Emma Hayes admits Chelsea were 'complacent' in Conti Cup final
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes admitted she was 'disappointed' by the 'complacency' in her team's performance after their 3-1 loss to Arsenal in the Conti Cup final.
The Blues started the match quickly, with Sam Kerr scoring the opener inside two minutes. But the Gunners fought back, and managed three goals from Stina Blackstenius, Kim Little, and an own goal from Chelsea's Niamh Charles to claim the first major trophy of the season.
"The blistering start killed us. We sat off after scoring, and once Arsenal equalised we saw the difference between a team that has won a lot and a team that hasn’t won a lot," Hayes said after the loss.
"I thought [Arsenal's] hunger and desire in the duels, in everything they did, was at a much better intensity than us. The best team won, there’s no doubt about that whatsoever.
"I’m disappointed with us. Our standards are higher than that. You can’t concede three goals against a team that hasn’t won a lot, and they haven’t won a lot domestically, and for me that was the biggest difference. They were significantly more hungry than my team.
"Losing so many duels in the first half [was the most disappointing thing]. They dominated all over the pitch and I thought Kim Little was deservedly player of the match. Sometimes you need a reality check, and today the best team won.
"I think there was complacency in the performances. We’ve won a lot, they haven’t, and today they wanted it more than us. Simple as."