Chelsea Secures League Cup Final Spot with Narrow Win Over City

In a tightly contested opening twenty minutes, both teams showcased periods of sustained possession, but meaningful goal attempts were sparse.

The match nearly ignited due to a rare mistake by Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton. After Erin Cuthbert’s shot was blocked by the Sky Blue defense, a counter-attack ensued, with Khadija Shaw racing toward the Chelsea goal, following a through ball from Lauren Hemp. Hampton rushed out of her box, allowing Shaw to round her effortlessly; however, the WSL’s top scorer squandered the chance, missing an open goal under pressure from Sandy Baltimore’s crucial challenge.

Sandy Baltimore played a pivotal role in breaking the deadlock. Her wicked in-swinging cross left Manchester City goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita and her defenders immobilized, enabling Weike Kaptein to head home the opener in the 41st minute. The hosts should have equalized before halftime, but once again, Hampton ventured out of her area to address Shaw’s threat running behind her back line. The rebound fell to Vivianne Miedema, whose shot unfortunately clipped the post.

City continued to experience frustration after the break, striking the woodwork just moments into the second half. Right-back Kerstin Casparij’s first-time strike slammed into the frame of the Blues’ goal, leaving a helpless Hampton rooted in place.

The Sky Blues dominated the initial fifteen minutes of the second half, frequently forcing Hampton into action. She rose to the challenge, making a brilliant sprawling save to deny Miedema on the hour mark.

With her side losing control of the match, Sonia Bompastor decided to substitute Lauren James for Sam Kerr shortly thereafter. This change nearly yielded immediate results, as James drew a smart stop from Yamashita at her near post with a powerful effort. However, this proved to be a temporary respite, as Hampton was again called upon to tip Yui Hasegawa’s volley over the bar.

Instead of sitting back on their lead, Chelsea pressed forward following a prolonged period of pressure. Baltimore’s curling effort was thwarted by another save from Yamashita. This left gaps in the defense, and Miedema set up Casparij in a promising shooting position after an excellent team move; however, the Netherlands international blazed her shot well over the bar.

In the dying moments, City nearly snatched an equalizer when Lauren Hemp failed to make solid contact on Miedema’s near-post cross. A better connection would likely have eluded Hampton in the Chelsea goal. This was just one of many squandered opportunities for the WSL leaders, who will regard this as a missed chance to vie for silverware. Chelsea’s semi-final triumph secures their spot in the League Cup final for the seventh consecutive time.

Sandy Baltimore was undoubtedly the standout performer. Her dynamic dribbling caused significant problems for City defenders, her set-piece delivery directly contributed to the only goal, and her timely tackle prevented Shaw from capitalizing on Hampton’s absence in goal.

Questions may arise regarding Ayaka Yamashita’s command of her six-yard box during the goal, but this critique may be somewhat unfair, as the Japanese goalkeeper delivered several excellent saves later in the match.