Chelsea women capped off a historic season by securing a treble of domestic trophies, crushing defending champions Manchester United 3-0 in the Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley on Sunday. Sandy Baltimore played a pivotal role, scoring twice and providing an assist to help her side clinch the prestigious title in front of 74,412 fans.
Having already triumphed in the Women’s Super League and League Cup this season, Chelsea made history by completing the treble — a rare and significant achievement in English football. Despite a shaky start, the Blues took control after halftime and never looked back.
Chelsea’s coach, Sonia Bompastor, who took over from Emma Hayes this season, expressed her joy after the victory: “To achieve a treble in England, it’s difficult to find the right words to describe that. I want my players to really enjoy it. We worked hard all through the season. It was not easy and to achieve that, it will be part of history.”
United, who had a strong start with early pressure and a series of corners, couldn’t capitalize. A foul by Norway’s Celin Bizet on Erin Cuthbert near the edge of the area led to a penalty just before halftime. Baltimore converted the spot kick, giving Chelsea a 1-0 lead.
The second half saw Baltimore turn from scorer to provider, delivering a precise free-kick for substitute Catarina Macario to head home in the 84th minute, securing Chelsea’s second goal. Macario, visibly emotional, said, “It’s a very emotional day. We always wanted to win a treble, and to do it at Wembley means a lot.”
Baltimore sealed the victory in the final minute of stoppage time, smashing home a third goal to make it 3-0, sending the Chelsea fans into raptures.
Despite Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce making several important saves, particularly in the first half, United was unable to threaten Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton. Chelsea’s defense and midfield were solid, with United failing to create significant chances.
The win meant Chelsea finished the domestic season unbeaten, clinching the League Cup, Women’s Super League title, and now the FA Cup, extending their dominance under Bompastor. However, their Champions League campaign ended in disappointment, as they were knocked out by Barcelona in the semi-finals.
In the stands, new investor Alexis Ohanian, Reddit founder, and his wife, tennis legend Serena Williams, were present to witness the victory. Ohanian declared, “Chelsea is very unique. These are the queens of global soccer, and they’ve got the trophy case to prove it. This will be a billion-dollar franchise one day, and I hope my dollars, my pounds, can go towards that and especially back home in America, this is going to be America’s team.”
