Chelsea completed the domestic Treble with a clinical victory over Manchester United in the Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley.
Sandy Baltimore scored twice and substitute Catarina Macario got in on the act to seal a sensational debut campaign at the helm for Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor.
This game was watched by the club’s new board member – Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian – who was at Wembley with wife Serena Williams after announcing a £20m investment.
The opener came from Baltimore, who calmly placed the ball past goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce from the penalty spot after Celin Bizet’s high leg caught Erin Cuthbert.
That was the breakthrough Chelsea had been looking for after Mayra Ramirez and Aggie Beever-Jones had threatened, dimming United’s early pressure.
USA international Macario came on as a substitute in the second half and confirmed victory with a powerful header late on, before Baltimore rubbed salt into United’s wounds with her second goal in stoppage time, firing in from five yards.
Last year’s FA Cup winners United started with intensity but did not capitalise, rarely testing goalkeeper Hannah Hampton in a largely cagey affair.
It was their third successive year appearing in the final but United were not able to impose themselves in the way they would have liked and could not muster a response to going behind.
Chelsea wrapped up a sixth successive Women’s Super League title in late April, having already beaten Manchester City to win the Women’s League Cup.
This is their first Treble since 2021 under former manager Emma Hayes, while it extends their astonishing record over United, winning 14 of their past 16 meetings now.
‘Queens of global soccer’ dominating
It has been a big week for Chelsea after Ohanian’s investment sent ripples of excitement throughout women’s football and it was confirmed he would be joining the board.
He flew over from the United States with tennis legend Williams and their daughter Alexis Olympia and was not left disappointed.
He described his team as the “queens of global soccer” in an interview with BBC Sport at half-time.
Co-owners Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly, sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, director Barbara Charone and Chelsea Women chief executive officer Aki Mandhar joined the new investors in celebration from their box.
For United, co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was not in attendance, a year on from having been criticised for his absence when Marc Skinner’s side won the trophy.
Had Ratcliffe been at Wembley, he would have been encouraged by United’s start as they tested Chelsea’s defence from set-pieces and created a good chance for Dominique Janssen that she blasted just over the bar from the edge of the box.
But Chelsea’s experience was evident as they rode the early pressure and began testing in-form United goalkeeper Tullis-Joyce.
The Blues could have scored earlier as Ramirez got the better of United captain Maya Le Tissier and almost teed up Lucy Bronze, before a combination of Tullis-Joyce and Leah Galton kept the ball from rolling over the line later in the first half.
Chelsea continued to attack and were eventually rewarded when Bizet fouled Cuthbert inside the box and gifted Bompastor’s side an opportunity.
Baltimore, signed from Paris St-Germain last summer, stepped up to the penalty spot and placed the ball past Tullis-Joyce, finding the left corner as Chelsea’s fans at the other end of the stadium erupted in celebration.
The France international has been a standout performer in their unbeaten domestic campaign and she was in the spotlight again in the closing moments, swivelling and firing in home from close range in front of Chelsea’s supporters to make it 3-0.
United boss Skinner surprisingly left England international Ella Toone on the bench but she came on at half-time and was not able to spearhead a comeback, with Chelsea gaining more control.
It emphasised the gap that remains between WSL champions Chelsea and the chasing pack – a gap that is only likely to increase with Ohanian’s backing.
Bompastor’s debut season has been near-perfect – but for the disappointing Champions League semi-final thrashing they suffered by Barcelona in April.
The former Lyon boss was full of smiles as she fist-pumped in celebration when the full-time whistle went – her quest for Treble glory emphatically complete.
[BBC]