Chelsea vs Ajax LIVE: Women’s Champions League result and final score from quarter-final tonight

Emma Hayes was simple when summing up what separated the sides when they last met in the Women’s Champions League and highlighted what makes the difference for Chelsea.

“I think we showed our experience for sure,” she said. “Calm, composed, even when it’s not perfect we keep our heads, good discipline.

“I think that was the big difference.”

Team news! Chelsea make six changes from the first leg but still look strong. Lauren James and Sjoeke Nusken drop to the bench and are rested ahead of Sunday’s cup final. Mayra Ramirez starts and leads the line, while there are also starts for Fran Kirby and Aggie Beever-Jones.

Chelsea XI: Musovic, Lawrence, Carter, Buchanan, Perisset, Cuthbert, Ingle, Reiten, Kirby, Beever-Jones, Ramirez

Ajax XI: Van Eijk, Kardinaal, Spitse, De Sanders, de Klonia, Noordam, van Gool, Van de Velde, Grant, Leuchter, Tiny Hoekstra

Emma Hayes has admitted that her team are fully focused on getting the job done against Ajax tonight in order to reach the WCL semi-finals and will not be distracted by the prospect of the League Cup final on Sunday.

“I’m not thinking about Sunday, I am only thinking about tomorrow,” she stated in a pre-match press conference ahead of the match.

“We know Ajax are going to come out and be aggressive. We’re expecting that as they have to. We’re prepared for the aggression and their learnings [from the first leg].

“They’re a good side and it’s important for us to keep all of our focus and attention on tomorrow.”

Emma Hayes insists Chelsea will not be taking Ajax lightly this evening despite holding a 3-0 lead in their Women’s Champions League quarter-final tie.

Ahead of the second leg at Stamford Bridge, Hayes said: “The fear of not being in that semi-final is as big a drive as our desire to win. In fact, it’s more.

“There is no one in our dressing room who will take tomorrow’s game lightly or think, just because we’re winning 3-0, that the game is over.

“That is a mistake. It all starts in your mind. When a team has nothing to lose, they play with freedom and they’re often the most dangerous opponents.”

Perhaps Arsenal needed to spend longer browsing the Chelsea club shop. A collection of black Chelsea away socks, complete with blue trim and a white lion on the calf, may have been acquired at the last moment to prevent a kit-clash, but what Arsenal needed most was an answer to Lauren James. A half-hour delay to kick-off did not give Jonas Eidevall enough time to come up with a solution, either, though the rest of the Women’s Super League would have struggled on this form.

James was unstoppable, unplayable, once again turning Stamford Bridge into her personal playground as Chelsea moved a step closer to a fifth consecutive title with a 3-1 thrashing of their rivals. For Arsenal, being sent to the Chelsea megastore could have been put down as a minor embarrassment had they turned up for the delayed kick-off. Instead, Arsenal arrived for their biggest game of the season and ambled to a disorganised, incoherent display. But, really, enough about the socks.

With a looming League Cup final against Arsenal on the horizon this weekend, you may be forgiven in thinking Emma Hayes would not be keen to risk her main stars for tonight’s WCL second leg, especially with Chelsea holding a big aggregate lead.

However, the Chelsea manager says she does not intend on significantly rotating her squad and will be treating Ajax with the respect they deserve.

Hayes did report that defender Nathalie Bjorn is not available for the second leg having not completed a full training session on Tuesday morning.

The Blues have already done the hard work in this quarter-final tie and now just need to see out the game at Stamford Bridge to punch their ticket to the semi-finals.

Emma Hayes’ team were excellent in Amsterdam, taking early control of the game through Lauren James before Sjoeke Nusken’s brace handed them complete command of the tie.

Ajax are going to need to produce something special to have any hope of advancing to the last four. They did score three goals in their win over PEC Zwolle in Eredivisie Women at the weekend, although they shipped three in return.

Chelsea are on a relentless run of form, winning their last six and conceding one goal in the process. Their one defeat at home this term came against Super League title rivals Manchester City on a day to forget for Hayes’ outfit.

Mayra Ramírez has recovered from injury and could make her first European appearance for Chelsea since her January move from Levante – for who she played in round 1 against Stjarnan and Ajax’s Dutch rivals Twente (losing 3-2 from 2-0 up).

Last time out against Ajax, Chelsea cruised to a dominant and healthy 3-0 win. Here’s how they did it:

The climax of Emma Hayes’ dynasty is fast approaching and there is only one form that they will want that climax to take. Much still needs to be done before Chelsea can ensure her final game is the Champions League final, but the manner of their quarter-final first leg victory over Ajax showed that they would be fitting finalists.

It wasn’t pretty; it definitely wasn’t easy. That, however, is the crucial part. Chelsea were tested, they struggled to find their best rhythm, but they were patient and it paid dividends.

It was Ajax who had the better of the starts on Tuesday, spurred on by a record crowd for a women’s game in the Netherlands, their vocal home support, and the knowledge that they had a point to prove.

Chelsea should wrap up a big win even with a rotated side - then their full focus will turn to the semi-final clash with Barcelona, in all probability.

Chelsea 4-0 Ajax.