That can be particularly advantageous when it comes to the way Chelsea approach these games. Reflecting on last year’s League Cup final, which saw the Blues beat Man City 2-1 to win the trophy, Cuthbert recalls that it “became any old game” to her, “because at that point in the season, every game is a cup final”.
“Yes, there’s a trophy at stake, but there’s a trophy at stake in every single game that we’re competing in,” she explains. “That’s the sort of mindset that, if you get in a habit that every single game matters, it means you’re not going to be over-awed by the occasion.”
Do other teams have that mentality? Chelsea have been battling for multiple trophies for many years while Sunday’s opponents United,…