CHELSEA 3-2 MANCHESTER CITY: Emma Hayes’ team complete the double thanks to Sam Kerr’s winner

Emma Hayes had described going up against Manchester City as a chess match. It is a fitting description of how this FA Cup final played out. Every move the Chelsea boss made, Gareth Taylor’s side had a response.

Sam Kerr put the Blues ahead in the 33rd minute, Lauren Hemp levelled before half-time. After a strike from Erin Cuthbert saw Chelsea re-take the lead on the hour mark, an 89th minute equaliser from Hayley Raso brought extra-time.

But when it comes to tactical battles, Hayes is the grandmaster. She had been outwitted by Taylor in the Continental League Cup final in March but there would be no repeat at Wembley. Kerr’s goal nine minutes into extra-time delivered checkmate and a domestic double for the Women’s Super League champions.

Hayes had said her team would have to suffer and at times they did. City had more possession, 14 more shots and completed 178 more passes. But Chelsea were calmness personified, as they have been all season. 

A record of crowd of 49,094 watched on at Wembley as Hayes picked up her 13th trophy as manager. But the Chelsea boss is right when she says the aim has to be to fill the national stadium in the future. 

This was a brilliant cup final that deserved a bigger audience. Over 55,000 tickets had been sold before kick-off and that 6,000 people did not show is an issue the FA must look to resolve.

In what was a cagey opening to the game, it was City who created the first two chances. Lauren Hemp’s cut-back found Caroline Weir inside the box but the midfielder could only fire over the bar from close range. Hemp then saw an effort blocked by Millie Bright before Georgia Stanway’s follow-up hit the Chelsea defender and bounced wide.

The Blues eventually grew into things mid-way through the first-half. Kerr had the ball in the net after rounding Ellie Roebuck but the striker was correctly flagged offside. Chelsea did not have to wait much longer for the opener, however, as this time Kerr stayed onside to give her side the lead just past the half hour mark. Bright’s cross sailed over the head of Roebuck and was heading into the net but Kerr made sure the ball crossed the line by nodding in at the back-post.

But they were not ahead for long as Hemp brought City level before the break. Once again the winger was allowed to cut inside from the right as she skipped past Bright before curling a shot into the top far corner.

City started the second half as they had the first, with two chances within five minutes of the restart. First, Bunny Shaw met Chloe Kelly’s cross but the forward could only head the ball back towards the winger. Kelly then played in Weir, who teed up Hemp for a shot at the back-post but Chelsea goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger saved with her feet. City’s failure to captialise proved crucial as a moment of magic saw Chelsea re-take the lead. Beth England laid the ball back to Cuthbert on the edge of the box and the midfielder took one touch out of her feet before unleashing an unstoppable shot that clipped the underside of the bar before hitting the net.

Chelsea looked to be seeing out the game as City struggled to create chances. But in the 89th minute, substitute Hayley Raso clawed Taylor’s side level once again. Alex Greenwood’s chipped pass found Raso in behind Magdalena Eriksson. The winger controlled the ball on her chest before poking it past Berger with the outside of her foot.

Ellen White could have put City ahead at the start of extra-time as she tried to meet Weir’s cross but Berger got there first to prevent the forward tapping-in. And minutes after that chance, Chelsea went ahead for the third time. Alanna Kennedy misjudged Bright’s clearance on the half-way line and Kerr nipped in to drive forward. The striker could have played in Jessie Fleming but went for goal. Her shot was poor, but the ball deflected off the outstretched foot of Greenwood and trickled past Roebuck into the net. City could not respond a third time.