Emma Hayes hails Chelsea’s FA Cup winners as ‘best I’ve ever coached’

Emma Hayes said her current group of players is the “best I’ve ever coached” after Chelsea’s hard-fought 3-2 victory against Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

“Honestly, those women will go down in history,” a beaming Hayes said. “I will look back in 10 years’ time and I’ll be like: ‘That group was immense.’ It’s the best team I’ve ever coached.

“I totally understand that we always want to talk about perfection in football but having been on the winning side more often than not, let me tell you, it’s about human endeavour. And we have a group of people who are not going to be on the losing team, they’ll find a way.”

Hayes’s team twice took the lead in a thrilling chess match of a game that went to extra time in front of a record crowd for the final. Sam Kerr put Chelsea ahead in the 33rd minute only for Lauren Hemp to equalise shortly before half-time. Erin Cuthbert restored Chelsea’s lead just after the hour but the City substitute Hayley Raso scored with a minute of normal time remaining. Kerr struck again in the first half of extra time.

The Manchester City manager, Gareth Taylor, said that rather than disappointment he felt pride in the fight shown by his side. “Of course I’m biased but I felt we were the dominant team for large periods of the game,” he said. “We showed character to bounce back.

“We were the only team in extra time that I felt was going to go on and do it but then we made a slight error on the halfway line which ended up costing us. Obviously, it’s difficult then because Chelsea can see the finish line and see the game out.

“My feeling at the moment isn’t really disappointment. Of course, we have lifted the trophy before and wanted to do it again but at the moment my feeling is of pride for the