Saturday 5th May 2018. Arsenal vs Chelsea. This is an FA Cup Final we've seen before in 2016 but things are a bit different now. Here's how the Blues managed to get to Wembley this time around.
4th Round
London Bees 0-10 Chelsea
For most previous matches, the Bees had been an easy opponent for Chelsea with goals galore in both fixtures. However, the last time this two met at the Hive, things were a bit closer. Chelsea had named a somewhat rotated side for the Conti Cup fixture in 2016. The Bees looked to produce a shock and they were heading towards a 2-1 win but Millie Bright equalised late on. Beth England put Chelsea ahead again but Deanna Cooper, who now plays for the Blues, put the Bees back in it. Penalties ensued and the Bees dramatically won.
Fast forward a couple of years and Chelsea have strengthened a lot. They didn't make the mistake of underestimating them this time and showed why they are one of the top teams in WSL1. Erin Cuthbert got her first Chelsea hat trick with Fran Kirby and Katie Chapman both scoring a brace. Ji, Bright and a Danielle Lea own goal made up the rest of the goals.
5th Round
Chelsea 6-0 Doncaster
They faced a familiar foe in the form of Doncaster. They have met before in this competition back in 2016 and it was yet another goalfest. Cuthbert added another couple of goals to her already impressive tally with Ji, Kirby, Drew Spence and Ramona Bachmann helping out. Another step along the road to Wembley completed.
6th Round
Liverpool 0-3 Chelsea
Games against these two can be either quite quiet or close. At other times, it can be full of action. This was a tougher test for the Blues but one they passed with flying colours. Jonna Andersson, Katie Chapman and Maren Mjelde got the all important win to keep the progression going and for some, the dream of finally winning the FA Cup in sight.
Semi Final
Chelsea 2-0 Manchester City
Chelsea faced City in 2016 in the very same time in the FA Cup. Manchester City came into this hoping that there wasn't to be a repeat. Fran Kirby, who scored the winning goal last time, crushed their hopes. She opened the scoring after latching onto a defensive error by Steph Houghton. It normally takes something special or a mistake for a goal to come between this two. It was the latter first time round. Second time round, Erin Cuthbert sent the long ball up for Fran to run onto. She did so after Jen Beattie misjudged it. She ran with it, cut back in to leave an incoming player on the floor and give herself space. She slotted it home and with that, booked the place in the final.
With a repeat of the 2016 final, will it be a repeat result or will Chelsea's strengthening and squad depth play a part in them getting their revenge for the loss? We can only wait and see.