Manchester City’s Chloe Kelly: ‘Everyone doubted us, but we always believed’

“Everyone else doubted us,” says Chloe Kelly. “But we all believed in ourselves. We believed in the group. We believed in our staff. We didn’t for one minute ever feel sorry for ourselves. Even the games we lost we believe that we should have won because we have the talent in the group, no matter how many injuries we had.”

The Manchester City forward is talking on the eve of Sunday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley, with her team having finished third in the Women’s Super League to claim the final Champions League spot. Having already won the Continental League Cup, it is impossible not to share her pride at City’s incredible turnaround – and a recovery that mirrors her own struggles.

By mid-November, Gareth Taylor’s team had taken just four points from their first seven games, losing four times – as many as they had in the preceding three seasons combined. They were crippled by injuries, with a host of City’s Team GB players sidelined after returning from the Tokyo Olympics, including the club captain, Steph Houghton, the goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck and the Lionesses’ record goalscorer, Ellen White.

Kelly was out too, having torn a ligament in her right knee on 5 May in the penultimate game of the 2020-21 season. At one stage, City languished in ninth with the league title all but lost as Chelsea and Arsenal cantered ahead, their Champions League hopes diminishing. In that context a cup double would be a remarkable achievement, but for City, so used to fighting for the biggest prizes, it’s not enough.

“The Conti Cup was massive,” says Kelly, who watched from the stands as she edged towards her return to the pitch. “As a group we went into it with a lot of confidence, based on our performances since Christmas break.