Holders Chelsea booked their place in a seventh consecutive Women's League Cup final with a narrow 1-0 win over Manchester City, with Wieke Kaptein’s first-half header ultimately proving enough at the Joie Stadium.
City were the side on the front foot early on, moving the ball sharply and pinning Chelsea back for long spells. The home side controlled territory and tempo, but for all their pressure, they struggled to carve out clear openings as Chelsea stayed compact and organised without the ball.
The decisive moment came against the run of play. Chelsea had begun to look increasingly dangerous from set-pieces and made one count when Sandy Baltimore whipped a corner into the heart of the penalty area. Kaptein reacted quickest, rising from close range to guide her header into the bottom-left corner and give the visitors the lead.
Manchester City came out strongly after the break and almost found an immediate response. Kerstin Casparij struck the post from inside the box. Soon after, Yui Hasegawa forced Hannah Hampton into a sharp save from distance as City enjoyed their most threatening spell.
As City committed more players forward, Chelsea began to find space on the counter. Baltimore continued to cause problems down the left, driving inside and firing narrowly over, while Lauren James’ introduction brought calm and control during a hectic period of the game.
City pushed until the end, but Chelsea managed the closing stages well, defending with discipline and composure. Sonia Bompastor’s side saw out the final moments to secure a hard-fought victory and book their place in the final.
Chelsea’s threat from dead-ball situations had been building throughout the contest, and it was no surprise that the breakthrough came from a corner. Baltimore’s delivery repeatedly asked questions, while Kaptein’s movement in the box proved decisive when it mattered most.
City will feel they did enough in general play to at least force the game to extra time. Casparij’s effort against the post early in the second half was the clearest example of how fine the margins were on the night.
Hampton also played her part, particularly during City’s strongest spell, producing a key save from Hasegawa to maintain Chelsea’s advantage.
Ultimately, Chelsea’s organisation and ability to take their moment proved decisive.
Manchester City head coach Andree Jeglertz said:
"Of course, we're extremely disappointed. We deserved a better result and that's probably the conclusion. When we reflect on it with the players, we should be proud of the performance because we created enough chances to win the game and overall we played very well."
"We didn't have the small details with us today but hopefully we will have that in 10 days when we play them again. We're disappointed with the outcome but proud of the players."
"We are pretty convinced that in 10 days it will be another opportunity and a new game."
Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor said:
"It never gets boring and it's a really good habit [reaching finals].
"I'm really proud of my players to come here and keep a clean sheet against a team with so much talent. It was a great performance.
"In some parts of the game we got a bit lucky but to be able to win 1-0 and qualify for the final, it was still a great performance.
"We conceded two efforts off the post and in some games it goes that way. Tonight, it was a good thing for us.
"For most of the game we were strong defensively and we showed real resilience as a team. I'm really pleased because probably a lot of people were expecting a different result, especially considering the form City were in.
"The most difficult thing is to keep performing at the highest level and keep winning games. To be in another final is a new opportunity for us to grab a title.
"People don't always realise how much it takes from the players. Chelsea have been doing this for years, and even though I'm the new manager, the players keep delivering. It takes a lot and they're working extremely hard."
Analysis by Your Site' Sam Cohen:
For Manchester City, this will be a difficult defeat to digest. Long spells of pressure went unrewarded, and too often promising moves broke down at the crucial moment.
The missed opportunities were costly. Casparij’s strike against the woodwork felt pivotal, while further efforts from range failed to trouble Hampton enough during periods of sustained pressure.
City’s build-up play was largely effective, but composure deserted them in the final third. In a tight knockout tie, those moments loom large.
Chelsea were ruthless when their chance arrived. City, by contrast, were left to reflect on what might have been.
