Wolfsburg Ladies ended Chelsea’s outside hopes of making the Champions League final by winning 2-0 in their second-leg match to take the tie 5-1 on aggregate.
Chelsea, who went down 3-1 in the first leg at Kingsmeadow and needed a minimum of three away goals to make the final, were denied what looked like a good shout for a penalty in the first half, when Eniola Aluko was brought down by a Lena Gössling challenge.
However, Pernille Harder put the tie to bed in the 69th minute when she slotted past Hedvig Lindahl after a nicely timed run into the box. The final nail in Chelsea’s coffin came from Ewa Pajor, whose late header added to the Wolfsburg tally.
No English side have managed to reach the final since Arsenal’s triumph in 2007. However, this season has proved to be positive for the English clubs as it is the first time two of them have reached the final-four stage.
Chelsea, who are top of the Women’s Super League One and three points clear of second-placed City, will face Arsenal in the FA Cup final on 5 May.
Domestically, an Ellen White hat-trick earned Birmingham City a 3-0 win over Arsenal in the WSL. The England striker chipped in the opener after 11 minutes and then added another before the half-time whistle, when she successfully diverted a cross beyond Sari van Veenendaal.
The goalkeeper later saved an Aoife Mannion penalty but it was not enough for Arsenal as White put the result beyond doubt late on with a first-time finish.
Liverpool hosted Everton at Prenton Park in the Merseyside derby but both sides cancelled each other out in a 1-1 draw. The Reds dominated proceedings but it took until just seconds after the break, when Laura Coombs converted from distance, for them to make an impact. Everton drew level in the 65th minute when a substitute, Jodie Brett, scored from close range.
Reading were barely impacted by their goalkeeper being dismissed during the second half as they defeated Sunderland 2-0 away. Fara Williams opened the scoring in the 39th minute when she drove towards the box before calmly finding the back of the net.
Just two minutes later Rachel Furness doubled the lead when she struck a powerful shot from 25 yards. Mary Earps saw red for handling the ball outside the box, but it did little to aid Sunderland.
