Chelsea beat Man United to win Women’s League Cup

Chelsea Women defeated Manchester United Women 2-0 on Sunday to win the Women’s League Cup at Ashton Gate Stadium.

The victory handed Chelsea another domestic trophy under manager Sonia Bompastor.

Chelsea came into the final under pressure after losing ground in the Women’s Super League title race and facing criticism over recent decisions by the coach.

However, the London side maintained their record in domestic cup finals under Bompastor, who has now won all three finals she has managed with the club, including two victories against Manchester United.

Reacting after the match, Bompastor said: “The emotions are really high. There is a lot of happiness because it’s always difficult to play in a final and win.

“Sometimes, people just think because we are Chelsea, it’s just a habit. But it takes a lot for my players to perform and grab a trophy.

“Every occasion, they just show up. They fought with the right mentality. It was not easy. We played as a team defensively. It was a real team effort.”

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Chelsea extended their strong record against United in cup finals, having won all their previous meetings in such fixtures.

Despite injuries and the absence of some players due to the Asian Cup, Chelsea secured the win to lift the trophy again.

Former England midfielder Fara Williams said the result showed Chelsea’s ability to respond to criticism.

“There’s been a lot of noise and that’s because of what Chelsea have done, winning 18 trophies over a period of time,” Williams said.

“Everybody expects, and is so used to, Chelsea winning. When they have a blip, eyebrows are raised and questions are asked.

“I really think they proved themselves today.”

Only three teams, Arsenal Women, Chelsea and Manchester City Women, have won the Women’s League Cup since it began in 2011.

Chelsea also won every domestic trophy during the 2024-25 season under Bompastor.

After the victory, forward Lauren James said the team’s mentality had helped them succeed.

“It’s in our DNA – we always find a way to win, whether we play well or not. We always make sure we put up a fight and we make ourselves hard to beat,” James said.

“We need to use it as momentum and hopefully another step forward to working hard to achieve our dreams.”

Chelsea will next face Arsenal Women in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

They also have a match against Tottenham Hotspur Women in the quarter-finals of the Women’s FA Cup.

Former England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis said the result showed Chelsea remain the team to beat.

“They are still champions. If anyone ever doubted that, then today was your answer,” she said.