Chelsea and Manchester City set to face off in the final of the Subway Women's League Cup
- Darcey Slater
- Mar 14
- 4 min read
With the first piece of silverware of the season up for grabs, it's a key opportunity for both teams. For Chelsea, to see if they can carry on their unbeaten run. City, to see if they can beat the best and create a challenge in other competitions. For both teams it's their chance to keep on track for the quadruple.
Previous fixtures
Earlier on in the season, Chelsea and City faced off at Stamford Bridge. With a goalless first half, Chelsea came out in the second half, scoring two and keeping their unbeaten run alive. The first came from Mayra Ramirez, shrugging Alanna Kennedy and Alex Greenwood and shooting past the gloves of Yamashita. The second came from Guro Reiten; after taking a corner, she was on the right to receive a pass from Lucy Bronze and shoot across the goalkeeper into the bottom left corner.
Last season, these two faced off in the League Cup Semi-Final, with Chelsea winning 1-0 after an early goal from Lauren James. Layed off from Mayra Ramirez, and James takes a touch and shoots, hitting the bottom right corner. City couldn’t get one back with the game finishing 1-0 to the blues with Chelsea advancing to the final.
Stand out players
Only being in the league for 4 years, Bunny Shaw has already made her mark on the WSL. She is City's all-time top goalscorer and is the only player to score a hat trick against every WSL club. Her physicality is one of the main reasons she is such a clinical goalscorer, allowing her to dominate in the air and on the ground.
Yui Hasegawa is a key play maker for City, playing a full 90 minutes for all 16 matches shes played in. She is also a regular for her country since her debut in 2017, representing them across all major tournaments. She was named in the PFA WSL Team of the Year for her performance in the 2023/24 season and nominated for a Ballon D’or at the beginning of the season.
Lauren James is known for her agility and passing ability, easily beating opponents and making the game look easy. She makes the Chelsea midfield so much stronger, bringing her vision to make the team more creative. She was nominated for the Ballon d’Or at the beginning of the season and was announced in the FIFAPRO XI at the end of last year.
Joining the Blues in the summer, Lucy Bronze is both Chelsea and England's starting right back. Making key interceptions and her knowledge of the game make her a valuable player to have in your backline and your starting XI. Attacking, she is known for her ability to carry the ball through gaps in the opposing midfield, creating opportunities for her team.
Missing players
Lauren Hemp has been sidelined with a knee injury since November. Her explosive speed down the wing has been missed, with City not creating or scoring as many goals as usual. This has taken a hit in the league with them dropping to 4th in the table, which may also be reflected in the League Cup Final.
Alex Greenwood was stretchered off in Manchester City's Champions League clash against St Polten. It was later confirmed she had sustained a MCL injury, (Medial Collateral Ligament). City currently look shakey without her, not finding a permanent replacement for the defender.
New signings Keira Walsh and Naomi Girma were taken off in Chelsea's 2-2 draw against Brighton and Hove Albion. Even though Girmahad signed in January, it took 2 months for her debut due to issues with her calf. Previously, Bompastor said that they might be available for the final, but in yesterday's press conference, it was confirmed they would be out for the match.
Managers
Sonia Bompastor joined the Blues at the start of the season after the departure of long-serving manager Emma Hayes. Bompastor has won the Champions League and 3 consecutive Division 1 titles with her previous team, Lyon.
Recently, Manchester City fired Gareth Taylor after managing the club for 5 years. They have brought back previous manager Nick Cushing on an interim basis after he parted ways with MLS side New York City FC, in November. In his previous 7 years with the club, he had won the league cup twice, the FA cup and the league.
Current form
Chelsea are still unbeaten this season under new manager Sonia Bompastor. They have only dropped points twice this season, once in a 1-1 draw against Leicester and once in a 2-2 match against the Seagulls. They are 8 points at the top of the WSL and 12 goals clear on goal difference.
City currently sits fourth in the WSL, 12 points behind opposition Chelsea. They recently drew with London side West Ham after a late equaliser from Bunny Shaw prevented them from dropping points. Their last loss was at home to Arsenal in the league, in a narrow 4-3 loss to the title rivals. This came after a Stina Blackstenius strike 10 minutes towards the end of the match.
Where to watch
The fixture will be played at Pride Park in Derby on the 15th of March 2025, with kick-off at 12.15 pm. But if you can’t make it to the stadium it will be broadcast on BBC 1, with build-up from 11.15 am.
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