3 Takeaways from Conti Cup Final loss: not the real Chelsea

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.

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.

3 takeaways from Chelsea’s gut-wrenching loss to Arsenal as the quest for four trophies falls short.

History repeated itself once again

When Sam Kerr finished off another pinpoint Guro Reiten cross in the 2′ of the match, CFC could not have imagined that it would be reliving the heartbreak of last season. Everything about the Blues goal was sensational. Erin Cuthbert finds Reiten on the left flank who whips in a brilliant ball into a perfect spot for Kerr to knock it in the back of the net.

A goal from the Australian to open up the scoring followed by three unanswered by the opposition. Same competition, same prize, identical storyline. The Blues had scored a goal in both halves of the game in the previous five contests in all competitions. Just like Gareth Taylor and City, the Gunners dug deep, controlling the pace of the game just like CFC has continuously done all season. Hayes’ side can win the FA Cup and WSL in back to back seasons, but once again a falter in the Conti Cup final prevents the Blues from securing a potential domestic treble.

In both games, the Blues’ opponent found a way to respond relatively quickly. Neither of them pulled their foot off the gas as the goals continued to come out of sloppy play from the CFC backline. Hayes’ team looked a shell of themselves after finding the opening goal, acting as if the job was already done. The hope is this is not a recurring theme, but for now, the disappointment in the Conti Cup continues for the second straight season.

Gunners take the game right at the Blues

That was not Emma Hayes’ Chels‘. In and out of possession, the Blues lacked that consistent energy in order to beat quality opponents like Arsenal. 66 percent pass accuracy by CFC tells the entire story of how much pressure the west London side was under throughout the match. It was the performance in terms of pass accuracy since last season’s FA Cup final win over City at Wembley.

The Gunners were first to nearly every 50-50 ball. CFC seemed frustrated at times, compiling the mistake with a foul immediately after. It was a relentless attacking effort for the north London outfit in the first half, repeatedly going at a defense that was reeling by the minute. Hayes has continued to preach the words, “serial winning”. If a team, like the Blues wins as much as they do, there are going to be days like Sunday afternoon.

Arsenal was desperate to get back on track with its form going through an uncharacteristic regression as of late. It should be a wake-up call for Hayes’ team as the next fixture is right around the corner in the Women’s Super League on Wednesday against Brighton at home.

Some may be surprised by the sudden aggression from the Gunners, but in a rivalry game with a trophy up for grabs, they knew the most recent outings would not cut it. The Blues had been unbeaten against their northern rivals over the last five games, and it showed. Hayes’ side had been there and done that while Arsenal was still on the hunt for its first major trophy since 2019.

Worrying game in defensive heading into important month

Compared to seasons of the past, the Blues have not had as stable of a defense as they would like. With the addition of Canadian international Kadeisha Buchanan, it looked like the side would be one of the most feared backlines in all of Europe. That has not been the case. If the referee were to have VAR at her disposal, the result could have looked even worse for CFCW.

The reactions were far too slow as the Gunners ripped through their rivals consistently throughout the first 45 minutes. Whether it was poor positioning or woeful recovery tackles, the backline was not at the level it should be with Lyon on tap in a new few weeks. The Gunners were offered too much space in dangerous areas of the pitch for the second consecutive week.

It did not help that the midfield was not winning one on one battles in the middle of the pitch, but despite that, the lack of youth and athleticism in the west Londoners’ defense showed. No matter how Hayes re-structured things, Arsenal still prevented a threat. Hayes’ team looked quite relaxed, especially after going up by a goal early on. Coming off back to back clean sheets, the worry surrounding the defenders lessened. Things have to tighten up in a chaotic month of March. Allowing three goals is simply not going to get the job done, no matter how talented the attack is.