Millie Bright says there will be ‘a lot of pride’ if Chelsea do domestic treble

Chelsea captain Millie Bright says there will be “a lot of pride” if the team cap their remarkable season by lifting the FA Cup to complete a domestic treble.

The Blues headed into 2024-25 starting a new era, with boss Emma Hayes, after a hugely successful 12-year tenure, having left to take charge of the United States and been succeeded by Sonia Bompastor.

The Frenchwoman has subsequently overseen an unbeaten Women’s Super League campaign as a sixth successive title was claimed, plus winning the League Cup.

And Chelsea – knocked out in the last four of this season’s Champions League by Barcelona – can add the FA Cup on Sunday when they face a Manchester United outfit who are the holders and playing in their third consecutive final.

Bright, part of the Chelsea side that won that treble in 2021, said in quotes on the club’s official website: “There would be a lot of pride if we did it. Especially after all the changes we’ve had this season.

“Behind the scenes, we’ve had a lot of hard moments. I don’t think everyone gets to see those, so it would be absolutely incredible to win it.

“I always feel lucky and proud to win one trophy, let alone potentially doing the treble again. It really would be the icing on the cake for the season that we’ve had.”

The 31-year-old added: “I prepare the same way for every game, for any opponent. Sometimes this can be the hardest game because it’s right at the end. But we’re motivated and nothing changes, except it’s the end of the season. We’re making sure everyone has tunnel vision.”

The sold-out Wembley clash will be a rematch of the 2023 meeting in which United, whose women’s side had been launched five years earlier, were debut finalists and lost 1-0.

They then returned to the final the following year – having recorded their first ever victory over Chelsea in the semis – to defeat Tottenham 4-0, securing the team’s first major trophy.

Bright’s fellow England defender Maya Le Tissier, United’s captain since last summer and with the club since 2022, said: “We’ve felt the emotion of both (finals) and I think that’s great for us, with the experience we have now, that we’ve experienced both sides.

“We know what it takes to play against Chelsea, we know we need to put in a very good performance to beat that team, but we really feel like we can do that.

“We’ve got a really special group here so I think, working as a team, we can definitely do it. But, yeah, we’ll definitely draw on those emotions and experiences.”

The sides’ two WSL encounters this season both ended in 1-0 losses for Marc Skinner’s United, who finished third, sealing a Champions League place in their penultimate game as they drew 2-2 with Manchester City at Old Trafford after being reduced to 10 players.

Le Tissier said: “This team is so together, along with the staff. Even when we went down to 10…I always thought we would get through and get Champions League, and I think that shows how strong the unit is.

“I think it’s probably that which gives us the winning mentality that we need, and we’re still building that.”