Emma Hayes must pick herself and Chelsea up after Barcelona dashed hopes of a fairytale ending… Blues can’t dwell on Champions League heartbreak with WSL title on the line .
- Chelsea were beaten by Barcelona in the semi-final of the Women’s Champions League.
- Hayes struggled to see beyond refereeing decisions in second leg
- Tottenham look to torpedo Arsenal’s title chances… but which Spurs team will show up in this massive derby? Listen to It’s All Kicking Off! podcast
Emma Hayes’ hopes of a fairytale ending to her Chelsea career may be over, but the chance of finishing the season with silverware is not.
Barcelona may have taken the Champions League away from them in controversial circumstances, but there is still a Women’s Super League title to play for.
Hayes, who described the groundbreaking decision to send off Kadeisha Buchanan in the second leg as the “worst in the history of the Women’s Champions League”, must find a way to get herself and her players back on their feet.
Immediately after the match, with emotions still running high, Hayes struggled to see beyond the refereeing decisions that had cost them a chance at European glory.
Asked if she could take any positives from the way her team competed over two matches with Barcelona, Hayes replied: “How would you feel if you were us right now?”
Emma Hayes must get herself and her players back on their feet after Chelsea’s Champions League exit
Hayes called the decision to send off Kadeisha Buchanan in the defeat to Barcelona “the worst in the history of the Women’s Champions League”.
Chelsea can’t afford to dwell on defeat with the Women’s Super League title on the line
“So how can you take anything?” You just hope you get into those positions. We lose, we lose, I can accept it, I really can. It’s really, really hard to take this one.
Chelsea midfielder Melanie Leupolz said Hayes didn’t say many words in the post-match meeting. “She said she was always proud of us,” Leupolz said. “We are only focusing on the league because we want to win at least one trophy this season.”
As hard as it is, Chelsea cannot afford to dwell on this disappointment.
A tough trip to Liverpool awaits them on Wednesday and it’s a game they can’t afford to drop points in, with Manchester City six clear at the top of the table (assuming City beat Bristol City today) .
Chelesa, who has two games in hand, may have to win every game and hope that Khadija Shaw’s season-ending injury prevents City from taking maximum points from the remaining matches.
In the space of four weeks, Chelsea went from competing for a quadruple to potentially ending the season without a trophy for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign.
Chelsea and Hayes have three weeks and four games left to finish on a high note.
