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| Event | 2022–23 FA Women's League Cup | ||||||
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| Date | 31 March 2021 | ||||||
| Venue | Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton | ||||||
| Referee | Cheryl Foster | ||||||
| Attendance | 21,462 | ||||||
| Weather | 10 °C (50 °F) | ||||||
← 2023 2025 → | |||||||
The 2024 FA Women's League Cup final was the thirteenth final of the FA Women's League Cup, England's secondary cup competition for women's football teams and its primary league cup tournament. It took place on 31 March 2024 at Molineux Stadium, and was contested by Arsenal and Chelsea.
Preview[]
Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall insists there is no "mental obstacle" for his side before their Women's League Cup final against Chelsea on Sunday.
The Gunners were blown away by Emma Hayes' side at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago but did beat them 4-1 at home earlier in the season.
Last season, Eidevall's side bounced back from an FA Cup defeat by Chelsea to win the League Cup seven days later.
"It's a big weekend for the club. It's a focused feeling," said Eidevall.
"I don't think there is any mental obstacle for us saying that we couldn't beat Chelsea because we've done so at numerous occasions.
"There also shouldn't be any complacency going in and saying, like we're playing against a very, very good team and they've been beating us also on numerous occasions.
"It's about coming down to the best team on the day and preparation plays a huge part in that and that's what we're focusing on."
Sunday's final, live on BBC Two and iPlayer from 14:30 BST, represents Arsenal's last realistic chance of silverware this season with Eidevall's side six points adrift of both league leaders Chelsea and second-placed Manchester City in the Women's Super League with five games remaining.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are chasing a quadruple in Hayes' last season in charge and progressed to the semi-finals of the Women's Champions League with a win over Ajax in midweek.
The Blues have been beaten in the past two finals and Hayes, who will become the United States head coach in the summer, wants them to right that wrong.
"Have you watched our performances in the last two Conti Cup finals? Because I have and they have - again and again," said Hayes.
"Let me be clear on this, the team know exactly how I feel about that final on Sunday in terms of showing up and showing ourselves. I don't care if it's important to them, it absolutely is important to me."
Chelsea raced into a 3-0 lead against a lacklustre Gunners a fortnight ago, but they were completely outplayed at the Emirates earlier in the campaign.
"You have to show up on a day, let's be clear, they're two top level teams," said Hayes.
"Both are capable of winning the games, both have their own qualities. You've still got to show up though and present yourself in the way that gives yourself the best chance.
"The team that shows up strong, particularly the first part, you think about the Emirates game, it was over at half-time. You think about at Stamford Bridge, it was over at half-time. You better show up from the off. If you don't, it can make it a little bit difficult."
Route to the final[]
- Main article: 2023–24 FA Women's League Cup
| Arsenal | Round | Chelsea | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Result | Opponent | Result | |
| Bristol City | 3–1 (H) | Group stage | – | – |
| Southampton | 2–1 (A) | Group stage | – | – |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 3–3 (4–3 p) (H) | Group stage | – | – |
| Reading | 6–0 (A) | Group stage | – | – |
| London City Lionesses | 4–0 (A) | Quarter finals | Sunderland | 5–0 (H) |
| Aston Villa | 4–0 (H) | Semi finals | Manchester City | 1–0 (A) |
Key: (H) = Home; (A) = Away
Match Report[]
Stina Blackstenius scored a 116th-minute winner as Arsenal beat Chelsea in the Continental Cup final.
Blackstenius fashioned space in the Chelsea area to settle a tense encounter with a low strike that Chelsea keeper Hannah Hampton could not keep out.
It sees Arsenal retain the title, beating Chelsea just as they did last year.
On a dramatic and emotional day at Molineux, Arsenal midfielder Frida Maanum was carried from the field on a stretcher at the end of normal time after collapsing.
Chelsea, whose dreams of being the first English women's side to win four trophies in a season since Arsenal in 2007 have been dashed, appeared to have taken the lead on 21 minutes through Mayra Ramirez's 25-yard drive.
However, VAR - in operation here, unlike in the Women's Super League - spotted that Erin Cuthbert had controlled the ball with her arm in the build-up, and it was disallowed.
