Chelsea are used to winning and they are used to competing on several fronts – but their hunt for more trophies is proving far from easy.
Emma Hayes’ side remain on course to win the Treble this season and will go to Wembley in May seeking a third successive Women’s FA Cup following Sunday’s victory over Aston Villa.
They were favourites to beat Villa, who had reached the cup’s last four for the first time, but Chelsea were given a stern test in their narrow 1-0 win, with top scorer Sam Kerr the match-winner.
Faced with a long list of injuries and an in-form Villa side hungry to taste success for the first time, Chelsea found themselves clinging on in the second half at Bescot Stadium.
But they found a way to win, as they so often do.
“We’ve had some unbelievable success over a long period of time but it doesn’t mean it always looks the same,” said Blues manager Emma Hayes.
“Teams have closed the gap and might be reaching the high points in their evolutions. You have to keep evolving to achieve [success].
“It means everything doesn’t look the way we want all the time. The fact we’re still competing again and again is a real testament to the players and their characters. They’re still hungry to keep going.”
Chelsea have won three of the past five Women’s FA Cups – including the past two in a row – and last season picked up their third successive Women’s Super League title.
They beat European holders Lyon in a dramatic penalty shootout last month to book their place in the Women’s Champions League semi-finals – where they will take on Barcelona – and sit one point behind leaders Manchester United in the WSL.
“Coming through Lyon gave us [something] this season that was really needed for the dressing room,” said Hayes.
“We were in a difficult moment and you can see we’ve got better… in difficult circumstances. That’s brought confidence back.”
‘We’re not coming to be second’
Chelsea were without several key players in Walsall including first-choice centre-backs Millie Bright and Kadeisha Buchanan.
They have been without star forwards Fran Kirby and Pernille Harder for most of the season too, meaning Kerr has carried responsibility on her shoulders to deliver goals – which she has.
Her winner against Aston Villa was her 24th goal in all competitions this season and came just days after she scored and assisted for her country in Australia’s win over England.
Winning silverware is driving Kerr on and she has her sights on three trophies with Chelsea this season to follow the domestic treble they picked up two years ago.
“We’re going for every trophy that we can. We’re Chelsea, we’re not coming to be second,” said Kerr.
“All those injuries have brought us closer together as a squad. We don’t have that many players right now that are fit and healthy so we’ve all got to push each other along.
“It’s a long season but we’ve done well so far – hopefully it continues.”
Hayes was buoyed by the performance of centre-backs Magdalena Eriksson and Maren Mjelde against Villa and welcomed Harder’s return to the bench following a six-month absence.
She said she always had “belief” in her squad to deliver the win despite anxious moments throughout the match.
“They know how to roll their sleeves up. Maybe that’s what I’ve attracted to the club,” added Hayes.
“You have to win football matches in very different ways. Sometimes you can have a nice, lush pitch at Kingsmeadow.
“But if you can’t win football matches like this then you can’t win the biggest prizes domestically.”
‘I fear for Chelsea in the Champions League’
Chelsea will face Manchester United in the FA Cup final while also battling against Marc Skinner’s side – as well as Arsenal and Manchester City – for the WSL title.
However, their quest for a first Champions League crown is set to be their toughest as they take on former winners Barcelona, who beat Chelsea 4-0 in the final two years ago.
Former Chelsea defender Anita Asante told BBC One: “Judging on the performance [against Villa], I fear for them going into the Champions League game against Barcelona.
“I definitely think they have to improve their levels and intensity, be tidier and enjoy more of the ball. They really didn’t dominate possession as you expect a Chelsea team to do.
“If you are going to fight across all fronts – the Champions League, WSL and the FA Cup – then you need that strength in depth. You need to be adaptable. You need to equate for every scenario.”
Ex-England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis added: “It’s a massive, massive month for Chelsea. When Chelsea got to the [Champions League] final, they got absolutely demolished.
“Emma Hayes’ ultimate goal is to win that Champions League. It is the only one missing.”
