Johanna Rytting Kaneryd will be outnumbered on Sunday when Chelsea meets Manchester United in the Women’s League Cup final. As one half of Chelsea’s Swedish contingent alongside Nathalie Björn, Rytting Kaneryd is fully aware of the threat her team are up against with United’s squad containing five of her national teammates.

Fridolina Rolfo, Julia Zigiotti Olme, Anna Sandberg, Hanna Lundkvist, and Ellen Wangerheim are all players Rytting Kaneryd knows well. Zigiotti Olme, United’s dominant midfielder, brought in from Bayern Munich last summer, is her closest friend.

Hell No When Asked About Flying Into Tackles

Does that mean she will be more reluctant to fly into tackles? “Hell no. When you’re in your zone and you’re in the game,you don’t really think. Even if it’s one of my best friends, she’s not going to be my best friend when we play against each other,” the winger tells Daily Mail Sport.

She added, “Obviously she knows how I play, and I know how she plays, so I’m just going to have to be extra on it and try to do everything I can to not be an easy player to face.”

More Important Than Ever This Season

Given the need for momentum heading into the final stretch of the season, the League Cup is being treated with the utmost respect by the holders. “It’s more important than ever. We still have four trophies to compete for, but as it looks now, these three trophies are probably the closest ones, so it’s a very important cup to win,” Rytting Kaneryd said.

She continued, “We always want to win everything we compete in, so especially now with everything that’s been happening lately, this will be a great motivation for all of us.”

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Manchester United Women will face Chelsea in their first ever League Cup final on Sunday. The Red Devils will be aiming to win their second trophy in their history after their FA Cup victory in 2024 with summer signing Fridolina Rolfo one of the reasons behind United’s success this season.

In an interview with FourFourTwo, the Swede was asked how she felt about reaching a final in her first season at the club. “It feels great. We’ve been having a great season so far, and now reaching a final, it feels absolutely amazing. We are super excited because it’s these games you want to play, so we’re really looking forward to it,” Rolfo retorted.

Team Spirit Something Unique

One of the factors behind United’s success, which is frequently brought up, is that of the team spirit in the camp. Rolfo was also keen to address this and elaborated, “I would say that the team spirit is something unique and something we bring out with us on the pitch as well. We always work hard for each other, we push ourselves in training and in games, and we want to win together.”

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She added, “Having such a good team spirit is what makes us more successful. We’re having fun together, and we enjoy being together.” Rolfo explained that she wants to help the team in any way she can, whether that is scoring, assisting, or just working hard, as they aspire to win a trophy.

Better Way to Go Into Game

Chelsea have already knocked United out of the FA Cup this season and boast a far superior record over Marc Skinner’s side. Rolfo chose to focus on the positives, though, and asserted confidently, “Not being a favourite, I think that’s almost the better way to go into a game. I prefer being an underdog than a favourite because if you’re a favourite, you have all the pressure on you.”

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Few players know finals like Lucy Bronze. The 34 year old has more than 20 major trophies to her name, including multiple FA Cups, League Cups, and Champions League titles. After joining Chelsea in the summer of 2024, she helped the club complete a domestic treble in her first season.

Next comes another final in the form of the League Cup. Chelsea arrive as three time winners and reigning champions, while Manchester United are appearing in the showpiece for the first time. Bronze is preparing for another major occasion, but has revealed sadness about upcoming changes to the competition.

Every Year You Set Goals for Yourself

“Every year, you set goals for yourself and for the team. Being at Chelsea, it’s always about being in cup finals, about winning trophies, keeping the club at the highest level, and wanting to continue that,” Bronze said. “The League Cup is the first one in the season, the first time you can get your hands on some silverware. I think that’s quite important for the momentum in this part of the season as well.”

With the proposed incoming changes to the League Cup from next season, this could be Bronze’s last opportunity to win the competition. As well as a likely name change, it has been confirmed, subject to approval from the Football Association, that Women’s Super League clubs who qualify for the Women’s Champions League will not compete.

Quite Sad From Player’s Perspective

Bronze expressed her sorrow at the idea that she might not compete in the competition again. “I think it’s sad as a player because you start the season and you look at the silverware available, you look at all the cup finals, and you don’t ever want to take any of them away. So to miss out on that opportunity next year, not all teams being able to compete for all the trophies anymore. From a player’s perspective I find it quite sad.”

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