Quadruple-chasing Chelsea beat Manchester City 2-1 in the Women’s League Cup final to clinch the first trophy of the Sonia Bompastor era.

Colombia international Mayra Ramírez opened the scoring for the Women’s Super League (WSL) leaders at Pride Park before Aoba Fujino restored parity with a stunning individual strike in the second half.

Midfielder Yui Hasegawa then inadvertently turned the ball into the back of her own net to seal the victory for Bompastor’s side.

Chelsea players celebrate after beating Manchester City to win the Women’s League Cup. George Wood – The FA/The FA via Getty Images

The match marked the first of four consecutive meetings between the two teams and City’s first outing under interim manager Nick Cushing, who replaced outgoing head coach Gareth Taylor on Monday.

Cushing previously served as City boss from 2013 to 2020, winning the WSL title in 2016, and has been tasked with reversing the club’s fortunes after a disappointing run has left them four points adrift of the European places.

Cushing’s homecoming got off to the worst possible start when Ramírez put Chelsea ahead inside eight minutes, finishing from close range after an initial save from Ayaka Yamashita rebounded off Laia Aleixandri and into the striker’s path.

City responded well and dominated possession in the first half, with both Leila Ouahabi and Fujino drawing saves from Hannah Hampton, although Chelsea came close to doubling their advantage when Ramírez skimmed the side netting after being played through on goal.

Fujino got City on level terms with a superb strike from the edge of the area in the 64th minute, while Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw forced Hampton into an excellent stop.

That opened the door for Chelsea to retake the lead, with Hasegawa diverting Ramirez’s low cross past Yamashita after the striker’s fine run down the right.

It was a cruel way for City to lose a contest in which they had, for large spells, been the better side. However, Cushing’s team must now pick themselves up ahead of the first leg of a decisive Champions League quarterfinal tie against Chelsea at the Joie Stadium on Wednesday night.

For Chelsea, this was the perfect way to kickstart a crucial period, with Bompastor’s side still in the hunt for both the Champions League and FA Cup and boasting an eight-point lead at the top of the WSL table.