With a record crowd for a Continental League Cup final turning out at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground – as the 6,743 in attendance surpassed the crowd for Arsenal’s win over Notts County in 2015 – there was no shortage of action as two of the country’s top clubs went toe to toe over 90 pulsating minutes of action.

Emma Hayes’s side struck first through Bethany England, who took her tally for the season to 20 with a typical poacher’s finish with only nine minutes on the clock.

For much of this contest, it looked as though our No.9’s goal would be enough to decide the fate of the trophy, as both sides spurned clear opportunities.

Arsenal will point to the excellence of Ann-Katrin Berger, who pulled off at least three excellent saves, as a big factor in that, but there was nothing the German keeper could do to keep out Leah Williamson’s scuffed effort from creeping in with only five minutes remaining.

At that stage, it looked like we were destined for extra time and most Blues fans would have taken that, as we were on the backfoot for much of the second half.

However, there was one more twist to come in stoppage time – although there was nothing surprising about the identity of the match-winner.

Sam Kerr and Maren Mjelde combined down the right-hand side, giving the latter just enough space to squeeze a cross to the back post, which a sliding England gleefully slid home.

It was yet another big game in which she has stepped up to the plate, but this was a true team effort, owing as much to a resolute defensive display as it did our attacking excellence.

And at the end of it all, the players and Hayes – wearing green as a homage to Brian Clough, who managed at this stadium with distinction for so many years – finally got their hands on the one piece of domestic silverware which had eluded us.

With the first trophy of the season in the bag and big matches still to come in the Barclays Women’s Super League and FA Cup, this could yet be our greatest season yet.

For now, however, it’s all about basking in the glory of another final victory and the sixth piece of major silverware lifted over the past five years.

Hayes opted to stick with the same starting line-up which took to the field for our thrilling 3-3 draw with Manchester City in the Barclays Women’s Super League last Sunday.

That meant Berger continued in goal, protected by a back four of Mjelde, Millie Bright, Magdalena Eriksson – captaining the side for the first time in a cup final – and Jonna Andersson. In midfield, Erin Cuthbert and Guro Reiten flanked the central duo of Sophie Ingle and Ji-So Sun, while our attack was led once again by England and Kerr.

The key to our thumping victory over the Gunners earlier this year was a quick start, and it was clear Hayes’s side were looking to get on the front foot from the opening whistle as we immediately took the game to our London rivals.

Arsenal were ripped apart by the neat link-up play between England and Kerr, which saw the latter play in Reiten for what looked like a clear run at goal. Just as she pulled the trigger, however, Gunners centre-half Viktoria Schnaderbeck lunged in to make a crucial block.

It proved to be a temporary reprieve for Joe Montemurro’s side, though, as we took the lead from our next attack through, you guessed it, England. The Blues No9 has enjoyed her best-ever campaign in front of goal, with this No.20 of 2019/20 as she once again found the back of the net when it mattered most.

Hayes will have particularly enjoyed that the goal was created by a cross from one full-back, Andersson, which was headed back into the danger zone by the other, Mjelde. England turned sharply on the ball before rifling home a left-footed shot which gave us the lead with only nine minutes on the clock.

The response from Arsenal, five times winners of the competition and the holders, was swift. Although shouts for a penalty were waved away following a clumsy challenge by Ji on Leah Williamson, the Gunners kept the ball alive and a cross to the back stick was headed powerfully at goal by Louise Quinn, drawing a magnificent save from Berger.

The Blues keeper was called into action again a few minutes later, saving smartly at the feet of Jordan Nobbs and then again from an optimistic effort from Vivianne Miedema. Cup finals typically take a little while to get going as both sides feel their way into the contest, but this one had started at a relentless pace.

As if to emphasise that point, Chelsea went straight up the other end and came within a few inches of extending our lead, as Reiten send a flicked header just wide of the post. Had she left the ball for Kerr, who was lurking just behind her, there may well have been a different outcome.

