'Chelsea win round one but Man City retain belief'

One lucifer down, 3 much to spell - and it was Chelsea who came retired connected apical against Manchester City successful the archetypal gathering of a quickfire four-game run.

With a archetypal trophy of the play successful the container and their quadruple hopes intact, Sonia Bompastor's broadside were understandably each smiles arsenic they near Pride Park.

The Women's Super League leaders were favourites to triumph the League Cup having gone unbeaten successful each competitions this season, portion City lone had days to hole with interim manager Nick Cushing starting his relation connected Tuesday.

However, City arguably performed amended successful Saturday's final, creating galore chances and putting Chelsea nether unit - earlier the Blues showed their ruthless streak.

In the end, Chelsea did what they bash champion - winning trophies.

"It feels large for sure, I'm truly happy. The show was possibly not a large 1 but we find a mode to triumph the game," said Bompastor.

"City are a truly bully squad truthful it was a pugnacious game, but we were expecting that. We created immoderate opportunities and did capable to triumph this game."

Bompastor's celebrations aft winning her archetypal trophy with Chelsea volition beryllium subdued.

The players person a curfew and volition beryllium successful furniture earlier 21:00 GMT, she says, due to the fact that successful 4 days they volition bash it each again.

City big Chelsea successful the archetypal limb of their Women's Champions League quarter-final connected Wednesday, earlier a WSL showdown astatine Etihad Stadium and past the European 2nd limb astatine Stamford Bridge.

Bompastor believes winning the archetypal lucifer of the 4 tin beryllium a "big advantage", but does not privation her players to beryllium complacent.

"Psychologically it's truly important to triumph the archetypal one," she said.

"Of course, it won't beryllium the main constituent going into the adjacent crippled but successful presumption of confidence, it's truly positive. You ever retrieve amended erstwhile you triumph games.

"That's a large vantage but it won't beryllium capable conscionable to deliberation that due to the fact that we won today, it volition beryllium capable to triumph the crippled connected Wednesday.

"It's truly important successful this truly uncommon concern - erstwhile you person to look the aforesaid squad 4 times successful 12 days - to instrumentality it crippled by game."

The decision for City was crushing. They came close, tested goalkeeper Hannah Hampton and fought backmost to drawback an equaliser successful the 2nd half.

City were connected apical earlier Yui Hasegawa's unfortunate ain extremity restored Chelsea's pb having failed to capitalise connected their dominance. Now interim brag Cushing indispensable marque definite they bash not suffer belief.

"That's my job, to plaything this into being information alternatively than the deflation of losing, oregon the fearfulness that we are playing a amended team," helium said.

"I'm a elemental guy. This feeling that you get erstwhile you suffer finals - if that is not capable motivation, past we are playing the incorrect game.

"If watching that crippled backmost doesn't springiness you the content that you tin spell connected and win... we did capable to triumph the crippled and we had galore moments.

"I was arrogant of that. If you transportation that disappointment, it won't assistance connected Wednesday. We can't bash thing astir this 1 now."

There was intrigue this week to spot what changes Cushing would marque aft stepping successful past infinitesimal pursuing the abrupt sacking of Gareth Taylor.

Cushing antecedently enjoyed a palmy seven-year spell astatine City, with his archetypal trophy occurrence coming successful the Women's League Cup successful 2016.

But constricted by injuries, Cushing did not alteration excessively overmuch connected the pitch, alternatively focusing connected pushing his players to "believe" successful their quality.

Asked what worked and what did not, Cushing said: "The effect didn't work! But I privation this squad to beryllium a menace and to judge that it tin beryllium a menace - nevertheless the crippled goes and whoever we play. I anticipation you could spot that.

"I thought we had aggregate moments successful their container and enactment them nether unit galore times. We had existent content we could get backmost into the game.

"These finals ever plaything connected moments. The infinitesimal fell to Chelsea and we didn't get backmost successful it astatine 2-1 down.

"But I've seen capable to cognize that we tin beryllium competitory successful the adjacent 3 games. I person the content that this squad tin win. I wouldn't beryllium present if I didn't."

There were positives successful City's show but the interest is that Chelsea recovered a mode to carve retired a triumph adjacent erstwhile they were not astatine their best.

"I cognize this squad has much than we showed today. But erstwhile you play with elite clubs, your occupation is to triumph games," said Bompastor.

"That is the astir important thing. You person to find a mode to win. I would emotion to person some - I would beryllium the astir happiest person.

"But if it's not possible, the 1 happening I would prime is winning."

The adjacent 3 games could specify some clubs' seasons.

City are retired of the WSL rubric contention but indispensable unafraid a top-three spot to guarantee they are successful the Champions League adjacent season, arsenic good arsenic throwing everything astatine their two-legged quarter-final with Chelsea.

Bompastor's broadside stay connected people to triumph a quadruple and volition not privation to suffer crushed successful immoderate competition.

So what volition Wednesday bring?

"We person to beryllium prepared for anything. We could beryllium seeing changes. You ne'er cognize what you are coming up against," said Chelsea skipper Millie Bright.

"It is an antithetic presumption for 2 teams to beryllium successful and I don't deliberation it's ever happened before. They are successful the aforesaid presumption arsenic we are.

"Momentum successful shot is conscionable specified a large thing, particularly erstwhile you are playing the aforesaid hostile 4 times successful a row. It is truthful important to beryllium champions."