Arsenal take home the trophy at the FA Women’s Continental Cup final

A late goal in the 116th minute of the FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup final, known as the Conti Cup, final saw Arsenal take home the trophy for the second year in a row and Chelsea’s dream of winning the quadruple be shattered.

The game on Sunday 31 April was a 3pm kick-off at the Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton. It saw 21,462 fans take their seats, a new record attendance for a Conti Cup final. The two teams and fans are not unfamiliar with each other – only two weeks prior they met at Stamford Bridge where Lauren James and Sjoeke Nüsken punished the Gunners before half-time, leading Chelsea to a 3-1 win.

Both teams put in a substantial fight for a full 90 minutes, the deadlock sending them into extra time

The match was unique for a women’s game due to its use of VAR, which went on to make a big impact in the 20th minute. Chelsea’s early goal, fired in by Mayra Ramírez, was disallowed due to a prior deliberate handball by Erin Cuthbert, putting the score back to 0-0.

Both teams put in a substantial fight for a full 90 minutes, the deadlock sending them into extra time.

However, five minutes into stoppage time Arsenal fans could be heard shouting for play to stopped. This was when it became apparent that Frida Maanum, who had played the full game up until this point, had collapsed on the pitch off the ball. A fearful silence descended on the stadium as multiple team medics and then paramedics ran on to the pitch and surrounded her. The severity of her condition was unclear.

Arsenal Women then promptly released on their social media before extra time that Maanum was “conscious, talking and in a stable condition”

Play was stopped for seven minutes and Alessia Russo came on off the bench as a substitute for Maanum to play her first minutes of the game. Arsenal Women then promptly released on their social media before extra time that Maanum was “conscious, talking and in a stable condition” to reassure fans.

The additional minutes were desperate from both teams, possession was transient in the midfield and both teams had attempts on goal. Fans saw a wide header from Katie McCabe, Stina Blackstenius sent the ball over the bar for the Gunners, and there was an offside call for Sjoeke Nüsken when she was in the box for the Blues.

The end of the match did not cease to entertain viewers at home though as Emma Hayes, Chelsea’s Manager, was seen to shove Jonas Eidevall, Arsenal’s manager, in the chest

In the end, it was the Australian connection of Arsenal’s full back Steph Catley to winger Caitlin Foord that became crucial to driving the ball into the box, and cutting back to Arsenal striker Stina Blackstenius. Blackstenius narrowly slotted the ball past Hannah Hampton and into the bottom-right corner, winning the game for Arsenal. Arsenal’s backline went on to confidently block all of Chelsea’s attempts in the last few minutes.

The end of the match did not cease to entertain viewers at home though as Emma Hayes, Chelsea’s Manager, was seen to shove Jonas Eidevall, Arsenal’s manager, in the chest as the two teams congratulated one another. In Hayes’ post-match interview with the BBC, she commented that “male aggression should not be tolerated”. Eidevall claimed this was in regards to his pitch-side remarks directed at her, after she requested to have a one-ball system at the match, yet then requested another ball for a quick throw-in when Chelsea were scrambling to equalise.

Post-match, Jonas Eidevall told Sky Sports that at Arsenal they “want to instil a winning culture and winning mentality”. He added, “the best thing to do that is by winning things and build on that” and that back-to-back League Cup wins “shows consistency, quality and shows what we are capable of”.

The bank holiday came to a victorious end for the Gunners, while Chelsea travelled home goalless

The cup win is an important piece of silverware for Arsenal as it is likely to be the only trophy they will take home this season. They were knocked out of the UEFA Women’s Champions League in just Round 1 of qualifying against Paris FC, and are third in the Women’s Super League (WSL) with five matches left to play (they are sitting six points behind second-placed Chelsea, and nine points behind leaders Manchester City going into the international break). Furthermore, the side lost 1-0 to Manchester City in February, knocking them out of the FA Cup.

Chelsea are still in contention for all three remaining competitions; however, they are harbouring notable injuries. Star striker Sam Kerr is out long term with an ACL tear, a common injury plaguing the women’s game, meanwhile key defender Millie Bright is also out with a knee injury and has not been on the team sheet since November.

So, the bank holiday came to a victorious end for the Gunners, while Chelsea travelled home goalless – albeit with the potential to take home a different piece of silverware on the other side of the international break.