West Ham United Women v Chelsea
Continental Tyres League Cup semi-final, Chigwell Construction Stadium, Thursday 9 February 2023, 7.15pm GMT
West Ham United Women are looking to make history on Thursday evening in more ways than one.
Having never reached the final of the Continental Tyres League Cup, or ever beaten Chelsea in a competitive outing – so it could be a night of first for Paul Konchesky’s side if things go their way.
However, they will have to get past a side full of quality in the shape of Barclays Women’s Super League champions Chelsea if they are to reach the final, which will be held at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park on Sunday 5 March 2023.
Here’s everything you need to know about the clash with the Blues.
Tickets...
A limited number of tickets are available for West Ham United Women's semi-final against Chelsea!
A very limited number of tickets also be available from the Ticket Office at Chigwell Construction Stadium on the day, priced from as little as £8 for Adults and £3 for Juniors!
How to follow…
Thursday's match will be simulcast on both BBC iPlayer and The FA Player, with kick-off for the clash against the Blues at 7:15pm GMT.
You can also follow the action across our social media channels, while highlights and exclusive reactions will follow after the final whistle on whufc.com.
Travel...
Fans attending Thursday’s fixture at Chigwell Construction Stadium should note that parking is not available at the ground, so supporters are advised to make use of public transport.
If you are driving to the ground from the north, leave the M25 at Junction 27 and take the M11 towards London. At the end of the M11 continue onto the A406 towards Docklands (A13) and London City Airport. At the intersection with the A13, turn onto this road in the direction of the Dartford Crossing.
At the junction with the A1306, leave the A13 and join the A1306 towards Dagenham. At the third set of traffic lights turn left just before the McDonalds into Ballards Road. At the end of this road, you will come to a large roundabout.
Turn left and proceed up Rainham Road South, passing Dagenham East tube station on the left and Victoria Road is a quarter of a mile further on, on the same side of the road.
If driving to the ground from the south, leave the M25 at Junction 31 and take the A13 towards Central London. Exit the A13 onto the slip road, signposted Dagenham/Dagenham East. At the end of the slip road at the double roundabout turn right, then go under the A13. At the T-junction turn left onto the A1306. At the second set of lights turn right onto the B178.
At the end of this road you will come to a large roundabout. Turn left and proceed up Rainham Road South, passing Dagenham East tube station on the left and Victoria Road is a quarter of a mile further on, on the same side of the road.
Supporters are advised to check their journeys before travel, with resources such as TfL's Journey Planner or the TfL Go app helping to plan your journey.
Supporters may also wish to visit the National Rail website to plan their journey if travelling on the rail network.
Team News…
In his pre-match press conference, Konchesky maintained the fact that he had a near-fully-fit squad to choose from ahead of the match.
"We've got the same players available as we had on Sunday against Arsenal. We're obviously still without Jess Ziu and I think this game will come too soon for Amber Tysiak.
"It’s always good to have the decisions to make when it comes to selection, and it means that we will have a really strong bench to when we need to."
The Opposition…
There is no doubting the task West Ham United Women face tonight. A first Conti Cup final though is the prize should the Irons defeat Chelsea for the first time in their professional history.
The Blues are a stern opponent. The two-time Conti Cup winners rightly sit with the reputation, form and quality of one of the best teams across the globe.
With three straight Barclays Women’s Super League titles, Emma Hayes’ side has continued the form into 2022/23. The Blues are two points clear at the top of the table after a 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur last time out and have performed in cup competitions as well.
They topped their Women’s Champions League Group, which also featured Paris Saint-Germain Féminines and Real Madrid Femenino, with six wins from six fixtures, and like the Irons, seek an appearance in the Conti Cup final tonight.
Chelsea has achieved a final appearance in the last three Conti Cups, winning the competition twice.
The Irons will seek to end that run of finals tonight and in doing so make their own piece of history in this competition.
After replacing former Hammers coach Matt Beard in August 2012, Emma Hayes has been in the dugout in west London for over a decade.
Under her tenure, the trophies have followed too. Hayes became the first manager to win three consecutive Barclays Women’s Super League titles when Chelsea won the league – again – in 2021/22. Hayes has also been named Manager of the Season in the last three WSL campaigns.
After a league and FA Cup double last season, Chelsea will seek more trophies under Hayes this season. With her reputation as a serial winner clear then, you would expect her run of titles to continue into 2022/23. The Hammers will hope that does not come in the Conti Cup.
The West Ham United Family
At West Ham United, we are proud to be based in one of the most multicultural areas of the country where equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of everything we do. Regardless of ethnicity, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation or beliefs, everyone is welcome at our Club.
We have been awarded the Advanced level of the Premier League’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Standard (PLEDIS) – the highest level which can be achieved. Our aspiration is to be the equity leader in football and alongside our supporters, this is something we are continually looking to build on and improve.
We thank all of our fans for their ongoing support and for helping us to eradicate the bad behaviours which do not represent our Club, our community or our West Ham United family.
You can get behind the team in Dagenham on Thursday evening, with tickets available from as little as £8 for Adults and £3 for Juniors.
Click on the graphic below to get your tickets!
