Arsenal beat Chelsea in extra-time to lift Conti Cup title،
An extra-time goal from striker Stina Blackstenius helped Arsenal secure a 1-0 victory to win the Conti Cup final for a second consecutive year, beating Chelsea again and ending Emma Hayes's hopes of achieving a quadruple during his last season at the club.
The match was halted for nine minutes in the final minutes of the second half after Arsenal midfielder Frida Maanum collapsed to the ground and was taken away on a stretcher.
An Arsenal spokesperson told ESPN that Maanum was “conscious, speaking and in a stable condition” and continues to receive medical treatment.
After the match, Arsenal striker Alessia Russo, who replaced Maanum, said the team dedicated the goal to Maanum.
“Obviously it’s devastating to see one of your teammates go down like that and we hope she’s okay.
“I think it was written in the stars that her best friend went and scored the winning goal for her. Frida is a great player and plays with every part of her body, she did that again today and we just hope that she's okay.”
The result ends Chelsea's bid to win all four trophies in Hayes' final season before he leaves to take charge of the United States women's national team. Chelsea remain in a hotly contested WSL title race with Manchester City, as well as the upcoming semi-finals of the Women's FA Cup and Women's Champions League.
This is also a third consecutive season in which Chelsea have fallen at the final hurdle of the Conti Cup, having lost to City in the 2022 final before losing to Arsenal in the final from last year.
The crowd of 21,462 at Molineux marked a record for the Conti Cup final.
In a first half that was still short on chances, Mayra Ramírez thought she had given Chelsea the lead in the 21st minute with a superb shot from outside the box, but the goal was disallowed because Erin Cuthbert had handled the ball during preparation.
Cuthbert inadvertently provided Arsenal with a big chance midway through the second half, coughing up possession in midfield and allowing Arsenal to launch the counter, but Cloe Lacasse's shot was straight at Hannah Hampton.
Chelsea's Lauren James almost scored the winning goal in the 85th minute, cutting in from the left and aiming for the far corner, but Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger headed the ball to safety with her foot.
Maanum collapsed minutes later, prompting anxious players and fans to call medics on the field to treat her. After a long delay, the Norwegian international was replaced by Russo when the match resumed, ending goalless a few minutes later.
Both teams wasted a few decent chances in extra time until Blackstenius was set up by teammate Caitlin Foord and took a touch before heading home from close range to ensure Arsenal retained the title.
Information from Reuters contributed to this report.
