Emma Hayes: Chelsea still fighting on four fronts after 'sluggish' FA Cup win

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Emma Hayes delivers a post-match team talk after Chelsea's FA Cup win over EvertonImage source, Getty Images
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Chelsea are bidding to win the quadruple of the Women's Super League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup

Chelsea boss Emma Hayes said their latest win "took its toll on us" as they kept alive hopes of winning the quadruple.

The Blues beat Everton 1-0 on Sunday to reach the FA Cup semi-finals.

They are top of the Women's Super League and in the final of the League Cup, plus the last eight of the Champions League.

"I think you can tell we've had a lot of games in quick succession," Hayes said.

The win over Everton was Chelsea's third in seven days after beating Manchester City in the League Cup on Wednesday and Leicester in the WSL on Sunday, with all games coming away from home.

"Third away game in a week, I thought we were sluggish in everything we did," Hayes said post-match at Walton Hall Park.

"I thought Everton played well and probably deserved more from the game, but this is what you have to do. You have to grind results out. We did just about enough today.

"You have to credit the players that have played three games in a week. They have done a tremendous job."

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Everton 0-1 Chelsea: Macario scores as FA Cup holders edge through quarter-final

Chelsea are still on course to become only the second English side - after Arsenal's women in 2006-07 - to achieve a quadruple, a feat Hayes said she is "not thinking about" in her final season at the club.

"We just need to recover quickly. It took its toll on us, that game today," she added.

Chelsea were second best for large parts of the first half against Everton, but their moment of magic came after the break when substitute Catarina Macario converted from Aggie Beever-Jones' run.

While Hayes won't entertain quadruple talks, Macario said: "Obviously, that's the goal.

"That's the Chelsea standard but at the end of the day we have to take it day by day and game by game, do our job every single day and go from there."