Chelsea Women added the FA Cup to this season’s triumphs in the League Cup and Women’s Super League (WSL) with a 3–0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.

The Blues’ newest investor Alexis Ohanian was at Wembley to celebrate his first trophy as a co-owner just four days after purchasing a 10 percent stake in the women’s team. The Reddit co-founder hailed Sonia Bompastor’s ruthlessly efficient outfit as the “queens of global soccer”. While Barcelona Femení may very well challenge that international marker, Chelsea have undoubtedly reigned supreme over the rest of English football this season.

Bompastor has glided through her first campaign at the helm of the west London club without losing a single domestic match.

Sandy Baltimore’s two goals on either side of a thumping 84th-minute header from USWNT forward Catarina Macario confirmed victory in the club’s 30th league and cup game of the campaign.

To write off Bompastor’s achievements this term as simply the natural consequence of inheriting Emma Hayes’s winning team would unfairly overlook the tactical subtleties implemented by the former Lyon boss. As she explained back in August, “What is really important is to come to this club, respect everything that was built before and build my own vision.” Chelsea’s match-winner Baltimore embodies that vision.

The summer recruit from Paris Saint-Germain was swiftly installed as a regular on the left-hand side of defence—a far more reserved position than she was typically used to. Yet, over recent weeks, Bompastor has restored Baltimore to her natural advanced role, from where she caused consistent problems to United’s backline under the May sunshine.

After United winger Celin Bizet found herself making a forward’s challenge at the top of her own box shortly before the interval, clumsily felling the always excellent Erin Cuthbert, Baltimore made no mistake from 12 yards. The France international was also the author of the vicious in-swinging delivery which Macario nodded beyond her compatriot Phallon Tullis-Joyce before adding a second of her own in stoppage time.

Haring into the penalty box from that forward role, Baltimore tamed Wieke Kaptein’s low cross with a touch which left Lisa Naalsund tumbling over her own shoelaces. Chelsea’s difference-maker, in stark comparison, steadied herself before coolly picking out the bottom corner.

United boss Marc Skinner has suffered through his own wave of criticism this season and beyond—most of which is entirely unjustified. However, there will be plenty of questions about why Ella Toone started on the bench. The team’s influential attacking midfielder swiftly reminded the 74,000 at Wembley of her abundant qualities as United posed more threat following her halftime introduction.

Yet, there was not enough time for Toone to provide another memorable moment at England’s spiritual home. Chelsea, as has become reliably familiar this term, instead saw out a professional win.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea Beat Man Utd in 2024–25 Women’s FA Cup Final to Complete Domestic Treble.

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