It was a familiar story as Chelsea saw off Arsenal in the Fifth Round of the Women’s FA cup. Sophie Ingle opened the scoring after a brilliant run from Lauren James. Sam Kerr made it double for Chelsea after another goal against Arsenal from Jelena Cankovic’s through ball.
The last time these two sides faced each other was in the Women’s Super League when the league returned after the mid-season break. It took a while for Chelsea players to get into the match before Kerr snatched a point after a late equalizer. Since most of the players were in action during the international break, they were able to get into the match soon.
Arsenal had players like Beth Mead and Vivian Miedema unavailable due to injuries. But even when they were available, CFC more often than not has won their matches against the gunners. Frank Kirby and Pernille Harder were not in the squad due to injuries for the blues.
Emma Hayes’s side has dominated English football for the last 3-4 years. They have maintained their standards despite periods where their important players have missed game time. But it does not mean they have not had challenges thrown at them.
The FA WSL Cup final last season was such a day. Despite taking the lead through Sam Kerr, Manchester City scored thrice to lift the trophy. Hayes will be wary of such a result repeating.
Even though Arsenal lost, they had a period of domination throughout the match. They were able to get into the west London side’s box time after time. Ann Katrin Berger was required to make important saves multiple times. It will give the north London side lot of confidence ahead of the FA WSL Cup final this Sunday.
The Chelsea players will have proper rest and training before Sunday’s final. Players like Kerr only arrived 72 hours before the match after playing for Australia during the international break. Last year’s final will still be fresh in their mind as well. They will be eager to right the wrongs. At their best, this CFCW side is one of the best in the world.
It will be yet another chance to add silverware to Chelsea’s trophy cabinet on Sunday. It is a cup final match between two London rivals. Both sides will be confident of returning home from Selhurst Park with the big prize.