Erin Cuthbert is known as the “aggressivity booster” on the Chelsea squad. She’s someone who sets the tone, drives standards and holds her team-mates to account.
When head coach Sonia Bompastor criticised her players’ lack of “desire” in their 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday, it was Cuthbert who led the response four days later. In Sunday’s Women’s Super League (WSL) match — the third of four back-to-back meetings between the teams across three competitions — the midfielder embodied that desire with a 91st-minute goal that sealed Chelsea’s 2-1 victory and put the league title that much more in hand.
There was no doubt among her team-mates that Cuthbert would put her head where it hurts to connect with Ashley Lawrence’s inviting delivery to seal three points. “It was just about getting myself in the box,” said Cuthbert. “I might not be the biggest aerial threat, maybe that’s why they didn’t mark me, but I certainly will dive at everything.”
As Lawrence went to cross the ball, Cuthbert accelerated. There was one thing on her mind.
“Ashley has done really well to sit (Kerstin) Casparij down and create a wee opening for the cross,” said the Scotland international. “When that ball was coming in — it was a perfect ball — I just tried to get myself on the end of it and put everything on it: head, body, shoulder, everything. Everything was going in the net, including myself.”
The 5ft 4in (163cm) midfielder roamed into the penalty area unmarked and timed her run well. She wheeled away and roared at the away fans, clutching the Chelsea badge in her hands. The moment embodied the energy boost Chelsea needed to keep their hopes of an unbeaten WSL season alive.
“It means so much to me,” Cuthbert, holding a post-game meal of butterfly chicken and chips, said. “It’s hard to put it into words. I’d love to bottle those moments up and just keep it when I need it.”
Erin Cuthbert jumps in celebration after her last-minute winner (James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
The 26-year-old, who signed a new contract earlier this month until the summer of 2027, made her presence felt as soon as she came on in the 55th minute, harrying Manchester City midfielder Yui Hasegawa. Her intensity helped dictate Chelsea’s tempo.
“She gives her heart and soul every single game,” said her captain, Millie Bright. “We needed that little bit of grit, extra fire and a bit more energy, bodies in the box and that willingness to get on the end of the cross. I expect nothing less of her. I know her inside and out, she is a remarkable leader, driving us forward and we needed that higher up as well.”
In the first half, Bompastor cut a frustrated figure on the touchline. In one moment, she spun around and shouted as her side gave away the ball. In another moment, she punched her hand as forward Maika Hamano was late to the press. Following Wednesday’s loss to City, and in preparation for the Champions League second leg at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, Chelsea rotated six players. In doing so, their press suffered, looking disjointed.
Chelsea failed to register a shot on target in the first half and had an expected goals value — a measurement of the quality of chances created — of 0.31 compared to City’s 0.91.
City caused Chelsea problems in the first half as Kerolin Nicoli terrorised the visitors down the right wing. She ran at Bright one-on-one on the half-hour mark. Although the England international slowed her down, neither she nor Niamh Charles engaged, allowing Kerolin to slot the ball between Bright’s legs for the opener.
Midfielder Jess Park nearly doubled City’s lead when she curled a ball into the top corner, but referee Kirsty Dowle brought play back for a foul on Kerolin despite blowing her whistle just after Park struck the ball. The officials also failed to spot an offside decision when City midfielder Laura Coombs ran across Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton, potentially blocking the goalkeeper’s sight of the ball for City’s opener.
Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor appeared frustrated with her side’s pressing in the first half (Robbie Jay Barratt/Getty Images)
With her side down 1-0 at half-time, Bompastor showed clear frustration on the sideline but remained composed during the break.
When asked if her coach was angry, Cuthbert said: “Not as much as you might think. It was more tactical, things we’d worked on in training and weren’t executing in the game. We didn’t get our press right. We wanted to press more aggressively.”
Bompastor told her players she wanted to see more belief. She balanced her role as coach between being “demanding” and “supportive”.
“Confidence at the high level is really important,” she said after the game.
Chelsea started the second half on the front foot with a more intense press and four minutes after the restart, Aggie Beever-Jones finished off a well-worked move. Then came the reinforcement. As Bompastor brought on quality and experience in Cuthbert, Keira Walsh and Mayra Ramirez, City looked tired without much squad depth.
“At times (City) felt that they couldn’t breathe and we were creating clear-cut chances,” said Cuthbert.
Chelsea turned the screw and peppered City with threatening attacks. In the second half, they had 23 shots to City’s five, registered eight on target, and increased their xG to 2.37 while reducing City’s to 0.39.
Bompastor wanted a reaction from her players and she got one.
“Sometimes you think because we are Chelsea, it’s easy to do that, but it’s never easy for the players,” the former France international said. “Showing this reaction was the best thing we could have done.”
While Chelsea want to wrap up the WSL title race as soon as possible, the defeat is damning for City as they are now seven points off the European qualification spots. But City have the upper hand in midweek. For Chelsea to progress to the Champions League semi-finals, they must overturn a 2-0 deficit on Thursday. If Cuthbert can harness the same desire she displayed on Sunday, she might just lead that charge.
(Top photo: Nick Potts / PA Images via Getty Images)
