Chelsea Women's impressive track record in high-pressurised matches will only continue come Sunday, according to former England and Chelsea striker Eni Aluko, who tipped the Blues' "winning mentality" to edge them past their Continental League Cup rivals Arsenal.
The Gunners are bidding to extend their record as the most successful club in the competition's history as they face their London rivals Chelsea in a highly-anticipated Final in front of a competition-record crowd at Selhurst Park.
Nevertheless, the Blues' clinical finesse in Final situations over the course of the last decade presents a formidable challenge for Jonas Eidevall's side.
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Despite Arsenal's early domination of the competition with three successive trophy wins, the Gunners have not lifted the League Cup trophy since the 2017-18 season. Meanwhile, Chelsea have seized the title just twice since its inaugural season in 2011, with Emma Hayes' side grabbing successive wins in 2020 and 2021. Victory on Sunday would represent Chelsea's third Conti Cup title in just four years.
Arsenal received an early taste of what Sunday might bring as they were dumped out of the FA Women's Cup fifth round by Chelsea last weekend in a 2-0 loss. Despite dominating large portions of the match and levying 20 shots at goal to Chelsea's seven, an increasingly worryingly blunt display in front of goal left Eidevall's side once again ruing missed opportunities.
And Aluko, who scored 68 goals in 158 appearances for Chelsea, has backed her former club's champion's mentality to prove the difference in claiming the first piece of silverware of the 2022-23 season.
"In terms of who's going to win this weekend, I’m obviously going to say Chelsea. Winning trophies is becoming par for the course for them now so I think Chelsea will edge it on the day," she told Mirror Football.
Aluko also tipped Chelsea's ruthless nature to propel the Blues to a fourth successive Women's Super League title in May.
"It's tricky this season because Man United have been doing so well and are currently top but Chelsea have always got a chance to win the league," she said.
"Since I was there, they’ve consistently had a winning mentality, but it's obviously more of a challenge this year because of Man United’s consistency."
Aluko welcomed the recent success of United as a positive and crucial step forward in the WSL's growth as one of the most competitive women's football leagues in the world.
"I think its healthy for the women’s game to have more parity, more competition, more challengers," she said. "Man United are one of the world's biggest clubs, so having a women’s team that is now challenging for the Champions League as well is really important.
"It's a good advert to clubs that when you invest in the women’s game and you do it properly, you will get the rewards."
The FA confirmed on Friday that Sunday's Conti Cup Final was another sell-out affair, marking the latest episode this season of women's football fixtures filling out Premier League stadiums.
Sunday's sell-out adds more fuel to suggestions from high-profile figures in the women's game such as Chelsea manager Hayes that playing at larger venues should not be so occasional given the swelling appetite, and that the small and cramped stadiums that typically supply the general backdrop for women's football risks stifling the momentum being built.
"To see the women selling out Premier League stadiums is amazing and definitely something we should get used to and celebrate," Aluko said.
Celebrating women's football is precisely what's on the agenda for Aluko in the coming months. The pundit is set to host the inaugural Women’s Football Awards alongside Jamie Carragher later this year.
The event, which recognises the achievements of women and pioneers across all levels of the sport as women's football continues its heady growth, is set to take place in London on 25 May.
England stars Beth Mead, Jess Carter and Nikita Parris have backed the ceremony as it plans to celebrate players from up and down the pyramid.
On hosting alongside Carragher, Aluko expressed her excitement:. "It’s going to be my awards-hosting debut which I’m really excited about and its great to see the breadth of awards given out across all levels of the game from grassroots up to the professional game."
She added: "The women’s game is continuing to grow at such a rapid rate and I think its really important to put the spotlight on people, teams and areas around the country that are dedicated to women’s football. I hope it will be an amazing night."
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