Chelsea edged past Manchester City in the Women's League Cup final to win their first trophy under Sonia Bompastor and keep their bid for a historic quadruple alive.

Bompastor has exceeded expectations since succeeding Emma Hayes as head coach last May, winning 26 of her 28 games.

Mayra Ramirez netted an early opener for Chelsea, bundling in a rebound that bounced off City skipper Laia Aleixandri at Derby County's Pride Park.

Aoba Fujino levelled after the break with a stunning strike, but an own goal by Yui Hasegawa restored Chelsea's lead and ended their three-year losing streak in League Cup finals.

"It feels great, for sure. I'm really happy," Bompastor said.

"From the beginning of the season we said we are going to be ambitious and when you have the opportunity to win a first title that is always really positive so I am really happy for that reason and I am really proud of my players."

City, who were playing their first game under interim boss Nick Cushing following Gareth Taylor's sacking five days ago, dominated play after Chelsea's opener.

But they were unable to find a way through during the first half as Chelsea's solid centre-back paring of Millie Bright and Nathalie Bjorn stood firm, limiting City's chances to ambitious efforts from the edge of the box.

Chelsea appeared to regain control after the interval, but Fujino's powerful strike flew past Hannah Hampton and into the roof of the net before Hasegawa's own goal handed momentum back to Bompastor's side.

They remain in the hunt for the Champions League and FA Cup, while they have all but secured a sixth successive Women's Super League (WSL) title, sitting eight points clear at the top of the table with six games remaining.

This final marked the start of an intense 12-day battle, with Chelsea and City playing each other four times in a row.

Chelsea's bid for a quadruple continues, but it looked in doubt at times on a cold afternoon.

They were gifted an early opener as Catarina Macario cut through City's defence before playing Ramirez through on goal.

The Colombia striker's initial shot was saved by Ayaka Yamashita, but it deflected back off Aleixandri and into the path of Ramirez for a simple tap-in.

Chelsea's winner also came down to an unfortunate error from City, with a well-worn pitch wreaking havoc as the ball bobbled up before Hasegawa turned Ramirez's low cross into her own net.

The Chelsea players' celebrations were muted at the final whistle, with Bompastor's side breathing a sigh of relief, knowing the performance was a far cry from their best showings this season.

"As you can see, the performance was maybe not a great one but we found a way to win the game," Bompastor said.

"The performance was good enough for us to win. We created some chances and scored two goals, which is a lot in a final, especially when you play City. I know this team has more than what we showed today."

But as the dust settled and they collected their medals, the players danced joyfully with the trophy in front of their fans.

The celebrations will be short lived, however, with focus shifting to their next three encounters against Cushing's side.

"When you are at these big clubs, the pressure is on results so when you win you are able to celebrate. These are the moments you want to enjoy with players, staff and fans," Bompastor added.

"Every game they make an effort to come so when you have an opportunity to give happiness with trophies, that is the best thing you can do."

It was always going to be a tough task for Cushing.

The 40-year-old had been out of management since he was sacked by New York City's men's side in November, while he only had four days with the team to prepare for a cup final against England's most dominant team.

Cushing spent more than six years in charge of City previously, winning two League Cups along with the club's first WSL title before leaving in 2020.

The club parted ways with Taylor after a string of disappointing results left City fourth in the WSL, 12 points adrift of Chelsea and at risk of missing out of a Champions League place next season.

An early Chelsea goal was far from ideal on Cushing's return, but his side looked impressive as they controlled possession and pushed forward.

Blocks from Bright and Sandy Baltimore denied Khadija Shaw, while Hampton, who may have been disappointed at conceding at her near post, made a brilliant stop moments after City's leveller to stop Shaw from putting them ahead.

Attention for Cushing will quickly turn to City's next three encounters against Chelsea, starting with the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.

"I have the belief this team can win. I wouldn't be here if I didn't," Cushing said.

"It's tough to lose finals but you've got to dust yourself off and you've got to move on."