Chelsea’s James leads way to win League Cup final against Manchester United

Death, taxes and Chelsea women winning trophies. Regardless of their form this season, regardless of an all-but relinquished WSL title, with Manchester City nine points clear at the top of the table, you can never bet against the Blues in a cup final.

If there was a time for Manchester United to get the better of Sonia Bompastor’s side, having twice lost to them in the FA Cup final, it was now. Marc Skinner’s side sit one point ahead of Chelsea in the league, and they have looked in better form.

However, the south London side possesses a deeply embedded belief and understanding of what it takes that can never be underestimated. A gift of a goal to Lauren James and Aggie Beever-Jones’s extension of their lead was enough to deliver another piece of silverware and a feeling of deja vu.

Matches between United and Chelsea are getting increasingly tight, despite the latter’s dominance with 15 wins and two draws in 18 meetings. The most recent of which was their last outing, a fifth-round FA Cup fixture providing an amuse-bouche to the main course of the final following the three-week interruption of the international break.

Both teams made changes to the side that 2-1 win for the Blues at Kingsmeadow, with centre-back Naomi Girma’s extra-time winner the difference. There was no Girma, with her and fellow centre-back Millie Bright both ruled out with injuries, and the holders were also without Australian duo Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter who were down under preparing for a semi-final against China in the Asian Cup. Meanwhile, Julia Zigiotti Olme replaced United’s Asian Cup participant Hinata Miyazawa, whose Japan side will play South Korea in the other semi-final.

The carnival vibe ahead of kick-off at a sold-out Aston Gate was dampened – literally, not metaphorically – with the rain coming down hard.

There was no sluggishness to the start though, a James cross was forced behind by goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce in the opening minute and Elisabeth Terland’s effort from 30 yards forced a save from Hannah Hampton a minute later.

James was a livewire, the form she showed for England during the international break continued into the domestic campaign. Her curling effort towards the top corner was narrowly over the bar and she punished the profligacy of United, with Ellen Wangerheim’s effort too close to Hampton and lacking in power before James broke the deadlock.

It was a United error that gifted Chelsea the lead when Dominique Janssen failed to control a through in as James stalked closer and pounced, nicking the ball away before she drove into the box and fired past Tullis-Joyce and celebrated by cupping her ears towards the United fans behind the goal – it was her sixth against her former side since she left them for the Blues in 2021.

Skinner’s side were far from out of the contest though, Terland went close twice in quick succession, and Wangerheim inexplicably failed to convert Melvine Malard’s cross from a few yards out.

It was increasingly desperate from United as the clock ticked on and the introduction of Fridolina Rolfö and Lea Schüller around the hour mark failed to up the pressure on Bompastor’s side who were comfortable despite the narrow scoreline.

There was devastation for Chelsea substitute Nathalie Björn, who was forced to exit five minutes after coming on clutching her hamstring and in tears, but it was the Blues’ attacking substitute that would make the difference. Beever-Jones, who replaced Alyssa Thompson at the break, doubled their advantage in the 76th minute. Johanna Rytting Kaneryd’s cross was chested down by the England forward and though Hanna Lundkvist grappled with her she managed to stick out a foot and poke the ball in at the near post.

It was jubilation for the Blues at full time who, despite their tough start to the season, have earned its first spoils.

This will be one of the last times they are likely to lift this trophy. Next season, teams that qualify for Champions League football will not play in the League Cup. The change makes sense in some ways. Both Chelsea and United only played three games in a tournament they swept into and could pick up silverware in. It also lightens the load on players, with concern over the overloading and underloading of players only getting louder. The risk, though, is that the change could be the death knell of the competition, which will struggle for attention and relevance without the country’s top teams involved.

Header image: [Photograph: Harriet Lander/Chelsea FC/Getty Images]