Chelsea sealed an English domestic treble after they defeated Manchester United 3-0 at Wembley Stadium, as Sonia Bompastor’s side were crowned the 2025 Adobe Women’s FA Cup Champions.
It was a final to remember for French International Sandy Baltimore, who grabbed a brace against the Red Devils, converting a first-half penalty and then going on to score a second goal in the additional 10 minutes of added time to end the score at 3-0 to Chelsea.
Both of Baltimore’s goals were sandwiched between a Catrina Macario header, when the substitute leaped up to head home Baltimore’s in-swinging free kick to make it 2-0.
For Marc Skinner’s side, they were unable to retain the trophy that they won last season when they beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 a year ago. Still, today was just not meant to be for United, who were aiming to go back-to-back winners of this competition for the first time in their history.
Skinner decided not to start Lioness forward Ella Toone ahead of today’s cup final, which certainly raised some eyebrows from the 30,000-plus United supporters ahead of kick-off.
The Red Devils had the best of the play inside the opening 10 minutes, with chances from Grace Clinton and soon after Maya Le Tisser, when the United skipper connected Celin Bizet’s quick free kick, but the defender was unable to find the opener.
Aggie Beever-Jones then had a chance to give Chelsea the lead in this final after she broke forward on the counter-attack, but the forward’s shot at goal was comfortably saved by Phallon Tullis-Joyce in the United net.
Moments later, down the other end, Marc Skinner’s side had another effort at goal, which almost found the back of the net, but Dutch International Dominique Janssen’s long-range strike flew just inches over the crossbar.
Then, arguably, the best chance of this final thus far came when Mayra Ramírez’s poke at goal was left on a plate for Lucy Bronze, but the Lioness right-back had her tap-in cleared off the line by the United defence.
But it was on the cusp of the whistle for the interval that Chelsea found a clear chance to make a breakthrough, after Erin Cuthbert was chopped down by Celin Bizet in the penalty area, giving referee Stacey Fullicks no other choice but to point to the spot.
Sandy Baltimore took the ball and converted from the spot kick, sending Tullis-Joyce the wrong way and giving Sonia Bompastor’s side a 1-0 lead going into half time.
Half time: Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United
Ahead of the second half, there was a shuffle in formation made by Marc Skinner, with defender Millie Turner coming off for Ella Toone, who received a loud cheer from the United supporters when she entered the field of play.
Toone almost made an instant impact amid her arrival on the Wembley pitch, but Hannah Hampton saved the forward’s effort early in the second half.
Manchester United’s Leah Galton then went down in some discomfort, but the forward was able to continue, as Chelsea made their first substitution of the afternoon with Sonia Bompastor bringing off striker Mayra Ramírez for Catrina Macario, who went on to be Chelsea’s second goalscorer of the final.
Macario went on to make a huge impact off the bench when she grabbed the second goal of the final. With just five minutes on the clock, the United States forward jumped up to head the ball past Tullis-Joyce off the back of Baltimore’s curled free kick to make it 2-0 to Chelsea.
Inside the additional 10 minutes of added time, Sonia Bompastor’s side was not done just yet. Neither was Sandy Baltimore, when the winger smashed the ball on the volley into the United net, after connecting with Wieke Kaptein’s cross into the area to make it 3-0 to Chelsea and crown the Blues as FA Cup winners for the 24/25 campaign.
Full time: Chelsea 3-0 Manchester United
Chelsea: 24. Hampton (GK), 22. Bronze (19. Kaneryd) 4. Bright (C), 14. Björn, 16. Girma, 21. Charles, 30. Walsh, 8. Cuthbert (6. Nüsken), 33. Beever-Jones (18. Kaptein), 17. Baltimore (11. Reiten), 7. Ramirez (9. Macario)
Unused subs: 38. Spencer (GK), 12. Lawrence, 23. Hamano, 27. Jean-Francois
Goals: Baltimore 43’ (Penalty), Macario 84’, Baltimore 90+1’
Bookings: Cuthbert 56’, Baltimore 90’
Manchester United: 91. Tullis-Joyce (GK), 3. George (2. Sandberg), 21. Turner ( 7. Toone), 4. Le Tisser (C), 5. Mannion (9. Malard), 20. Miyazawa (6. Naalsund), 8. Clinton, 17. Janssen, 11. Galton, 15. Bizet (28. Williams), 19. Terland
Unused subs: 1. Rendell (GK), 39. Middelton-Patel (GK), 13. Awujo, 48. Griffiths
Bookings: Galton 50’, Clinton 53’, George 72’
Referee: Stacey Fullicks
Venue: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 74,412
