the team result over any individual  accolades. CFC fans should see Cankovic next Sunday in the Conti Cup final, whether it is in the starting XI, or on the bench. The Serbian just has a knack to impact the Blues obsession with winning.

CFC’s winning mentality makes all the difference 

The west London outfit had every excuse in the world to come out flat in its first game following a vital international window on the women’s side.

"“We are elite performers”, Hayes stated in a post-game interview with the club."

Just a few days after getting off of a plane after going to battle for their own country, the players were able to switch their focus back to CFC. Elite performers they are. CFC fans should take time to appreciate the persistence of this side to grind out a result no matter the circumstances. The culture that this club has created under Hayes is remarkable.

As the men’s team hits an improbable new low, the women’s side continues to rip through its schedule with its eyes on all four major trophies. Everyone is bought in. They consistently bring a must-win mentality to every competition that no opponent has been able to match this season. The preparation time for each match continues to shrink as this campaign progresses.

From the Champions League to the WSL among others, the Blues have already proven their ability to recover with little time and produce a positive result. Critics can talk all about the number of opportunities that the Gunners were given. None of that matters. To everyone under the tutelage of Hayes, what happens within the white lines over those 90 minutes is unimportant if the result is not in favor of the Blues.