We went even closer from another header, as this time Reiten turned provider and England met her clipped cross with a perfectly timed leap which sent the ball only a yard the wrong side of the near post, with Manuela Zinsberger comfortably beaten.

As the game approached half-time, Kerr forced the Gunners keeper into a save with her feet and then her compatriot, Foord, could only find the side-netting when well placed inside the area, but a one-goal lead for Hayes’s side was probably a fair reflection of the opening 45 minutes.

With no changes made by either manager during the interval, the Blues looked to strike another early blow when the action resumed in the second half, but Reiten and England were both unable to make the best of decent openings.

Although Arsenal began to take control of the game, enjoying greater possession in our territory albeit without forcing Berger into a meaningful save – although Miedema’s low angled strike was only an inch or so wide – we still remained a threat on the counter. One such chance fell to Kerr, who chased down what looked to be a lost cause but still managed to force Zinsberger into a good save.

At the other end, Berger was finally called into action and, just as on the previous two occasions, it was a top stop by the German keeper. Miedema got up well at the back post to head a cross towards the far corner, but our No.30 got down well to tip it wide for a corner.

With the Gunners continuing to threaten Hayes took action to try and shore things up, introducing Maria Thorisdottir for the final quarter of an hour. The Norwegian, of course, scored a fantastic winner against Arsenal back in October, but this time her job was to stifle the opposition’s creative threat from central areas.

However, Arsenal were still having joy from wide areas and when another cross by Foord was missed by Mjelde, we were indebted to another fantastic save from Berger, who dived to her right to keep out the Dutch striker’s effort from a tight angle.

The pressure finally told, though, as Montemurro’s side drew level from the resulting corner. It was a scrappy effort from Williamson, who scrambled the ball home at the second attempt after her header was blocked, but the travelling Gunners contingent didn’t mind that one little bit. On the balance of play in the second half, few in Blue could argue that it hadn’t been on the cards.

As the referee indicated five minutes of added time, it looked to be a case of holding out for extra time – but that’s not what this Chelsea side is about! Kerr showed strength, determination and no small amount of skill to get past her marker by the corner flag, before dropping a perfect pass into the pass of Mjelde.

The Norwegian specialises in late glory and here she was again, showing remarkable composure to pick out the sliding England at the back post, who had the simplest task of tapping it in. Cue bedlam on the pitch, in the dugout and the stands! What a moment – surely the Continental League Cup was ours for the first time.

There was simply no response from our opponents, with so little time remaining, and they were understandably crestfallen at seeing the trophy slip away from them so late in the day. The final whistle went and One Step Beyond blared out of the speakers at the City Ground, which could only mean one thing – another trophy for Hayes and her players.

That now completes the set of domestic honours, as the Conti Cup can be added to the FA Cups and WSL titles won in previous years. And after two Doubles in our recent history, a first Treble remains on the cards, although that talk would be for another day as the celebrations began in earnest.

The bulk of Hayes’s squad now head off on international duty, returning for an FA Cup sixth-round trip to Everton on Sunday 15 March. Our next fixture at Kingsmeadow takes place a week later when we host the Toffees in the WSL. You can buy your ticket for that game now!

Arsenal Zinsberger; Williamson, Van de Donk, Nobbs (c), Miedema, Roord, McCabe, Quinn, Evans, Foord, SchnaderbeckUnused subs Peyraud-Maginin, Maier, Grant, Filis, MaceScorer Williamson 85Booked Quinn 81

Chelsea (4-4-2) Berger; Mjelde, Bright, Eriksson (c), Andersson; Cuthbert, Ingle, Ji (Thorisdottir 75), Reiten; England, Kerr (Spence (90+3)Unused subs Telford, Blundell, Carter, Cooper, BachmannScorer England 9, 90+2Booked Eriksson 57, Cuthbert 77

Referee Helen Conley

Crowd 6,743