Chelsea Women have begun a new era as three club legends left at the end of the 2023/24 football season.
The 2023/24 season saw Chelsea add yet more silverware to their name. However, this time it was quite the challenge. What started as a quadruple charge turned into only one title victory. Competing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, FA Cup, Continental Cup and Women’s Super League, the Blues were strong contenders for each.
However, their hopes for each dwindled. The first blow came when they lost to Arsenal in the Conti Cup final. The next came when Chelsea lost to Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final. That was the first time Manchester United had ever beaten Chelsea in any competition. The Blues were then knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona in the semi-final.
It was now down to one trophy, the WSL. And knowing that club legends were set to leave at the end of the season, the fight was more important than ever.
After losing 4-3 to Liverpool with three games to go, manager Emma Hayes conceded the title to Manchester City. In her own words; “I’d love to win titles again for Chelsea, but that’s not going to be this year I’m afraid.” However, Chelsea went on to prove that you can never count them out of a title fight.
City lost to Arsenal, whilst the Blues had just come off the back of an 8-0 win against Bristol City as well as a 1-0 win over their London rivals Tottenham. As a result, both City and Chelsea went into the final game equal on points. Were both teams to win, goal difference was to decide the title winners.
While Manchester City struggled to earn a 2-1 win against Aston Villa, Chelsea enjoyed an easy win at Old Trafford. In ‘The Theatre Of Dreams’ Chelsea scored six goals and kept a clean sheet against Manchester United.
As a result, Chelsea were named Women’s Super League champions for the fifth time. They were the first English team to win five domestic titles in a row (EPL or WSL) before Manchester City’s men’s team did so a few days later.
Emma Hayes
Back in November, Chelsea announced that Emma Hayes would be leaving Chelsea at the end of the season. As a result of Chelsea’s victory at Old Trafford, Hayes got the chance to say goodbye in style. The club legend who joined Chelsea in August of 2012 leaves Chelsea having won silverware 16 times in just under 12 years as head coach.
Emma Hayes has led the Blues to seven FA WSL titles, five Women’s FA Cups, two FA Women’s League Cups, a FA Women’s Spring Series trophy and one FA Women’s Community Shield.
In their most dominant period, between the 2017/18 and 2022/23 seasons, Emma Hayes’ team boasted incredible records. In 119 games, Chelsea had a total of 92 wins, 20 draws and 7 losses. They also scored 334 goals, conceded only 74, and were completely unbeaten in not one, but two seasons.
Emma Hayes instilled a winning DNA that runs in Chelsea that completely changed the women’s game and the WSL.
Emma Hayes’ successor is former Lyon manager Sonia Bompastor. The French football manager and former player who currently manages Chelsea of the English Women’s Super League is the first person to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League as both a player and a manager.
Bompastor started managing Lyon in 2021. She led them to 7 trophies won overall including 3 consecutive Division 1 titles in the 2021–22, 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons and the UWCL in 2021–22. A clear winner, Chelsea have full confidence in her, as she has signed a four-year contract with the English team.
Ann-Katrin Berger
A big game player, a goalkeeping legend and a Chelsea legend. Ann-Katrin Berger left Chelsea in April to go play with the NWSL team NY/NJ Gotham FC.
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In November 2017, Berger was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She made a full recovery and went back to playing football. Despite this, she went on to be known as one of the best European goalkeepers in football history.
The German is known for her incredible penalty saves and shot-stopping abilities. Memorable moments from Berge include games against Manchester City in February 2020, Arsenal in March 2020, Atletico Madrid and Wolfsburg a year later as well as a UWCL win against Lyon in the 2022/23 quarter-final.
Maren Mjelde
Two further club legends have left Chelsea too, now that the season is over. Fran Kirby and Maren Mjelde are both long-serving Chelsea players, who have more than earned legend status at the prestigious club.
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Norweighan Maren Mjelde became a Chelsea player in 2017. In her time as a Blue, she has served as a strong defender and a brilliant midfielder. She won her first-ever career final when Chelsea won the 2017/18 FA Cup in Wembley. She was a valued leader at the club, being handed the captain’s armband on several occasions over the year.
Mjelde will always be remembered for sending Chelsea through to the semi-finals of the 2018/19 Champions League with a last-minute goal. Another memorable moment from her came in the quarter-final of the 2022/23 Champions League season. Lyon were ahead in the tie when the Blues were awarded a penalty in the dying seconds of extra time. Mjelde stepped up to take it and slotted it perfectly into the goal. The game went on to penalties, where Mjelde scored again, and Chelsea won.
The Norweighan bid farewell to Chelsea after 140 appearances in blue. The defender scored 23 goals and was a well-trusted penalty-taker and leader at Chelsea. Mjelde also leaves Chelsea having won 13 pieces of silverware.
Fran Kirby
Fran Kirby is not only a Chelsea legend but also a football legend. She is one of the most renowned football players in the world. Wearing the club’s badge with pride, Kirby won 14 trophies with Chelsea.
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The English player joined the Blues in 2015. Her impact was instant, as she came off the bench against Birmingham to score on her debut. Also in 2015, she scored Chelsea’s first-ever Champions League goal.
Kirby went on to become Chelsea’s all-time leading goal scorer. She scored an incredible total of 116 goals during her time as a Blue. Her final goal for the Blues came during her final game for the club. In their final game of the season which was their 6-0 triumph at Old Trafford, Kirby scored Chelsea’s final goal of the season, and her final goal for the club. A fairytale ending to a beautiful story.
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