Emma Hayes on the mic ...
“What an unbelievable team I’ve got,” she tells Sky. “Lucky me! It was really emotional at the end of the game but I was man-marked by the cameraman so I didn’t get the chance to let loose with a few tears. For us it’s not just about building a team to compete, it’s about growing - and looking at a wall of six thousand fans today gave me so much joy.
“Some of the players have gone through really tough times with not playing. I have to dispel this misnomer that players aren’t happy when they don’t play - they have the ability to look after themselves and games start coming around and on days like this they know it’s absolutely worth it. We are family. These people are as close to me as my family. My entire staff deserve credit and the day as much as anyone.”
Sam Kerr speaks ...
“I think we’ve shown over the last few years that in the last few games of the season we’re a different team,” she tells Sky Sports. “It sounds bad but once you get knocked out of the Champions League, it is easier to be fresh and to prepare for games.
“I don’t think people realise but even when we were preparing for City away, we only had 12 hours to really look at that, and one training session. As disappointed as we were, after we got knocked out we then had two days off and it was back to business. Back to winning the FA Cup and the league. We had more time, that’s it.”
