Chelsea secured a place in the Women's League Cup final after a goal from Wieke Kaptein and an impressive defensive display saw us defeat Manchester City 1-0 at the Joie Stadium.
During an even first half, Sandy Baltimore produced an exceptional block to deny City striker Bunny Shaw, who had broken through on goal and nipped beyond onrushing Blues goalkeeper Hannah Hampton. It was a key moment in the contest.
In first-half stoppage time, we broke the deadlock as Baltimore shifted the ball onto her right foot and floated a cross into the box that Kaptein headed home to put Sonia Bompastor's side ahead.
We had plenty of defending in the time that remained, and our Women's Super League title rivals struck the post either side of half time. Hampton was also on hand to make a string of impressive saves to preserve our clean sheet and ensure a narrow victory that puts us through to the final of the competition we won last season.
Encouraging start
Bompastor made four alterations to the side that put five goals past Crystal Palace in the Women's FA Cup, bringing in Baltimore, Lucy Bronze, Ellie Carpenter and Sjoeke Nusken into the starting XI in place of Veerle Buurman, Lauren James, Guro Reiten and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.
The Blues started brightly and Baltimore forced two corners in quick succession after breaking free from her marker on the edge of the penalty area and firing threatening shots on goal.
After Hampton denied Shaw at the other end, Bronze went close with a near-post header from a Baltimore corner.
Crucial intervention
It was midway through the first half that a long ball forward found Shaw, who moved beyond Hampton and had a clear sight of goal. The Blues' defence arrived in numbers, with Naomi Girma getting a crucial touch and Baltimore sliding in to prevent the Jamaica international from rolling the ball into an open net.
The French wing-back was involved once more when she whipped a cross into the box from the left-hand side, but Sam Kerr couldn't direct her header on target.
The breakthrough
City had made things tough for us throughout the first half, but it was the Blues who struck first. Baltimore swung in yet another dangerous cross, this time from the right, and Kaptein found herself unmarked to head beyond Ayaka Yamashita and into the back of the net.
The Manchester side were not ready to lie down, though. Striker Vivianne Miedema fired a warning shot to the Blues when she smashed her effort against the right-hand post in first-half stoppage time.
Solid defence
City struck the post for the second time soon after the restart; Kerstin Casparij, on this occasion, was denied by the woodwork. Miedema then went close as she headed just wide before Hampton tipped a shot from Shaw over the bar.
The Chelsea number one was called into action again soon after. One-on-one with Miedema, Hampton made herself big to pull off a superb stop when the Man City striker looked certain to score.
Lauren James was introduced from the substitutes' bench on the hour mark and she soon threatened. Our No.10 let fly with a rocket of a strike towards the top corner, but Yamashita pulled off a great save to deny James a goal on her 100th appearance for Chelsea.
Undeterred, City pressed on and had it not been for a sublime reaction save from Hampton, Yui Hasegawa would've equalised with her effort from the edge of the area.
Hampton saves again
Hampton had yet another save to make in the 89th minute as she tipped a shot from Lauren Hemp around the post. The referee indicated four minutes of added time, setting up a nervy finish to the knockout tie.
With just one remaining, Hemp ran onto a pass in the box before letting the ball run between her legs and out for a goal kick before she could pull the trigger. It was a late let-off.
However, this was a stoic performance from the Blues as we gave everything to defend that narrow advantage and seal our place in the final for the second consecutive season.
What it means...
Chelsea will meet Manchester United in the Women's League Cup semi-final, which will be played at Bristol City's Ashton Gate on 15 March.
What comes next...
Chelsea face a huge London derby clash against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in the Women's Super League on Saturday lunchtime - click here to secure your tickets!
The teams
Chelsea: Hampton, Carpenter, Bronze, Bright (c), Girma, Baltimore, Cuthbert, Nusken (Reiten 81), Kaptein, Thompson (Rytting Kaneryd 89), Kerr (James 60)
Unused subs: Spencer, Peng, Buurman, Potter, Beever-Jones
Scorers: Kaptein 41
Booked: Bronze 21
Manchester City: Yamashita, Rose, Knaak, Greenwood (c), Casparij (Beney 87), Blindkilde Brown, Hasegawa, Hemp, Clinton (Coombs 64), Miedema, Shaw
Unused subs: Keating, Ouahabi, Prior, Thomas, Murphy, Lewis, Adedini
Booked: Casparaj 80
Referee: Phoebe Cross