A blog of two halves

Chelsea Men and Women set sights on FA Cup glory

The FA Cup looms large in Chelsea’s history, and this season the trophy is critical for both the men's and women's teams.

11 March 2024
By Tim Harrison
Categories:
Chelsea FC
Chelsea's Erin Cuthbert (left) and City's Laura Coombs
Getty Images

Everton Women 0-1 Chelsea Women
Manchester City Women 0-1 Chelsea Women

The FA Cup looms large in Chelsea's history, ever since winning it in 1970 set the scene for the club's successful modern era.

But this season the trophy is critical.

It's the only route left back into European football for the men's side, who take on Leicester City at Stamford Bridge this weekend in the quarter-final (being shown live on BBC One).

And lifting the women's FA Cup would help cement Emma Hayes' legacy, before she departs for the United States.

Back to back cup victories

Chelsea Women advanced in both domestic cups by 1-0 margins last week. They eased past Everton on Sunday to reach the semis of the FA Cup, thanks to another goal from Catarina Macario.

At times it seemed that the stubborn Toffees would triumph, in a match which really only came to life for the Blues after a triple substitution in the second half.

The hard work was done by the increasingly impressive Aggie Beever-Jones, who pushed down the wing and teed up Macario.

It followed Chelsea grinding out a 1-0 win in midweek, to squeak past Manchester City and reach the League Cup final.

Chelsea Women's manager Emma Hayes
Getty Images

But while Hayes enjoys the undying adoration of Chelsea fans, the future for Mauricio Pochettino still looks rocky.

The men's manager is out of favour with the crowd (although lifting the FA Cup would change that), and the American owners are well aware that Thomas Tuchel – sacked prematurely – is available this summer when he leaves Bayern Munich.

Summer overhaul looming

In the meantime, another widespread squad shuffle looks inevitable in June. This is partly to comply with financial fair play rules after the last spending splurge, and partly because Nico Jackson is set to be shipped out.

He has been one of the most disappointing up-front signings in recent Chelsea history, in an all-too crowded field.

The club really needs to refocus on long-term building, not short-term fixes, if it is to regain the top-six status it has enjoyed for so long.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.

Tim Harrison

Tim is our Chelsea FC blogger.

He also writes our Shepherds Bush Cricket Club match reports during the football close season.

Tim has been writing Chelsea match reports since the late 1980s for newspapers and, more recently, websites.

When he first reported on the Blues, the press box was a metal cage suspended over the lip of the old west stand - and you reached it via a precarious walkway over the heads of the fans.

But he has been a Chelsea fan since his father took an excited seven-year-old to watch Chelsea v Manchester United in the mid 1960s... and covered his ears every time the chanting got too ripe.

In July 2005 he wrote The Rough Guide to Chelsea, published by Penguin, which sold 15,000 copies.

His favourite player of all time is Charlie Cooke, the mazy winger who lit up Chelsea's left wing in the 60s and 70s.

When he isn't watching the Blues, Tim acts, paints, writes and researches local history.

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