Hayes is used to winning. Chelsea have won back-to-back Women’s Super League titles and three FA Cups under her guidance, as well as reaching last season’s Champions League final.
And this victory was payback for Chelsea’s defeat by Arsenal on the opening weekend of the WSL season.
“I’ve been here before and I felt so calm today about everything,” said Hayes. “I felt like it was validation. I felt we needed another opportunity after that opening game.
“I felt the players wanted to showcase themselves and deliver on the biggest stage. I thought it was a classy, classy performance.”
One big difference about this victory for Hayes was having her son there to see it. The last time Hayes lifted the trophy, she was pregnant.
She said: “I had a photo with him but it was the worst thing in the world going to see him because he didn’t want to let me go to do the press conference, so he’s upstairs crying his eyes out!
“But I’m sure in years to come, I can go and show him the photos and I know he would have enjoyed it. It’s overwhelming for a three-year-old but it was overwhelming for me.
“I said to [Chelsea captain] Magdalena Eriksson before we sang the national anthem that my son is there – and I could feel my eyes filling up with the pride and joy of him being out of my belly and on the touchline.
“We all go to work for different reasons. I go to work for my family.”
So how will Hayes celebrate?
“I get to drive home 15 minutes away, put Harry in bed hopefully before 8pm and hopefully I get to watch an episode of Succession because I’m really into that at the minute,” she said. “I’ll get to bed before 10.30pm too, I hope!”