Summary

  • FT: Manchester City 0-1 Chelsea

  • Lauren James nets winning goal

  • Emma Hayes' side will face Arsenal in final on 31 March at Molineux

  • Get Involved: #bbcfootball, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply)

  1. But wait… There’s more!published at 22:02 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

    If your appetite for cup football hasn’t been satisfied over the last two evenings then make sure to come back at the weekend as our focus turns to the FA Cup quarter-finals.

    Here’s what fixtures we have in store:

    Saturday 9 March

    • Liverpool v Leicester City (12:00 GMT)
    • Brighton v Manchester United (17:15 GMT)

    Sunday 10 March

    • Everton v Chelsea (13:00 GMT) – available to watch on BBC Red Button and BBC iPlayer
    • Tottenham v Manchester City (15:00 GMT)
  2. 'Everyone wants to win the Quadruple'published at 22:01 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

    FT: Man City 0-1 Chelsea

    Chelsea

    Matchwinner Lauren James speaking to BBC Sport: "It’s always nice scoring and even better to know that we’re going into a final.

    On partnership building with Mayra Ramirez: "She’s a unit, what she does speaks for itself. We just need to keep building together and hopefully the connections keep on coming.

    "It’s always hard coming here playing against City. They are a good team, they are not a pushover. They have good players that can punish teams. Today was obviously nice to win.

    On keeping a clean sheet: "Everyone had to do that, they just kept chucking bodies forward which pushed us back.

    On Chelsea still fighting on all four fronts: "We just take each game as it comes and we know our end goal. We’re still up for all four trophies but our aim is to take each game and hopefully we can get there. Everyone wants to win the Quadruple, I’m sure everyone has that little bit more in them for Emma as well."

  3. Postpublished at 21:57 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

    FT: Man City 0-1 Chelsea

    As is often the case for Chelsea (and the Lionesses) Lauren James proved the matchwinner once again this evening.

    Here's the highlights of Chelsea's narrow semi-final win over Man City which saw them lock in a League Cup final rematch with Arsenal for the end of the month.

    Media caption,

    Chelsea beat Man City to reach League Cup final

  4. 'None of us discuss the Quadruple'published at 21:55 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

    FT: Man City 0-1 Chelsea

    Chelsea

    More reaction from Chelsea manager Emma Hayes speaking to BBC Sport after her side qualified for a fifth consecutive League Cup final:

    On Hannah Hampton: "Absolutely superb from start to finish. Game management, she had to come up big in certain moments and she did and it brings confidence to the back line. She’s growing in the Chelsea shirt.

    On Mayra Ramirez's performance: "She will be important to us. She’s still growing into this league. Her body tonight couldn’t handle two games this week so we have to se how she is when we get back to Cobham.

    On Lauren James: "Great finish from her, it’s exactly where we wanted to exploit her. I haven’t seen the goal back but nice finish.

    On going for a potential Quadruple: "I spend zero time talking about it. None of us discuss it. We just wanted to get into a final tonight and I’m delighted we’re going into another Continental Cup [final] against Arsenal."

  5. 'Felt like reverse fixture when they took the lead and defended well'published at 21:53 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

    FT: Man City 0-1 Chelsea

    Chelsea

    Chelsea boss Emma Hayes speaking to BBC Sport: "It felt like the reverse fixture two weeks ago where they went 1-0 up and defended in great numbers. Same for us tonight. We scored early and I thought we defended rally well. Unbelievable performance for Hannah Hampton.

    "We only had one registered centre back and one centre forward. We were pretty thin this evening so it’s a tremendous result for the team.

    "Since Christmas we’ve got better defensively. There aren’t a lot of things between these two teams. They have had fewer games than us and been able to play the same line-up. I haven’t. For us to do what we did tonight is real credit to the whole team."

  6. Postpublished at 21:48 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

    FT: Man City 0-1 Chelsea

    Chelsea boss Emma Hayes was in buoyant mood post-match after her side booked yet another League Cup final appearance.

    We'll bring you her reaction to the game and talk of a Quadruple next.

  7. Postpublished at 21:43 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

    FT: Man City 0-1 Chelsea

    Adam Millington
    BBC Sport at Joie Stadium

    Man City won't be happy to not have been handed a penalty in the final few minutes.

    After such a strong second half, defeat in 90 minutes feels a little bit harsh.

    City created chances and in truth should have taken advantage of them.

    That they didn't led to their downfall. They did enough to find a way back but couldn't find the final product.

  8. 'Defeat tonight does not affect the title race'published at 21:39 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

    FT: Man City 0-1 Chelsea

    Manchester City

    More reaction from Man City manager Gareth Taylor after his side's League Cup semi final defeat to Chelsea:

    Speaking to BBC Sport he said: "We made an error for the goal there’s no doubt. We were pretty flawless tonight and completely dominated the game. That is how I want us to play. We want to finish our opportunities at the top end of the box and we’ve done that pretty well this season. The way I want us to play, that was it second half and that was a real top performance and probably one of the best halves of football we’ve played.

