“As far as I’m concerned, Fran Kirby is a Ballon d’Or contender. So to not be in that conversation is mental for me. She’s that good.” It’s high praise from Kirby’s manager Emma Hayes, no doubt still on a high from that dominant 3-0 FA Cup final win over Arsenal on Sunday at Wembley. In Hayes’ eyes, it was Kirby’s best-ever performance in a Chelsea shirt. There are plenty to choose from. Whether or not individual accolades like the Ballon d’Or should take up too much of the airwaves is up for debate, but the 2021 ceremony was undoubtedly a proud day for Chelsea’s Women’s side. They had five players in the top 11 women’s players at the 2021 Ballon d’Or – Kirby (10th), Sam Kerr (3rd), Pernille Harder (7th), Jessie Fleming (9th) and Magdalena Eriksson (11th) – having won the WSL, League Cup and finishing runners-up in the Champions League last season. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Hayes praised Fran Kirby after their FA Cup final win over Arsen...