Emma Hayes believes her present Chelsea facet will ‘go down in historical past’ after they got here out on high in a five-goal thriller towards Manchester Metropolis to win the FA Cup for a second successive season.
The Blues beat Metropolis 3-2 in additional time to defend the competitors for the primary time of their historical past and full one other home double, having sealed the WSL title seven days earlier.
The triumph represents the thirteenth main trophy Hayes and Chelsea have lifted over the course of the final seven years.
“These girls, they’ll go down in historical past,” Hayes mentioned at full time. “I am going to look again in 10 years time and I will be like: ‘that group was immense. That was the very best workforce I’ve ever coached’.
“Completely perceive that we at all times wish to discuss perfection in soccer, however having been on the successful facet extra typically that not, it is about human endeavour and now we have a bunch of people that imagine they are not going to be on the dropping workforce, they’re going to discover a manner.”
Chelsea had led twice over the 90 minutes because of a Sam Kerr header and a surprising lengthy vary effort from Erin Cuthbert. Nonetheless, they have been pegged again on each events on the stroke of half time and full time through objectives from Lauren Hemp and Hayley Raso.
Having spent the final month of the season grinding out outcomes to make sure they beat Arsenal to the WSL title, the Blues dug in once more and sealed victory in additional time because of Kerr’s deflected strike.
“I mentioned at additional time: ‘I do know which workforce’s going to be the successful workforce’,” Hayes added.
“I do know that after I lay in mattress later I will be fascinated with that second of the workforce within the huddle of additional time. I kind of stepped out of it and I may see Magda (Eriksson) speaking, Jonna [Andersson] was coming onto the pitch, the 2 of them have been having a dialog about what we would have liked to do there.
“It was fully calm. It was management at a stage that I’ve labored so arduous to try to construct and domesticate within the atmosphere that is not about one particular person – me – making the choices, however the workforce as an entire shopping for into what it takes to win.”
The Chelsea gamers and workers might be seen absorbing their victory at BOXPARK Wembley post-match, with Hayes promising fairly the celebration.
“I am going again with my workforce and having an extended, sturdy drink,” Hayes concluded. “The season’s over – I anticipate to be carried dwelling.”
