Chelsea are down but not out after unbeaten run is ended

Women's League Cup Final: Chelsea 2-1 Manchester City

UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final: Manchester City 2-0 Chelsea

Chelsea's unbeaten run since May 2024 finally came to an abrupt halt at the hands of Man City, with a 2-0 defeat in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.

The Blues, riding high after beating City in the League Cup final at the weekend, were undone by super sub Vivianne Miedema, whose second-half brace of goals gave City a huge advantage ahead of the second leg at the Bridge on Thursday night (27 March).

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor remains upbeat about her team's chances of reversing the deficit. "Anything is possible and we have the quality in the squad to turn it around," she said.

The Blues were undone by two moments of quality from the Dutch legend; the first a poacher's goal on the hour after Chelsea goalie Hannah Hampton tipped Laia Aleixandri's header onto the crossbar, the ball rebounding kindly for Miedemia to volley into the roof of the net. The second was a classy shot in the penalty area in the dying minutes of normal time which whizzed past Hampton's outstretched arms.

The Blues were not without their chances, Mayra Ramirez having a goal ruled offside and Jojo Rytting Kaneryd hitting the woodwork. But all in all it was a flat performance by Bompastor's team, beaten by a stronger side.

City and Chelsea meet for a third game in a row on Sunday at the Etihad in the Women's Super League, before next week's clash at Stamford Bridge, where an exclusive 20% discount on tickets is on offer for Hammersmith & Fulham residents.

The Blues have a huge mountain to climb and will need to up their game if they want to book their place in a semi-final against Barcelona or Wolfsburg – but who would dare bet against these serial winners?

Sonia Bompastor's first silverware

Last Saturday's League Cup final at Derby's Pride Park followed the dramatic sacking of City manager Gareth Taylor and his replacement by Nick Cushing, back for another stint with his old club.

Played on a threadbare pitch which was an absolute disgrace for two teams who love to play precision football with short, neat passes, Chelsea took an early lead through a slightly fortuitous ricochet off Ramirez before Aoba Fujino conjured up the pick of the goals with a sweeping equaliser. The winner came from a Yui Hasegawa own-goal as she deflected a Ramirez cross into her own net.

Millie Bright lifted the trophy on a playing surface that, in large patches, was more sand than grass. It's all well and good for the FA to take prestige events around the country to drum up more support but, "I don't think the surface was fit for a final, to be honest," concluded Blues midfielder Erin Cuthbert.

One aspect which most pleased Bompastor about winning her first silverware was the superb understanding between Bright and her fellow centre back Nathalie Bjorn – an often overlooked player who was strong as a rock throughout the final.

So, as things stand at the halfway point of this quirky 12-day four-match clash of the titans, it's City 1 Chelsea 1, with everything to play for.