As Manchester United’s players fell to the floor on the referee’s whistle, Chelsea’s coalesced into an exhausted, joyous huddle in their own penalty area. There was a roar of celebration from Sam Kerr, unbridled, bouncing joy as Alyssa Thompson and Lucy Bronze ran over from the dugout, and a palpable sense of relief.
Chelsea had knocked their fellow Women’s Super League heavyweights out of the Women’s FA Cup, but it was not easy. United kept Chelsea at bay until substitute Kerr scored in the 78th minute, only for United’s Simi Awujo to equalise three minutes later and force extra time. Naomi Girma prodded home after a scramble from a corner to send Chelsea through to the quarter-finals.
Anything else would have been a surprise. Chelsea have not exited this competition in the fifth round since 2013, and have won four of the last five editions, including a 3-0 victory over Manchester United at Wembley in May. But this was at risk of being a season Chelsea fans remembered for its unpleasant surprises: a first home defeat to Arsenal since 2018, their first consecutive Women’s Super League losses since 2015, the exit of head of women’s football Paul Green, and relinquishing their six-year stranglehold on the league title.
For those reasons, this result was a profound relief, keeping them in the running for silverware and reaffirming they are still one of the toughest tests any English side can face. It also provided a valuable reminder of how much they still have left to fight for, and how well-equipped they are for those tests.
In Chelsea’s defeats to Arsenal and Manchester City, their characteristic relentlessness was missing. They have built a dynasty on the ability to grind out wins even when they are wasting chances or are up against stubborn defences. In this cup tie, they rediscovered that identity.
The bugbears of this season — wasting promising chances (though Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce deserves credit for many of those) and some vulnerability to counter-attacks — remained. Though Chelsea had dominated the ball and had better opportunities, they failed to score for 78 minutes, leaving the threat of a smash-and-grab win from an in-form United very real.
Instead, they returned to their classic, gritty selves. A poacher’s goal from Kerr, on the day she received a shirt commemorating her 150 appearances for the club, was the perfect way to lift the mood at Kingsmeadow. Girma’s 99th-minute winner, her first goal for Chelsea since joining for a then-world-record fee in January 2025, was no prettier than Kerr’s. None of Lauren James or Erin Cuthbert’s long-range efforts went in, but that did not matter.
There were caveats — Manchester United manager Marc Skinner felt his side should have had a penalty near the end for handball, and Chelsea were considerably fresher, having not contested the Champions League play-offs midweek — but, ultimately, it felt as though Chelsea had recovered their refusal to be beaten.
“I don’t think people understand sometimes the team dynamic, the cohesion, the confidence, how crucial it is to perform,” Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor said after the match. “I think we have been through tough moments with some decisions impacting the squad and the players.”
As The Athletic reported, the exit of long-time head of women’s football Paul Green on February 9 shocked and upset multiple players in the squad. Changes to the leadership structure on the women’s side, which Chelsea feel are necessary for future success, have been felt by the dressing room.
The beginning of 2026 has brought huge challenges to Chelsea’s identity. They are not used to losing, and therefore it was difficult to predict how they would respond.
Since the 5-1 defeat to Manchester City, Chelsea have beaten Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool 2-0 in the WSL, and now Manchester United.
“It’s really easy, I would say, when you are winning games to be happy, to keep going,” Bompastor said. “But when you are in tough moments, maybe not getting the performances you want or not the results you want, that’s where you see true people. I’ve learned a lot about myself, first of all, but also about my players and my staff.
“I know now we can be in a really good position because, having faced that moment, I know the quality we have in the squad. It will help because the season will still be long. We will have some tough games in the future. I know having faced this situation will help a lot in the future.”
After having their domestic dominance shaken by Arsenal and Manchester City, this win is hugely significant. Chelsea will face United again in the League Cup final on March 15, Arsenal over two legs for a place in the Champions League semi-finals on March 24 and April 1, and they are in a scrap to qualify for next year’s competition. Currently, Chelsea are third, one point behind United in second and four ahead of Arsenal in fourth, but their London rivals have two games in hand. With only three teams qualifying for Europe, Chelsea can ill afford to drop points. Reaffirming their ability to grind out wins against fellow WSL heavyweights is crucial.
“At Chelsea, we are so used to knowing that when the players will be back from the (March) international break, it will be the business end of the season, where everything matters because you are going to play games to win trophies,” Bompastor said. “I think that’s really important to go into that block with as much confidence as possible, and I think being able to win today is a great part of that.”
Chelsea have the chance to end this season on a high. They have several players out of contract this summer, including Kerr, captain Millie Bright, and Lucy Bronze. If those players do move on, they will feel they deserve to end their time at the club with a victory lap. More scenes like the celebrations at full time today — at Wembley, Ashton Gate, or most particularly Oslo — would be perfect. If they lean into the resilience they showed on Sunday, they have every chance of doing so.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Chelsea, Women's Soccer
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