Chelsea continue domestic dominance despite challenges
Chelsea have secured every domestic trophy since the beginning of 2025, establishing a pattern of consistent success. Regardless of their current form, winning trophies appears inevitable for the Blues, although manager Sonia Bompastor maintains a grounded perspective.
Entering Sunday's Women's League Cup final, Chelsea faced pressure after a dip in the Women's Super League title race and amid off-field controversies. Criticism of Bompastor's decisions intensified, raising questions about whether the serial winners could finally be defeated in a final.
The outcome was emphatic: Chelsea prevailed once again. Bompastor has now led her team to three domestic cup final victories, including two wins over Manchester United. The recent 2-0 triumph at Ashton Gate served as a timely reminder that Chelsea remain a formidable force and the team to beat.
"The emotions are really high. There is a lot of happiness because it's always difficult to play in a final and win," said Bompastor.
"Sometimes, people just think because we are Chelsea, it's just a habit. But it takes a lot for my players to perform and grab a trophy.
Every occasion, they just show up. They fought with the right mentality. It was not easy. We played as a team defensively. It was a real team effort."
Chelsea 'proved themselves' despite external pressures
Chelsea entered the match with a perfect record against Manchester United in cup finals and had only dropped points twice in their last 12 league games. However, injuries and absences due to the Asian Cup meant Chelsea fielded a depleted squad, though United were also without key midfielders Hinata Miyazawa and Ella Toone.
There was a sense that this could be United's best opportunity to overcome Chelsea, given the perceived vulnerability and a slight dip in Chelsea's 'mentality monsters' reputation. Nevertheless, Chelsea's greatest strength has been their ability to ignore distractions, rebound from setbacks, and ultimately secure trophies.
After 90 minutes, Chelsea lifted the cup once more, with fans celebrating in the stands and Lucy Bronze playing amid gold confetti. Bronze, who earned her 24th club trophy, assisted Bompastor in walking her children onto the pitch on Mother's Day to celebrate. The full-back tapped the trophy's tip upon receiving her medal, eager to hold it properly.
Chelsea players gathered in a team huddle with Bompastor at the center delivering a message, while United captain Maya Le Tissier and manager Marc Skinner engaged in a prolonged conversation at midfield. United had faltered again, but for Chelsea, this was business as usual.
"There's been a lot of noise and that's because of what Chelsea have done, winning 18 trophies over a period of time," former England midfielder Fara Williams commented on BBC One.
"Everybody expects, and is so used to, Chelsea winning. When they have a blip, eyebrows are raised and questions are asked.
I really think they proved themselves today."
Since its inception in 2011, only three teams have won the Women's League Cup: Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City. Chelsea swept every domestic trophy in the 2024-25 season, remaining unbeaten during Bompastor's first year in charge.
With upcoming changes to the competition format next season, teams participating in the Women's Champions League, including Chelsea if they qualify, will not compete in the League Cup. Therefore, retaining the trophy this season was significant not only to defend the title and silence critics but also to savor the achievement once more.
"I told the players before the game that when you have the opportunity to play a final, it's always a special occasion," Bompastor said.
"For us to achieve that one more time is great. It's a special day also in my private life with it being Mother's Day and having my kids around me.
They are my biggest support so to give them the opportunity to celebrate is nice and it feels great."
'We always find a way to win'
Following their League Cup success, Chelsea now aim to secure additional silverware. They face Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals and Tottenham in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Although they trail Manchester City by 10 points in the WSL, Chelsea have a game in hand.
Former England striker Ellen White suggested on BBC One that Chelsea's victory over United could serve as a "catalyst" for further success, a sentiment echoed by goalscorer Lauren James.
"It's in our DNA - we always find a way to win, whether we play well or not. We always make sure we put up a fight and we make ourselves hard to beat," James said.
"We need to use it as momentum and hopefully another step forward to working hard to achieve our dreams."
Bompastor expects the return of Australia internationals Ellie Carpenter and Sam Kerr from the Asia Cup by the end of March. Defender Kadeisha Buchanan also made her comeback from injury against United. However, Nathalie Bjorn suffered a calf injury shortly after returning from a three-month absence and was substituted within five minutes.
Chelsea's recent trophy win provides a strong foundation as they approach a critical phase of the season.
"Starting this block we knew it would be a really important part of the season and it would be the business end of the season," Bompastor said.
"We know what we need to do and the mentality we need to put into it. Starting with this trophy is the best way.
I'm hoping with the confidence being high now, we can achieve a lot. We have a lot of quality and talent in the squad. I'm very confident. We will see what we can achieve."
Overall, Chelsea have sent a clear message to their rivals.
"They are still champions. If anyone ever doubted that, then today was your answer," said former England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis.
Ben Haines, Ellen White, and Jen Beattie continue their coverage on the Women's Football Weekly podcast, with new episodes released every Tuesday on . Additional interviews and content from the Women's Super League and beyond are available on the Women's Football Weekly feed.
