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Women’s League Cup Final: Arsenal vs Chelsea
Location: Molineux Date: Sunday 31 March Start: 15:00 GMT
Coverage: Watch on BBC Two’s website, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport.
Chelsea’s players are talking about winning four times this season, but they still have their sights set on the next game, insists Ashley Lawrence.
The Blues have won the Women’s Super League in the last four seasons and the FA Cup in the last three, but this time it is possible that even more will happen.
They have qualified for the Champions League semi-finals after beating Ajax in two matches in their round of 16, they face Manchester United in the last four of the FA Cup and the current WSL leaders can win their first potential trophy. 4 in the Los Angeles Coupe League this weekend.
Arsenal will try to ruin Chelsea’s quadruple dream in the Continental League Cup on Easter Sunday, just as they ruined a potential treble for the Blues by winning the same final score 3-1 last season.
Emma Hayes’ Chelsea have already won a domestic treble in 2020-21, while in 2007 the Gunners won the league, FA Cup and UEFA Women’s Cup, as well as the FA Women’s Premier League Cup and Community Shield.
Chelsea defender Lawrence, 28, says they don’t take anything for granted in their pursuit of the quadruple.
“It’s still there, we’re talking about it,” he told BBC Sport. “But our thing is day-to-day. We’re racing for the next game, but we’re excited to be in this position. “
“We know the 4 trophies, Emma [Hayes] and the players who have been here for a while know what it takes to win. It’s still there, but it’s not the main goal. “
Chelsea are used to the tension of competing for trophies at once.
They played in every single game they played last season, with the exception of the Champions League final, where they were eliminated in the quarterfinals. Hayes’ team also reached the FA and League Cup finals and won the WSL.
It’s new for Lawrence, who joined the club last summer from Paris St-Germain, but the Canadian said the team is ready for a relentless showdown, even if it affects the time he spends on the field.
“We try to make the most of the vital elements of a game and do better,” he added. “If those things are express and apply to the next game, then training will concentrate on those things. “
“But the season, the change has been fast, betting on another 4 trophies, and we have gotten used to that. “
Lawrence, who has 130 caps for Canada, arrived at Chelsea via coach Hayes last season and has played a useful role for the club amid an injury crisis, deployed in both defence and midfield.
She admitted that racing with Hayes had been a big draw for her coming to the WSL, and even more inspiration up close.
“She played a big part in my decision [to sign for Chelsea],” Lawrence said. “Everyone in the football world knows Emma and the impact she has had in England and around the world.
“It’s an exciting opportunity to come to this club, for the players, the environment and for her.
“She radiates a lot of confidence, even before I signed here, I saw that she had the ability to turn a team into a winning mentality. Now that I’m here, I see that you have this fundamental conviction, this unwavering trust. We want him for the final. “
Chelsea advance to the first of those finals at Molineux as favourites after an impressive 3-1 win over Arsenal in the WSL at Stamford Bridge, a result that still leaves the Gunners out of the name race.
Arsenal have a smart recent record against Chelsea, beating them 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium in the WSL this season, as well as in the 2023 League Cup final.
“Anything can happen, especially in the final,” said Lawrence, who won gold with Canada at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. “We’re looking at this last game with confidence, but they’re a very sensible team and they’ll be beaten in the final. “next game.
“The game will be level, that’s why we’re going into the game with the same conviction, because he was smart from the first whistle. We probably won’t replace much, but we’ll be ready. “
CORRECTION March 30, 2024: A previous edition of this article said that Chelsea were aiming for an unprecedented quadruple and that Arsenal were the last team to win a treble in 2007. It has been updated to explain that Chelsea achieved a domestic treble in 2020-21, while Arsenal won 4 trophies in 2007 in addition to the Community Shield.