Sometimes in football, history finds a way of repeating itself. On Sunday afternoon at Selhurst Park against the Gunners, Chelsea once again saw a one-goal lead in the Conti Cup final slip away in the blink of an eye. There seems to be something different about the Conti Cup for the Blues. After Bethany England netted the winner in 2020 to seal Emma Hayes’ first league cup, many thought the curse was lifted. Since then, the west London outfit has finished as the runners-up in two of the last three campaigns.
Last season, CFC was coming off of a 7-0 victory in the FA Cup fifth round before falling short of the league cup title against Manchester City. The mentality from Jonas Eidevall and the Gunners was extraordinary considering the struggles the club has encountered without its two stars up front. At the highest level of women’s football, you have to have a short memory. This one stings for Hayes’ side, but the fixtures are coming up fast in a month that features seven total matches, including Sunday’s loss. A Kim Little penalty and a Niamh Charles own goal seal the silverware for Eidevall’s side as the Blues looked disjointed at every level of the pitch.
Win together, lose together; we stick together. 💙 pic.twitter.com/bIFgIFQD31
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) March 5, 2023
The warning signs were sent out with double digit shots on goal last weekend at Kingsmeadow in the FA Cup. Even without two of the most lethal attacking threats in women’s football, the Gunners still showed how much quality they possess. Having lost the last two contests, Arsenal was more desperate than CFC. The north London side showed they wanted it far more than their rivals to the south west.
As the Blues aim to put this match behind them, they must realize you simply cannot underestimated an opponent no matter how many times you have beaten them. An out of form Arsenal side found a way to humble a team that has been making light work of nearly every opponent since the opening match week of the season against Liverpool.