3 takeaways as Chelsea Women hoist third-straight FA Cup with win over Man United

Despite not playing near the level of football that has been produced recently, the Chelsea Women found a way, securing yet another FA Cup behind a Sam Kerr goal.

Iconic. When you think of word clutch there is only one name that should come to mind in women’s football. Sam Kerr. For the third consecutive FA Cup final, the Australian nightmare herself netted the decisive goal to propel her side to victory. First it was Arsenal, then it was Manchester City, and this past Sunday afternoon it was Manchester United. Each powerhouse had their shot at taking down Emma Hayes’ Chelsea side with a domestic trophy on the line, and all of them came up short. Hayes’ ability to adjust out of halftime as her side gained more control of the game demonstrates just how talented she is as a manager with the lights shining right in her face.

While Man United’s time will eventually come, the consistency of Chelsea is something that cannot be overlooked. For the first time in this ultra-competitive Women’s Super League era, a club has found a way to hoist three straight FA Cups. No matter the personnel, the opposition, or the timing of the contest, Hayes’ side knows how to come out and deliver in front of the biggest crowds they will see all season. With the first 22 seconds, the west Londoners saw the ball in the back of their own goal, and after repeatedly being threatened by the red of Manchester, their belief never wavered.

There are always ebbs and flows in any cup final, but no team has been able to deal with it better than CFC. Coming out of the dressing room for the second half having been on the backfoot for the entirely of the first 45 minutes, the coaching staff and the players on the pitch in blue knew their time was going to come at some point.

While they had not played together much so far throughout this campaign, it just had to be Pernille Harder and Kerr who combined to what ended up being the game-clinching goal in the second half. After what has been one of the most turbulent years at Chelsea Football Club in recent times, especially on the men’s side, the club secured its first piece of silverware under the new ownership. In just a few week’s time, Chelsea could be holding another trophy as they hope to see off a campaign that has been filled with milestones and memorable accomplishments. Here are three takeaways from a match that had over 77,000 fans in the stands at Wembley Stadium.

3 takeaways from a thrilling FA Cup final triumph in front of a record crowd at Wembley.

3. Sam Kerr did what Sam Kerr always does

It is almost like waking up in the morning. There are so many things in life that can be classified as inevitable. At this point a Kerr goal in front of a Wembley crowd in May has to be one. If you give the Australian one sniff at the net, she will make you pay. Marc Skinner’s side had never seemed learned. For the third time this season, and the eighth time in 2020, Kerr has found the back of the net against the Red Devils.

After not touching the ball all that much in the first half, Kerr ended up being on the right side of a precise Harder cross, making no mistake from right in front of the net. The emotion and her love for the club was clear in her celebration that transpired following the goal. Her swagger, and personality on and off the pitch make for a player that is impossible not to rout for. Nothing can hamper the Australian’s confidence, and while some doubted her at the beginning of the season during her goal drought, the Australian knew inside she was capable to repeating what she has always done since coming over the Atlantic to the United Kingdom.

Whenever the lights shine the brightest, Kerr has always possessed and ability to control the pressure. In three games at Wembley, the Blues’ No. 20 has scored five goals en route to three FA Cup final wins. If you count the FA WSL Cup, Kerr has found the back of the net in eight consecutive domestic cup finals.

It is not always about how many times you touch the ball as a striker, it is about your ability to finish when the opportunities come your way. Since coming over in the January transfer window in 2020, Kerr has completely embraced what it means to be a part of the West London side. Backflips only come out on special occasions, and in front of a historic crowd, the Blues’ No. 20 delivered yet another legendary moment in the club’s history.

2. Adjustment and taking advantage of missed opportunities

Nothing about the first half was anything like what the west London outfit has managed to produce in the last two matches. Skinner’s side controlled the contest, asking questions of the Blues’ backline, especially Ann-Katrin Berger between the sticks. Berger was required to make an extraordinary save in the first 45 minutes, adjusting to deflect a ball that changed its path mid-air to keep the opposition off the scoresheet.

There was even some controversy that Niamh Charles fouled Nikita Parris inside of the box instead of what the referee originally called. There was no review and it has to be said like the majority of the first half that the west London outfit got away with one. Hayes knew that the opponent was the better team in the first 45 minutes, and did not want to endure another half like that as United continued to get closer and closer to finding the back of the net.

Within the first three minutes of the second 45, the Blues connected passes in the final third with much more ease than before. After Man U created another flurry of chances, Hayes turned to her reinforcements in the 57′, bringing on Danish star Harder, and Welsh international captain Sophie Ingle to stabilize things in the middle of the park. The Dane collected a shot on target within the first two minutes of coming on, bringing life back into the Blues.

With Kerr up top, Guro Reiten on the left wing, Lauren James on the right, and Harder playing what looked to be in the No. 10 role, the Red Devils now had their hands full defending with more than 30 minutes left to play. It was not just the play in the second half leading up to the goal, but the composure and ability to keep control of play with a one goal lead under this kind of pressure for an extended period of time was something special. Sometimes your opponent makes mistakes. In one of the biggest games of the year, Hayes made certain that they were going to punish United for not taking any of the opportunities they were given in the first half.

1. Pernille Harder added far too much quality for Man United to handle

Nobody knows what the future holds for one of the world’s best women’s footballers. There have been rumors that Bayern Munich is planning on pursuing a double swoop of Harder and her partner in crime Eriksson with their contracts set to expire at the conclusion of this season. While the future is uncertain, Harder’s love for the west London outfit has been evident. You can only dream what it would have been like if the Blues’ No. 23 had been healthy far more often than injured since coming to west London from Wolfsburg.

She may not have started at Wembley on Sunday afternoon, but when she did come into the picture, the Dane make an immediate impact that ignited Hayes’ side to another FA Cup. Since she was introduced back into the squad just a few weeks ago, the Danish international has netted four goals, and collected two assists in the past two games including the one on Sunday vs United.

She presses high, knows the kinds of runs to make in behind and has an undeniable chemistry with Kerr even though the two have hardly seen the pitch together this campaign. United had their chances, and once Harder came onto the pitch, Skinner knew what his side was going to be in store for.

She is a true game changer that this club must attempt to do all they can to keep in west London for the foreseeable future. Many of the world’s greats across sports have donned the No. 23, and Harder is right up there with them. The pace of her ball that found Kerr was staggering.

The Dane made certain that it had enough power to reach the Australian while keeping it just far enough so that goalkeeper Mary Earps had to stay in net. There is nothing she can’t do, and while he time at the club is winding down, moments like these are memories that will forever be embedded in the history books at the club.