Johanna Rytting Kaneryd opened the scoring after 20 minutes with a stunning right-footed strike before Sjoeke Nusken doubled our advantage nine minutes later.

Those first-half goals proved enough to claim our place in the final, which will be played on Saturday 15 March at Pride Park against either Arsenal and Manchester City. It will be a maiden English showpiece and the first chance to claim silverware for head coach Sonia Bompastor.

And our victory against the Hammers means the Blues are yet to taste defeat across all four competitions this season. Our impressive unbeaten run now stands at 22 matches.

Walsh makes her first Chelsea start

Bompastor made five changes from our Women's Super League win at Aston Villa at the weekend, with Keira Walsh, making her first Chelsea start, Nusken, Rytting Kaneryd, Maika Hamano and Mayra Ramirez all introduced to the side.

The Blues dominated possession during the opening 15 minutes but had no effort to show for it until Ramirez unleashed a strike from distance which failed to trouble goalkeeper Kinga Szemik.

Soon after, Millie Bright flicked on a free-kick to Niamh Charles at the byline, and the left-back then picked out Nathalie Bjorn in the box. She, however, saw her head go over the bar.

Another free-kick was then awarded to Chelsea following a handball from Li Mengwen. It was taken by Hamano and, in a move from the training ground, she cut the ball back to Walsh, who saw her strike blocked by a visiting player inside a crowded box.

An opener did soon arrive and it was Rytting Kaneryd who found the back of the net. It was a finish reminiscent of her strike on the opening day of the season, as the winger powered home from an impressive angle down the right wing.

West Ham looked to respond immediately and burst forward following the restart, but Shekiera Martinez's shot from distance was off target.

The visitors fashioned another opportunity with Vivanne Asseyi latching on to the ball in the final third. An alert Hannah Hampton burst out to clear the danger, with the ball ricocheting off the West Ham player on its way to eventual safety.

After those opportunities for the Hammers, the Blues extended our lead to two. The home side latched on to a stray pass from Katrina Gorry, with Guro Reitein winning possession. She slotted through Nusken who rounded Szemik and tapped the ball into an empty net.

It was almost three just after the half-hour mark as Hamano looked to get herself on the scoresheet, but after unleashing a powerful strike she was denied by a diving West Ham goalkeeper.

Before the half was up, the ball fell to the feet of midfielder Walsh following a corner and our new addition went close to netting on her full debut, but she fired her strike just wide of the post.

Two goals up

With six minutes played in the second half, Rytting Kaneryd went close to adding to our advantage and netting our brace. Ramirez squared a pass across goal from the byline and found the Swedish winger, but she blazed her strike from close range over.

At the other end, the Hammers threatened down the left flank. Verena Hanshaw sent a dangerous-looking ball into the box towards Asseyi which was eventually blocked by Blues captain Bright.

Ramirez then fashioned another opportunity for the hosts; the forward struck a low effort at goal that was comfortably gathered by Szemik.

There was another chance soon after to net out third and goalscorer Nusken turned creator. The German midfielder played a defence-splitting pass to find Hamano, however, her effort was too high and it sailed over the bar.

With 15 minutes to play, the Hammers came close to halving the deficit. Substitute Camila Saez first guided a header from an Asseyi corner onto the roof of the net before Kirsty Smith was denied by Hampton at close range.

Saez had another chance from a header and one Hampton to be alert for. A free-kick was whipped in and the centre-back sent a looping effort towards goal which the Blues goalkeeper collected in the air just off her line.

In injury time, substitute Lauren James looked to round of proceedings when she guided an effort goalwards from the left flank which West Ham goalkeeper Szemik had to punch to safety.

Although there were no further goals following first-half efforts from Rytting Kaneryd and Nusken, our place in the final was secured. And Bompastor and her players now have the first cup final of the season to look forward to.

What it means

In next month's final, Bompastor's side will face the winner of tomorrow night's other League Cup semi-final, with Arsenal hosting Manchester City at Boreham Wood.

It will be the sixth consecutive League Cup final the Blues have contested, with it being the first time any club has reached the showpiece this many times in a row. Chelsea won the domestic competition on two previous occasions in 2019/20 and 2020/21.

What next

The Blues are back in domestic cup duty at Kingsmeadow this weekend, this time in the FA Cup as we host Everton in the fifth round.

The teams

Chelsea: Hampton; Lawrence (James 60), Bright, Bjorn, Charles; Walsh, Nusken; Reiten, Hamano (Kaptein 69), Rytting Kaneryd (Jean-Francois 81); Ramirez (Beever-Jones 60)
Unused subs: Liefting, Mpome, Brown, Cuthbert, Macario
Scorer: Rytting Kaneryd 20, Nusken 29
Booked: Lawrence 27, James 82

West Ham United: Szemik; Nystrom (Brynjarsdottir 72), Li Mengwen, Zadorsky, Smith, Siren (Saez 72), Asseyi, Gorry, Hanshaw, Ueki (Pavi 76), Martinez (Piubel 61)
Unused subs: Walsh, Bergman-Lundin, Denton, Harries, Houssein
Booked: Ueki 75