Two goals from Ramona Bachmann and another from Fran Kirby helped Chelsea Ladies overcome Arsenal to lift the FA Women’s Cup for the second time.
Bachmann finished her first from a tight angle on 47 minutes and then doubled the lead just before the hour mark, curling a brilliant solo effort into the net.
Kirby sealed victory with 15 minutes to play after Vivianne Miedema had pulled one back for Arsenal moments before.
Both teams started well and Bachmann could have opened the scoring for Chelsea in the eighth minute.
Clever footwork allowed her to spin away from Emma Mitchell on the edge of the box but she could only drag her shot wide on that occasion.
At the other end, Miedema nearly found the net for Arsenal in the first half, but Hannah Blundell’s last-ditch block denied the striker a certain goal from close range.
Chelsea dominated the second half it took just two minutes for Bachmann to give her team a deserved lead.
She smashed the ball past Sari Van Veenendaal at the near post after clever play from Kirby.
Bachmann then doubled her tally 12 minutes later.
After cutting in from the right, she floated into the box and curled a brilliant effort towards goal, which deflected off Louise Quinn’s head and dropped in the far corner.
Miedema thought she had got Arsenal back into the game on 73 minutes after finishing from Beth Mead’s cutback, but Kirby put the game beyond doubt.
The Blues striker, making her 31st appearance of the season, drifted into the box and fired home.
This post was last modified on 05/05/2018