Chelsea manager Emma Hayes says she isn’t seeking revenge over Manchester City in the Women’s FA Cup final.
The Blues lost 3-1 to City in the Continental League Cup final in March but when the two sides clash at Wembley on 15 May Hayes says it won’t be a vengeful occasion.
“I’m never pre-occupied with revenge-type things, I don’t think about those things,” Hayes told the club website. “I just know we were probably our most vulnerable then. We had a lot of players out, didn’t have a lot of depth, I felt that showed.
“We’re in a really good space, we’ve got players coming back into the group, a team in form but so are Man City. Two very, very good teams.”
Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-0 on Sunday after stunning goals from Guro Reiten and Ji So-yun to join City, who beat West Ham 4-1 on Saturday.
It was a convincing performance from the Blues, who grew into the match and were dominant in the second half. The team will be boosted for the final as captain Magdalena Eriksson should be available. She didn’t play in the semi-final after being ill.
And Pernille Harder will be able to start the match after coming off the bench on Sunday as she is returning following injury.
Despite being able to bring back the experienced stars, Hayes says she values her players equally.
“I’ve been an advocate of the whole squad the whole year and I’ve been clear that ever since January I’ve seen an even level across my squad, regardless of who you are. It’s not about any one player, it’s about the whole,” she added.
‘The players who are coming into the team, they have as much right to be playing as those who have established themselves over years and that’s what we want in our environment, that’s what we create. It’s part of the reason why we’re eyeing more titles. It’s because we’re evolving, not just with the same players.’
