“A refusal to be beaten”: Why Chelsea’s character was key in overcoming “amazing” Manchester City in FA Cup thriller – tactical analysis

The final match of the 2021/2022 season saw Chelsea Women and Manchester City Women lock horns once more in the FA Cup final, with the latest instalment of this footballing rivalry coming after successful conclusions to the league campaign for both sides. Chelsea were on a high after securing their third consecutive WSL title, whilst Manchester City had ensured Champions League football next season after winning their final league game last weekend. The two teams had already met three times during the campaign, with Chelsea winning both league encounters and Manchester City getting the better of them in the Continental Cup final, so it was difficult to predict who would have the upper hand at Wembley Stadium.

This tactical analysis will look at both teams’ performances in this match, focusing on how Manchester City’s attacking setup helped them to take control of proceedings early on, as well as how Chelsea’s tactical changes helped them recover from a slow start to win the game.

Lineups

Chelsea Women manager Emma Hayes made just two changes to the side that defeated Manchester United Women last weekend to seal the title, with wing-backs Niamh Charles and Jonna Andersson dropping to the bench and being replaced by defender Aniek Nouwen and striker Beth England. Nouwen went into the back three as Jess Carter switched to right wing-back, whilst Norway international Guro Reiten also moved to wing-back and allowed England to partner Sam Kerr in the forward line. The other notable name in the matchday squad was Fran Kirby, who was included for the first time since February after being out with fatigue, and this gave both Hayes and England manager Sarina Wiegman a major boost.

Manchester City Women head coach Gareth Taylor also opted for minimal alterations, with Demi Stokes the only new name in the XI; the England left-back had missed the 4-0 win at Reading Women last Sunday due to her partner giving birth to their first child. Her replacement in that game, Norwegian January signing Julie Blakstad, dropped to the bench, whilst Ellen White was also among the replacements as Taylor opted to continue with Jamaica international Khadija Shaw as his target player. Georgia Stanway played her final game for the club, having this week joined Bayern Munich Frauen, whilst Alex Greenwood was given the captain’s armband in Steph Houghton’s continued injury absence.