Cuthbert vows Chelsea ‘will be better next season’ after FA Cup exit to Man City | OneFootball

Erin Cuthbert believes Chelsea must “take responsibility” and “challenge each other” to improve next season after being dramatically knocked out of the FA Cup.

Goals from Cuthbert and Sam Kerr put Chelsea in the driving seat of their semi-final until the 86th minute. A goal from Mary Fowler was followed by a stoppage-time equaliser from Bunny Shaw, before the Jamaican striker, linked with a move to Chelsea this summer, went on to score the winner in extra time.

It has been a disappointing season for the Blues and this FA Cup loss means means their only silverware this campaign is the Subway League Cup, a disappointing haul following their domestic treble last year.

Speaking after the FA Cup defeat at Stamford Bridge, Cuthbert said: “I think it’s going to take a while to reflect on it, to be quite honest. It’s a wee bit raw at the moment. 

“We’ve had a tough season. We’ve not won the league, went out in the Champions League, not got to an FA Cup final, but we did get over the line in the Subway Cup. It will take a while for the dust to settle.

“When we concede one goal, we look a bit vulnerable and that’s been the case all season. It’s definitely a team responsibility and we’ll have to look at our own individual performances, see what we have and haven’t done and be quite honest with ourselves as well. If we all do that, we’re all going to get better and improve for next season.”

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Sonia Bompastor’s first season in charge saw a dominant Chelsea win a domestic treble, including winning the Women’s Super League title by 12 points.

But this season, they trail newly-crowned WSL champions Manchester City by 16 points with one game left to play. As well as their FA Cup exit, they lost their Champions League quarter-final to Arsenal.

“Getting us all back on the same page is really, really important,” Cuthbert added. “We say about the leaders and the big players that we have – Man City have got big players too and they’ll always find a way to get back in the game. Next season we want to be getting there, we want to be doing more.

“All season we’ve maybe lacked a clinical edge and we’ve also leaked too many goals, so I think at both ends of the pitch we want to improve. 

“Chelsea has always been a team that’s been hard to beat and been ruthless at both ends of the pitch and at times we haven’t shown that this season. 

“It’s small margins so I think we need to get better at the small moments and that comes through training, giving our best every day, challenging each other every day as well and seeing where it takes us.

“[We will improve through] conversations, challenging each other as well, everybody’s opinion matters, we value everybody’s opinion and everybody sees the game differently.

“[We need to] come together a little bit and that’s my job as well as a captain and somebody who’s been here a while to try and get everyone on the same page but it’s a team thing. We do take team responsibility and we will be better next season.

“A Chelsea team for me is how we’ve always responded to defeat and a little bit of adversity. We now need to put our best foot forward and really respond because that’s what I think is the sign of a true team and one that is here for fighting and never giving up and that’s what Chelsea has always been.”

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