Erin Cuthbert has praised her Chelsea team mates ‘positive’ and ‘encouraging’ attitudes towards each other in a goal fest at Kingsmeadow.
The defending Adobe Women’s FA Cup champions Chelsea made short work of their fourth round opponents Crystal Palace on Saturday. Goals from Sam Kerr, Millie Bright, Alyssa Thompson and Guro Reiten saw Sonia Bompastor’s side secure a 5-0 victory, and a place in the next round.
After the match, one of the stars of it, Chelsea’s Scottish midfield dynamo, Erin Cuthbert spoke to the media and The Halfway Line was present to hear from her.
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‘It’s no secret, I love playing with my friends’ says Erin Cuthbert
Chelsea are a squad with immense young talent but this victory felt like a throw back to excellent Chelsea teams of years gone by. With a brace from Sam Kerr, Guro Reiten and Millie Bright on the scoresheet, alongside an assist or two from Erin Cuthbert, it all felt very familiar. The Halfway Line put that to Cuthbert,
“Listen, you know, it’s no secret, I love playing my friends” Cuthbert said.
“And you know, when you play with your friends, you will do that extra yard, you’re fighting for each other.
“But we’ve been together for a long time. We’ve had some brilliant, brilliant moments, and I’ve really, really enjoyed all the time that we’ve had. You know, I think the last time we played together or started together was like two years ago.
“So I’ll never take the time for granted. So yeah, we spoke about it before the game, just saying, let’s just enjoy it and put our best foot forward. And that is certainly what the girls did, minus me.”
When The Halfway Line reminded Cuthbert that she had set two of those goals up, the Scot smiled and conceded, “yeah true”, with the back of the net clearly still playing on her mind.
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‘I’m still waiting on a goal, full stop!’ exclaims Erin Cuthbert
Within 20 minutes of FA Cup football on Saturday, Erin Cuthbert had set up two goals. One a dead ball expertly directed onto the head of Millie Bright, the other an inch perfect through ball for Sam Kerr to run onto and finish. It was all in a days work for Cuthbert, even if she bemoans the fact she didn’t get on the scoresheet, “I’m still waiting on a goal, full stop!”
It is almost certainly one of the reasons Cuthbert has been at the top of her game for so long, that need to always ask more of yourself,
“I need to score. In general, I think that’s the part of my game today that I was disappointed in” Cuthbert admitted.
Cuthbert went onto explain what did go well for Chelsea in their comfortable victory,
“I think how we sort of kept the foot in the gas a little bit after the first and second goals. We just kept going and going and something that maybe in times gone by, we maybe dropped off, dropped a level a little bit, let teams back into the game.
“But I think we really kept a foot on the gas, and everybody was so positive and encouraging each other. And, you know, we wanted each other to take chances, and we wanted each other to score and I think that was nice.”
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Facing Kim Little always means ‘a good battle’ relishes Cuthbert
The next couple of weeks may yet define Chelsea’s season, they face Manchester City twice either side of a London derby against Arsenal. Cuthbert looked ahead to a huge clash at Stamford Bridge next weekend against the Gunners,
“Yeah, I’m really looking forward to it” Cuthbert said.
“You know, that’s one in the calendar that you definitely put a big circle around and say, I’m looking forward to that!
“It’s going to be a good one. It’s going to be a big one. And you know, it’s always a big one for the fans and the rivalry, [and] well, I want to keep that in the game. But at the end of the day it’s just three points, and I’ve got to remind myself that when I start to get too far ahead, that it is three points, but we are chasing the title, so it’s an important game for us.”
On facing her former international team mate in Arsenal captain Kim Little, Cuthbert laughed,
“Yeah, we always have a good battle! We hate each other on the pitch and we love each other after. That’s how it goes.”
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Cuthbert lauds ‘great asset’ Sam Kerr
One feature of this Chelsea team is talent at either end of their careers, with both helping to secure victory for Chelsea on Saturday. Sam Kerr’s return to goalscoring form was put to Cuthbert,
“Ah, quality, I love playing with Sam” Cuthbert smiled.
“You know, as soon as I picked the ball up in the central area for my transition, I knew that Sam was already on the run. You just put the ball in the space and and she’s there.
“It’s nice to see her back to her best level. I don’t know if she’ll say that but I certainly think she looks it anyway. But yes, great. She’s a great asset for us to have.”
Alongside Kerr’s experience Chelsea have young players like Lexi Potter who are getting their chance. Potter herself came on for Cuthbert in today’s match,
“Yeah, Lexi [Potter] just wants to absorb, she’s like a sponge even at Cobham she’s always listening to conversations” Cuthbert explained.
“Every time she’s came on she’s made a difference. You can see the fans have really took well to her, and we’re just encouraging her.
“I know that she can be a really, really good player when she’s older and I mean, she is already that, but she can really make her make her mark in this Chelsea team.”