What Chelsea’s Naomi Girma expects from Manchester United in League Cup final | OneFootball

Naomi Girma #4 of United States celebrates after a scoring the team’s first goal during the first half of the international friendly match between United States and Argentina at Lynn Family Stadium on October 30, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

Chelsea defender Naomi Girma says she is expecting a tough game from Manchester United when the two sides meet in the final of the Subway Women’s League Cup on Sunday.

United currently sit second in the Women’s Super League table, with defending champions Chelsea in third.

And the two sides met in the fifth round of the Women’s FA Cup prior to the international break, with the Blues edging a 2-1 win.

But USA international Girma says things will be very different as the two teams seek to secure their first trophy of 2026.

“Manchester United will be a great opponent in the final,” she said to Chelsea’s official website. “They’re a great side. They’ve been having a great season, and I expect them to be hard to beat. I’m sure it will be a tough match.

“We have to focus on ourselves, go in and stick together as a team. We need to be disciplined defensively against the threats they pose and then exploit them when we have our chances.”

Naomi Girma: Chelsea want to win every trophy

And Girma also said she was particularly keen to do well in the League Cup having missed out on last season’s campaign due to injury.

“It’ll be very important to win a trophy, especially so early in the season,” she added. “It was one of our goals at the start of the campaign. We want to win every trophy, every competition that we’re playing in, so to set ourselves up to win one so early is a testament to the work we’ve put in this season, and it’ll be a great feeling to finish it off with a win.

“I missed out on playing in the League Cup final last year, and I’m just excited for that atmosphere. As a player, those are the games you want to play, so I’m very excited.”