Date: Sunday, 5 December 2021
KO: 14:00 GMT
Competition: Women’s Vitality FA Cup Final
Venue: Wembley
It’s a cup final! Welcome to the /r/chelsealadies match thread for another chapter in the history of Chelsea versus Arsenal. In this thread you’ll find a match preview, squad news, and how to tune in if you won’t be traveling to Wembley.
###MATCH PREVIEW
International break ends and another tight run of crucial fixtures begins for Emma Hayes’ Chelsea. A mouthwatering cup final is on the cards in this clash with Arsenal, as two perennial league favorites duke it out at Wembley. This cup final is a holdover from last season, as the timing was delayed because of COVID.
Chelsea’s only defeat this season was against Arsenal in the opening match of this term, where the Gunners won 3-2 at the Emirates. Some argument could be (and has been) made that Beth Mead’s winning goal was offside then, but what’s done is done and we move forward. Arsenal have been impressive, but not infallible, so far this term. They are undefeated and sit top of the Women’s Super League, one point ahead of Chelsea.
This is the third time these London clubs have met in an FA Cup final. Arsenal won 1-0 in 2016, and Chelsea claimed the cup in 2018 by a scoreline of 3-1. Arsenal have lifted the cup an impressive 14 times; Chelsea have won it twice. If Chelsea win, they complete a domestic treble -- a quadruple, if you count the Community Shield -- and Emma Hayes would become the first manager to win a women’s FA Cup three times (I don’t have a citation for that but I read it somewhere). Of course, Hayes is not one to think about records before they are met, taking her club through matches one day at a time.
Chelsea have not conceded a goal in the run-up to the final; Arsenal conceded just one, in the quarterfinals against Tottenham.
Both clubs are stacked with attacking talent: Vivianna Miedema, Beth Mead, Kim Little, and Katie McCabe have all been in top form this season for Arsenal, and midfielder Frida Maanum has been one of the squad’s most consistent players.
The Gunners are in their first season with Swedish manager Jonas Eidevall at the helm. Eidevall and Hayes have been complimentary of one another in the run-up to this match; nothing out of the ordinary for Hayes, who almost always gives credit where credit is due and eschews trash talk.
Chelsea are again finding joy in the strike partnership between Sam Kerr and Fran Kirby, who lead the FA Women’s Super
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Not sure if anyone else has experienced this but I am in the 2029/2030 season just about to play the FA Cup final and have realised that nearly my whole team are away on international duty at the world cup!
I'm managing Arsenal and Man United are the opposition (thankfully they are in the same situation).
I have so many senior players unavailable that it has given me fake players to pick for the final!
https://preview.redd.it/upgbuhrowc881.png?width=2880&format=png&auto=webp&s=3e7b675a853939611e5c63219737d630612aac0b
https://preview.redd.it/gbu1qgrowc881.png?width=2880&format=png&auto=webp&s=7a01d6ae25bfb1adfb4815804ed4e82cca4ac1a8
https://preview.redd.it/0vyuoerowc881.png?width=2880&format=png&auto=webp&s=5b1ca7680bb811dc1c51398a83c003860c4ac02d
https://preview.redd.it/1286phrowc881.png?width=2880&format=png&auto=webp&s=83c2e091cd16166ce8744cbfb197118b135c4ab1
Where can I watch Chelsea v Arsenal match in the US?