    What he said at full-time: "Proud of the performance. They were totally dominant. We dust ourselves and we go again in another competition on Sunday.

    Does defeat affect title race? "No because it was full of positives. Why would we dwell on it? There is so much to take from this game. For us it’s using this game as a benchmark. We always knew it was going to be tight margins. When two good teams come together, it’s always going to be fairly tight.

    "When we play like that we are so good to watch. We wanted the win for our supporters tonight but they should be really pleased with what they have seen tonight. The way we played tonight should be a sign of real positivity for the future."

  9. 'That’s a blatant penalty on Alex Greenwood.'published at 21:36 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

    FT: Man City 0-1 Chelsea

    Manchester City

    Man City boss Gareth Taylor speaking to BBC Sport:

    "I thought we were good in the first half, I thought we were the better team. Second half definitely. First half an hour of the second half we were magnificent.

    "Towards the end, I just don’t understand sometimes these decisions that go against us. That’s a blatant penalty on Alex Greenwood. We’re the team with the ascendency, we play five minutes of added time. Here earlier in the season it was 11 minutes and went to 13. When we went down there it was nine minutes and goes to 12. I mean come on, that’s not five minutes there of time when Hannah Hampton is choking the clock up.

    "Good luck to Chelsea. We were magnificent tonight. I thought Hampton was their best player and that told a story. I couldn’t have asked for much more from the players. Of course we needed to score a goal but their goalkeeper had to make many saves in the second half."

  10. Postpublished at 21:34 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

    FT: Man City 0-1 Chelsea

    Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor is particularly unhappy with some of the decisions that went against his side this evening.

    We'll bring you his post-match reaction in a few moments.

  11. Postpublished at 21:30 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

    FT: Man City 0-1 Chelsea

    For Man City their winning run ends at 12 games in all competitions, and their Treble quest is no more.

    How big a blow will this defeat tonight prove to be for the remainder of their campaign? I guess only time will tell.

    Yet with an FA Cup tie away to Tottenham on Sunday, and a very tight WSL title race on their hands, GarethTaylor's squad have little time to commiserate.

  12. Postpublished at 21:26 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

    FT: Man City 0-1 Chelsea

    Emma Hayes and Chloe KellyImage source, Getty Images

    Before this League Cup semi-final tie Emma Hayes dismissed any talk of her Chelsea side wanting revenge against Man City for their WSL defeat at Kingsmeadow three weeks ago.

    Nevertheless they got it this evening thanks to Lauren James' first half strike.

    The Quadruple hunt is well and truly on for the reigning WSL champions and FA Cup winners.

  13. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 21:21 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

    #bbcfootball, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply)

    Gordon: Well done Chelsea, Hampton the star. Frustrating for City, missed chance after chance, gifted Chelsea their goal, Taylor's inflexible management unfathomable.

    Ghoxt: A fifth League Cup final in a row for Chelsea, booking a clash with Arsenal in a replay of last year's final.

  14. Mark your calendars!published at 21:18 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

    FT: Man City 0-1 Chelsea

    Arsenal/Chelsea LC SF wins.Image source, Getty Images

    So there we have it, the 2024 FA WSL League Cup final is set.

    • Arsenal v Chelsea, Sunday 31 March, Molineux Stadium

    Can holders Arsenal retain their crown with another win over their biggest rivals, or will Chelsea wreak revenge to claim the first silverware of the season?

  15. 'What an end to the game'published at 21:13 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

    FT: Man City 0-1 Chelsea

    Lindsay Johnson
    Ex-England defender on BBC Sport

    What an end to the game. We knew it was going to be tight, we knew it was going to be a cagey game. There's normally only one goal in it between these to teams. City threw everything at it in the second half but ultimately James got that goal and Chelsea deserved the win because of it.

  16. FULL-TIMEpublished at 21:13 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

    Man City 0-1 Chelsea

    Game over.

    Chelsea march on to a fifth League Cup final in a row, booking a clash with Arsenal in a replay of last year's final.

    Despite huffing and puffing all game City's lack of clinical edge was their undoing, as their hunt for a domestic clean sweep comes to an end.

  17. 'I think that was a penalty'published at 21:12 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

    Man City 0-1 Chelsea

    Lindsay Johnson
    Ex-England defender on BBC Sport

    I think that was a penalty for me. I think Man City have been hard done by right at the end of the game. Huge call.

  18. PENALTY APPEALpublished at 21:12 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

    Man City 0-1 Chelsea

    Late drama!

    City are appealing for a penalty, several sky blue bodies are left on the floor in the middle of a penalty box melee.

    It looked to be Alex Greenwood who got to the ball and was then fouled.

  19. Postpublished at 21:11 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

    Man City 0-1 Chelsea

    Alex Greenwood steps up to take for Man City.

    She looks to whip the ball over the wall but a Chelsea head deflects it wide.

    Her reaction is telling, the City skipper thought that was going in.