Chelsea v West Ham United women's team
Subway® Women’s League Cup semi-final, Kingsmeadow, Wednesday 5 February 2025, 7pm GMT
It's here. West Ham United women's team are one of four teams left in the Subway® Women’s League Cup, and they will travel to fellow Barclays Women's Super League outfit Chelsea to battle for a spot in the final of the competition.
Rehanne Skinner's side have been simply scintillating in the League Cup this term. They rose to the top of the Group C table with three wins from three, seeing off Portsmouth, London City Lionesses and Southampton.
The Hammers then displayed immense character to come from behind against Tottenham Hotspur at Brisbane Road in the quarter-finals in January, with strikes from Seraina Piubel and Kirsty Smith completing a first-half turnaround in east London.
Those goals, both stunning in their own right, took the Irons' tally in the competition to 15 - making them the leading scorers in the League Cup, and the most they've ever scored in a single season in the competition.
Sonia Bompastor's team stand in the way of the Hammers and their first-ever League Cup final, to be held at Derby County’s Pride Park Stadium on Saturday 15 March, and here's everything you need to know about our semi-final clash...
Tickets...
Tickets for our last-four tie can be purchased HERE from £10 for Adults and £5 for U20s. Please be aware that all tickets will be issued in a PDF format.
How To Follow…
The match with the Blues will be live streamed on BBC iPlayer and the WSL YouTube channel - tune in from 7pm to watch all the action.
Alternatively, you can keep up-to-date with all the action across our social media channels and on our live blog here on whufc.com, while highlights and exclusive reaction will follow after the final whistle on our official website and app.
Travel…
The nearest railway station to Kingsmeadow is Norbiton, about a 15-minute walk away from the ground. The station is served by South Western Railways with trains from London Waterloo via Clapham Junction and Wimbledon.
There is no supporter parking available on site except three blue badge bays which can be booked through emailing [email protected].
Opposition…
Chelsea received a bye to the quarter-finals of the Subway® Women’s League Cup due to their participation in the UEFA Women's Champions League, and they defeated Durham 5-0 to book their spot in the final four.
Bompastor's outfit are unbeaten in all competitions this term, boasting a seven-point buffer at the summit of the WSL, and have strengthened further since the last time they met the Hammers on 19 January.
Defender Naomi Girma joined the Blues in a world-record deal from San Diego Wave before Lioness Kiera Walsh returned to England, signing for Chelsea from Barcelona on deadline day.
The Blues head into the clash at Kingsmeadow following back-to-back 1-0 victories against Arsenal and Aston Villa - most recently defeating Villa on Sunday courtesy of an 82nd-minute Sarah Mayling own-goal.
To say Bompastor had big shoes to fill when replacing Emma Hayes at Chelsea is certainly an understatement. The former Blues boss racked up 14 major trophies in a 12-year stay in west London before taking up a new challenge as head coach of the United States women's national team.
But Frenchwoman Bompastor has made light work of replacing such a cult hero at Chelsea.
The 44-year-old joined the Blues from Lyon, ending a three-year spell as the manager of a side for whom she made more than 80 appearances for as a player.
While in charge of the French club, Bompastor - who made more than 150 appearances for her national team - won the Division 1 Feminine on three occasions, and is the only person to have won the UEFA Women's Champions League as a player and manager.
Previous Meetings…
Chelsea have had the better of the meetings between the two sides, boasting an unbeaten record against the Hammers.
West Ham did gain a point in the clash at Stamford Bridge in 2019, which saw Gilly Flaherty equalise against her former club to cancel out Bethany England's first-half opener. Overall, in 17 meetings, Chelsea have won 16.
However, all runs have to come to an end at some point, and Skinner's Hammers will be determined to make history on Wednesday night.
