Chelsea Win Women's League Cup with 2-1 Victory Over Manchester City

Chelsea secured the Women's League Cup title with a thrilling 2-1 win over Manchester City, thanks to an own goal from Yui Hasegawa, giving manager Sonia Bompastor her first silverware with the team.

Chelsea secured the Women's League Cup title with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Manchester City at Pride Park, marking manager Sonia Bompastor's first silverware with the team. The decisive moment came when Yui Hasegawa scored an own goal, which proved to be the difference between the two sides.

Chelsea took the lead against the run of play in the eighth minute, thanks to a well-crafted move. Lauren James delivered a pinpoint pass behind Manchester City's defense, finding Mayra Ramirez, who saw her initial shot saved by Ayaka Yamashita. However, Ramirez was quick to react and slotted home the rebound, giving Chelsea the early advantage.

Winning isn’t just our aim. It’s what we *do*. 🥇 pic.twitter.com/FBtcMWWRpp

— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) March 15, 2025

Manchester City drew level in the 64th minute through Aoba Fujino's goal, but Chelsea regained the lead just 12 minutes later. Mayra Ramirez delivered a low cross into the box, which Yui Hasegawa attempted to hook away. Unfortunately for Hasegawa, her clearance ended up in the back of the net, securing the win for Chelsea and handing them the Women's League Cup title.

Chelsea's victory marked their first win in four consecutive League Cup finals, a feat that brought immense joy to the team. “We are buzzing,” Chelsea captain Millie Bright exclaimed in an interview with the BBC. “Things like that stick in your mind for a long time, it's certainly been doing my head in. We are really happy, it's the start that we wanted into these next four fixtures.”

Winning isn’t just our aim. It’s what we *do*. 🥇 pic.twitter.com/FBtcMWWRpp

— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) March 15, 2025

The League Cup final was just the beginning of a intense series of matches between Chelsea and Manchester City. The two teams will face each other in a two-legged Champions League quarter-final, starting on Wednesday, with a Women's Super League (WSL) game sandwiched in between. Bright acknowledged the unique challenge ahead, saying, “It's rest, recover and go again. It's a strange period for both teams. We have never been in this position.”

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor remains unbeaten since taking the helm in May, with her team leading the WSL with 44 points, eight ahead of second-placed Arsenal. Manchester City sits in fourth place. Bompastor expressed her delight with the win, telling the BBC, “We are really happy for sure. You know when you're in a final, it's always the main thing is to win. The game was not easy today but really happy with the win. First trophy in the season, it's always important.”