DON’T GO BELLY UP
Hayes says Quad-chasers must ‘gut out’ wins
CHELSEA head coach Emma Hayes says her team must “gut out” results – such as their Women’s Super League win over West Ham – as they continue to bid for the elusive Quadruple.
“I’m not going to be harsh, we’re playing a game every three days,” said Hayes, who will leave the club at the season’s end to manage the United States. “When you do this I don’t think it is always going to be top, top performances. But you gut it out.”
The Blues returned to the top of the Women’s Super League with a battling victory at West Ham.
Goals from Aggie Beever-jones and Erin Cuthbert moved the reigning league champions back above rivals Manchester City on goal difference with five league matches remaining.
Hayes’ side were made to work by West Ham following a tough week in which Chelsea put title rivals Arsenal to the sword and thrashed Ajax in the Champions League quarter-finals.
In the opening
20 seconds, the
Hammers nearly took the lead through Viviane
Asseyi’s header, before Beever-jones
(inset) converted at the opposite end after good work from Lauren James.
But the hosts should have levelled before half-time as Honoka Hayashi had the ball in the Chelsea net, only for the Japan international to be ruled offside despite replays showing she was onside.
“I thought we were fortunate to be 1-0 up at half-time,” said Hayes (below). “We struggled, didn’t take responsibility in the right moments.”
Despite the performance being far from comprehensive, Hayes praised her team’s tenacity as they continue to battle through a relentless fixture schedule and an increasing list of injuries to key players.
“If you want to win the league, you have to come here and win,” Hayes said after Chelsea’s sixth successive victory across four competitions.
“I knew what the game would be, so well done to our team. I want to give them a pat on the back.
“Normally I’m hard on them, but today I am really pleased.”