Emma Hayes’ Chelsea: Reflecting on How the FA Cup was clinched using a 4–2–3–1.
“We’re confident in the 11 we’ve selected” Chelsea manager Emma Hayes said in a calm, cool, and collected manner 30 minutes before kickoff of the FA Cup Final on May 14th, 2023.
Chelsea Women had a legacy to uphold.
Previous winners of the FA Cup in 2022 and 2021, the only 11 standing in Chelsea’s way came in the form of Marc Skinner’s Manchester United. The road has not been easy regarless of league standings in the WSL. In the FA Cup semi-finals Chelsea narrowly defeated Aston Villa about a month prior while Manchester United battled it out with Brighton & Hove Albion.
Setting the Scene: Wembley Stadium is not a host for any small occassion. The FA Cup Final on May 14th brought around 77,390 live spectators among many others watching around the world. A chance to influence. A chance to inspire. Especially in terms of women’s football, the tide is turning.
In this tactical analysis article, we will reflect on Emma Hayes’ 4–2–3–1 lineup in the FA Cup Final without using the likes players like Fran Kirby, and how they not only defeated Manchester United but took home the oldest piece of club silverware known to England.
LINEUPS
Marc Skinner relied on the longevity and consistency of 4 players- Mary Earps, Maya Le Tissier, Hannah Blundell and Ella Toone- who have started every WSL match this season. Aligning as a 4–2–3–1 as did their opponent, Earps stood in goal while Ona Batlle, Maya Le Tissier, Millie Turner and Hannah Blundell held the back line. Captain Katie Zelem returned from suspension as a holding midfielder along with Hayley Ladd, while Nikita Parris, Ella Toone, and Leah Galton (extremely effective on the left wing) occuppied the attacking midfield; Leaving the striking duties to Alessia Russo.
Emma Hayes assembled the Blues to form as a 4–2–3–1 with veteran Ann Katrin Berger between the pipes; a back line of Niamh Charles, Magdalena Eriksson, Maren Mjelde, and Eve Perriset. Erin Cuthbert and Melanie Leupolz pivoted as defensive midfielders, and up top waited Guro Reiten (known for her left foot), Jessie Fleming, and Lauren James. Sam Kerr, the ultimate goalscorer of this match, made a “striking” difference.
Game Changers:
Chelsea conceded a goal within the first 10 seconds of the game and the score would have been 1–0 if not for the luck of offsides. United’s counterattack using the physicality and forward advancement of Ona Batlle (who made a long cross to the right hand side) proved almost too easy for their front line to get past Reiten, Charles, Cutherbert, Eriksson, and Mjelde. Chelsea did not immediately show ferocity, having less possession and not trigger/trap pressing until much later on. The “monster mentality” was still waking up.
Fleming proved to be an effective dribbler in the midfield as the game progressed, dropping into pockets of space to give-and-go, while Kerr remained a target-woman from the left-foot of Reiten and long balls from her deeper-sitting teammates. Niamh Charles played as the higher fullback, using the sideline to her advantage while Eve Perisset closed the defensive gap. Lauren James proved her position by constantly tracking back and linking with Leupolz.
Going into halftime, Manchester United unarguably had both possession and opportunity advantages. What Emma Hayes said and did in the locker room must have worked. When the whistle blew again, Chelsea started breaking out in an effective way in which triangles and diamonds were all over the pitch, as seen above. With the double pivot of Erin Cuthbert and Sophie Ingle (who replaced Leupolz), Cuthbert used the space more liberally to free herself into the second and third phases of the pitch while Ingle stayed back. If the first half lacked attacking threats from Chelsea, one specific substitute transitioned them from flat to fine tuned. In the 56th minute Jessie Fleming made way for Pernille Harder. Experience, expertise, and ex-factor. Harder’s impact was instant.
As a presser, Harder rushed directly at Mary Earps, who then was forced to direct the ball in the opposite direction. By doing this effectively, Chelsea were prepared to regain possession with any bad pass or dribble. In the attacking 3rd Reiten and James remained wide for support. In the 66th minute a set-piece throw in found Reiten running a through ball to Harder and Harder’s vision instantly prompted an assist and a Kerr goal immediately. The passing corriders were burst open by the speed of Chelsea’s play. 1–0.
Manchester United didn’t go down without a fight. Throughout the game, The Reds retained 52% of possession while Chelsea had 48%. United’s 15 shots compared to Cheslea’s 9 was mathematically advantageous on paper, although the way Chelsea set up in their 4–2–3–1 allowed them to use their opportunities wisely. Breaking out included Ann Katrin Burger on the same back line and wave length as centerbacks Mjelde and Eriksson, especially Eriksson who recovered from her 1st half bobbles and fumbles. Perisset proved her strength on the right hand side of the pitch, not afraid to take on persistent players like Leah Galton and Ella Toone. Charles received a yellow card, altough her physicality built team morale and stopped many opponent chances-to-be.
Conclusion:
No corners were given to Chelsea but their set piece throw-in made all the difference in the game. And not just in the FA Cup Final, but throughout the season Chelsea have scored 0 goals from free kicks. Ann Katrin Berger walked away with a clean sheet, and thanks to the tracking back of players like Lauren James and hustle of Erin Cuthbert, the defense proved solid. Reiten and James were where they needed to be, spreading out wide to draw out defenders away from Kerr. Pernille Harder’s impact will be missed next season, as she had moved on to Bayern Munich, but the talent of players such as Jessie Fleming can easily adapt to the 10 position. Manchester United narrowly missed their window to victory, but just as they broke Chelsea down in the first half, Chelsea built their system back up in the second half. A special team achieved the dream.
