‘To compete for everything means you’re vulnerable’ – Hayes reacts to Chelsea’s final defeat | OneFootball

Chelsea manager Emma Hayes says that challenging for four trophies can make a team vulnerable.

The Blues’ hopes of winning a quadruple are over for another year. Chelsea were defeated 1-0 by Arsenal after extra-time in the FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup final at Molineux this afternoon.

When speaking to the media after the match, Hayes said that she couldn’t fault the effort of her players, however, competing on four fronts brings an element of vulnerability.

“We’ve got so much left to play for, this isn’t our only competition, it’s one of four that we are competing for,” Hayes said.

“Our schedule is gruelling but this is the challenge you have in our situation; Manchester City have a game on the 21st April and have four games left, we could have nine or 10 games.

“To compete for everything means you’re vulnerable in many ways. I’m 1000 percent sure that a team that hasn’t won many trophies or are going for a league for example; it’s easy when you do it once but then you have to do it again and again.

“In every competition, we do it every season. We’ve been in nine out of 10 cup finals in a period of time, the last two [Conti Cup finals] we didn’t show up. I don’t think that was the challenge in the team today, I think it was a counter-attacking game where both teams dropped off, played a little counter-attack which made it a dull, boring game.

“I’m not disappointed with the players, they gave it absolutely everything even though it was physically quite challenging for 120 minutes.”

Going on to discuss this afternoon’s contest further, Hayes said that it was a game of two big chances and unfortunately for Chelsea, it was Arsenal that capitalised.

She said “It was a game of really few chances for both sides. We had our chance at the end of the 90-minute period, that’s when I thought that was our moment to win the game. We didn’t take our chance.

“They took their chance. Each team had one big chance in the game, I didn’t think there was much in it, in fact, I thought it was a poor game to be honest. As always, when you’re on the losing side, you feel disappointment.

“I can’t ask any more of the players. I thought they gave everything that they could give.”

Chelsea are back in action after the international break when they travel to Manchester United to contest an Adobe Women’s FA Cup semi-final tie.