The reprieve gave impetus to Arsenal, who ended the first half stronger. Katie McCabe's stinging drive forced a good save from Chelsea keeper Hampton, before Lotte Wubben-Moy volleyed wide from the subsequent corner.
Cuthbert appeared to catch Blackstenius in the Chelsea area after the break, but that was not enough to warrant a penalty.
Both keepers made important stops in the second half. Hampton was again called into action on 66 minutes, with a sharp low save to deny Cloe Lacasse, before Manuela Zinsberger stood up to the charging Lauren James late on to deflect her effort wide.
Extra time was required after a goalless 90 minutes that ended in worrying scenes as Maanum went down off the ball late on.
Paramedics and physios from both teams tended to the midfielder for several minutes, before she left the field on a stretcher and with an oxygen mask on, Arsenal later announcing she was stable and able to talk.
Ultimately, in front of 21,462 spectators - a new Women's League Cup record attendance - it was Blackstenius who produced the moment of magic.
The Swede muscled away from Cuthbert in the area and fired in to clinch a record-extending seventh League Cup crown for Arsenal.
This final represented Arsenal's best, if not only, chance of success this season.
Out of both the Champions League and FA Cup, the Gunners are also nine points adrift of league leaders Manchester City and six behind second-placed Chelsea in the WSL with five games remaining.
This has led to pressure on manager Jonas Eidevall, whose only trophy in his near three seasons at the helm was the League Cup last season.
While Arsenal lack consistency to challenge in the league, they are capable of strong one-off performances. After seeing off the early intensity of the Chelsea press, they largely dictated the tempo of this game.
It took almost until the very end to make that pressure tell though, with Blackstenius - again preferred to Alessia Russo as the starting central striker in a big game - having been largely anonymous.
That was until her big moment arrived, and Blackstenius produced the finish to draw immense emotion from Eidevall, his players and the Arsenal fans.
Much attention has been given to Chelsea aiming to win a quadruple, especially as this is Emma Hayes' final season before she leaves to take charge of the United States national team.
The Blues usually steamroll all before them in the league - winning the past four WSL titles - but the League Cup has proved a trickier proposition. Chelsea have now lost three finals in a row in this competition.
Their efforts have been further hampered by a congested fixture list and several key injuries. The Chelsea starting XI here featured six changes from the midweek Champions League game against Ajax.
Such factors contributed to a game high on tension but low on quality. An additional factor might have been familiarity between the sides, with this their seventh meeting in 15 months - giving plenty of time to work out opposition strengths and nullify them.
There were moments of individual brilliance though, with James typically classy and combative in equal measure. A stunning cross-pitch ball set up a chance for Ramirez with 15 minutes remaining, but the Colombian fired wide - before James was inches away from a winner herself.
But Chelsea ultimately fell at the first hurdle of the quadruple, with those hopes ending in acrimony as Hayes and Eidevall clashed at the final whistle, the Blues boss pushing her opposite number's chest as they exchanged words.
Match[]
Details[]
| 31 March 2024 15:00 |
Arsenal (1) | 1–0 (a.e.t.) |
Chelsea (1) | Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton Attendance: 21,462 Referee: Cheryl Foster |
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Blackstenius  116'
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Report |
          Arsenal
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    Chelsea
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Match Stats[]
| Overall | Arsenal | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 1 | 0 |
| Total shots | 13 | 15 |
| Shots on target | 6 | 3 |
| Ball possession | 50% | 50% |
| Corner kicks | 2 | 7 |
| Fouls committed | 10 | 15 |
See also[]
External links[]
| FA Women's League Cup |
| Seasons |
| 2020–21 · 2021–22 · 2022–23 · 2023–24 · 2024–25 · 2025–26 · |
| Finals |
| 2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · 2026 · |
 2023–24 in English women's football
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| League competitions |
| Super League · Championship · FA Women's National League (Premier Division · North · South) · (Division One · North · Midlands · South East · South West) |
| Cup competitions |
| FA Cup (Final) · League Cup (Final) · UEFA Champions League |
| National teams |
| Senior · U21 · U19 · U17 |
| Other |
| Summer 2023 transfers · Winter 2023–24 transfers |
| Club seasons |
| Women's Super League |
| Arsenal · |
| 2022–23 2024–25 |
| England
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