One down, three to go: Chelsea on course for quadruple after League Cup win

DERBY, England -- Chelsea's quadruple campaign was kick-started with a 2-1 win over Manchester City in the League Cup final, handing manager Sonia Bompastor her first piece of silverware with the club and taking her one step closer to winning a quadruple in her inaugural season.

Mayra Ramírez broke the deadlock in the eighth minute at Pride Park after unfortunate defender Laia Aleixandri diverted the ball back into the striker's path to tap home easily. Chelsea's defense kept their narrow lead intact until Aoba Fujino's rocket from the edge of the area levelled the tie midway through the second half.

The contrast in defending was prevalent for Chelsea's second and ultimately the decisive goal as the Women's Super League leaders and reigning champions pressurized City's back line, leading to Yui Hasegawa's own goal.

Chelsea take big step toward unbeaten quadruple season

One down, three to go. In the hunt for what would be a quadruple of trophies for the Blues, Chelsea have secured their first. It also manes Bompastor has a trophy in the cabinet as manager of the reigning WSL champions after joining the side from Lyon in the summer.

The remaining three trophies are all still within reach as well. They're through to the FA Cup semifinals and the quarterfinals of the Champions League -- where they face City again -- and they currently lead the league by eight points. Chelsea remain unbeaten in all competitions, too, only dropping points in two draws during their league campaign.

Lucy Bronze, who has won a quartet of silverware with two previous clubs, Lyon and Barcelona, told ESPN this week that the squad depth and desire to win it all is fueling their bid to be the second team in England to complete the mammoth feat. Arsenal are the only English club to achieve the quadruple, during the 2006-07 season, but the Blues are certainly setting themselves up to replicate their success. -- Emily Keogh

City's luck deserted them as they lacked quality in both boxes

One of the key reasons behind Manchester City's slump in form which led to head coach Gareth Taylor being sacked just five days before the final has been their vulnerability at the back. Ahead of Saturday's final, they had kept just two clean sheets in their previous 10 matches, and they have sorely missed both the quality and the leadership of captain Alex Greenwood, who ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament in December.

That defensive fragility was on show again for Ramírez's opener, with just one incisive pass from Lauren James carving City's back line apart. Interim coach Nick Cushing's side were also fortunate not to go 2-0 down when Ramírez found herself one-on-one with goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita in the first half.

However, it was City's lack of a clinical edge that proved most costly. Before the break, City had 21 touches in the opposition box compared with Chelsea's seven, but they were unable to make their dominance count. Shaw -- so often City's talisman -- drew one excellent save from Hannah Hampton in the second half but did not look to be at her formidable best.

With Lauren Hemp still sidelined with injury, Cushing's side were unable to really put Chelsea to the sword, though those of a City persuasion could be forgiven for feeling luck was not on their side at Pride Park. -- Beth Lindop

Chelsea's defense proves the difference

Chelsea's defense were far more cohesive than their opponents' and they looked comfortable in the uncomfortable moments dealing with City's press. The Blues' composure did waver at times, such as when captain Millie Bright's failure to make a clearance gave Khadija "Bunny" Shaw time to set up a shot, while several scrambled corners fell to City players. Fortunately for Bompastor's side, their comfort throughout the first half meant Sandy Baltimore was there to block Shaw's shot, and City's profligacy meant Chelsea could recover and collect the ball at set pieces without breaking a sweat.

Despite City driving into the box and creating more chances than the league leaders, they were struggling to break through a dedicated and resilient defense who were determined to keep calm at the back to keep their chances of a first League Cup trophy since 2021 intact.

The defending proved to be the decisive factor. As Chelsea's press forced mistakes from City, leading to the unfortunate own goal, it was an opposite story for Chelsea who remained composed even after leaking an equaliser. After all, Chelsea have only conceded 10 times in the league this season. -- EK

Can City avoid four losses in 12 days vs. Chelsea?

City's decision to part company with Taylor just days before their most decisive run of the season felt like a big gamble. Defeat on Saturday means it is one that has not paid immediate dividends, however there were plenty of promising signs in the club's first outing since the return of Cushing, who coached the club for seven years before joining MLS club New York City FC in 2022.

For much of the match, City looked the better side, playing with a confidence and freedom that was lacking at times in the final months of Taylor's tenure. The halftime scoreline flattered Chelsea and, when Fujino restored parity after the break, City looked the likelier side to find a winner.

Ultimately, it was Chelsea's guile and know-how that won the day, but City must not allow themselves to develop an inferiority complex ahead of what is a huge Champions League quarterfinal tie between the two sides, bookending next weekend's WSL clash. Chelsea will be the favorites going into all three of those games, but City showed enough on Saturday to suggest they have the tools to hurt them if they can hold their nerve. -- BL

Fans failed by final venue

The League Cup final -- played the day before the men's equivalent at Wembley -- took place in Derby at 12:30 p.m. local time on a day with no direct trains from either London or Manchester. Understandably, the atmosphere was lacking. While the Women's Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL) had no control over the train schedule, the early kick-off time would have likely deterred fans from making the trip. It's the second year in a row the final has been staged in the Midlands, compared to the men's final between Liverpool and Newcastle United taking place at the national stadium in London on Sunday.

There are benefits to the location, like growing the game in areas away from the capital and the northwest. However, only 16,000 tickets were sold for the 33,000-seater stadium, leaving the areas of the ground empty and both ends rather sparse. Only 14,187 attended the final, a far cry from last year's 21,462 crowd at Molineux and 19,010 the year before at Selhurst Park.

The state of the pitch also raised concerns. The torn-up turf was not what would be expected of a pitch hosting a cup final. Former England goalkeeper and BBC commentator Rachel Brown-Finnis said that the pitch has been "sub-standard" and "not befitting of a Women's League Cup final." The optics of the early kick-off time, location of the stadium and poor pitch quality are bad given the heavy advancements that are being made in the women's game. -- EK