For the fourth consecutive season, the Women’s Super League (WSL) title battle came down to the final day. Chelsea won for the fourth time in a row, claiming their fifth title in a row, as legendary manager Emma Hayes celebrated her retirement in style.
Meanwhile, the top six of Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Everton, and Tottenham all won to keep the WSL table unchanged from the previous matchday, while Lyon won another title following the inaugural playoff final in France.
Chelsea victorious; Manchester United terrible.
Few teams in the world excel at staying the course, slogging through games, and crossing the finish line like Emma Hayes’ Chelsea. Going into the last game against Manchester United, the Blues were level on points with Man City and knew all they had to do was equal or improve their opponents’ result to win the title. But they finished in style, defeating United 6-0 at Old Trafford.
Arsenal and Chelsea are planning a historic visit of the United States, according to sources.ESPN
Chelsea’s club-record signing, Mayra Ramírez, led the charge after returning from injury, scoring two goals in a 4-0 first-half performance. The team was dominant and clinical. The spotlight was always going to be on them and departing manager Hayes in her final game before taking over the USWNT, but it’s difficult to ignore how bad United were.
Yes, United’s season was almost finished — they had won the FA Cup the previous weekend and faced an unlikely position to reclaim fourth place from Liverpool — but their defence provided no resistance and was thoroughly swamped by Chelsea from the start.
After taking a significant step previous season to lean on their defensive core and compete with the top three to finish second, United’s defeat to the eventual champions was devastating and demonstrated how much they had regressed this season.
City loses its way in front of goal.
City had a chance to win their first WSL title since 2016, but it would always take either a Chelsea stumble or a massive scoreline to tip the scales on goal difference.
Gareth Taylor’s offense, which had been so reliable this year, needed to be at their best in Villa’s box, but they were adrift without injured WSL leading scorer Bunny Shaw to lead the way. Mary Fowler’s opener could have opened the floodgates, but Villa’s defence remained compact, and with Anna Leat in goal, City were unable to find the finishing touch to add the necessary goals.
Lauren Hemp ultimately found the winner to secure a 2-1 victory, but the title race had already been lost due to events a
t Old Trafford. City, unlike Chelsea, does not have a history of fighting and scrapping — the season they won the title, they went unbeaten — and if they want to achieve the same level of success as the men’s team, they must adopt a winning attitude.
Villa, for their part, performed enough to withstand the visitors’ siege, but were unable to give manager Carla Ward the farewell she deserved. The club has progressed significantly under her guidance in recent years, but with her replacement yet to be announced, they are entering a period of uncertainty.
Arsenal finished on a high.
The Jonas Eidevall period at Arsenal has seen many good results and performances, as well as some silverware, but it has also been extremely erratic, which is one of the reasons the Gunners finished third, five points behind.
In a season marked by record crowd growth and a Conti Cup win, Arsenal were dominant in their final game, defeating a depleted Brighton 5-0 in the final game of club legend Vivianne Miedema’s career. After Alessia Russo’s first-half double, it was one-way traffic, and Miedema scored her final goal at Borehamwood with her first touch after coming off the bench, before setting up Frida Maanum late on to remind everyone of her abilities.
Although it’s evident she’s not in Eidevall’s plans, the club and manager have reached a potential stalemate. Questions have been asked as to why Arsenal was not interested in keeping the 27-year-old, who is expected to hit her peak after returning from a long-term injury, around next season, and they will need to make some progress to cut the gap on the top two.
Brighton, however, have struggled following a summer of major recruiting and investment, and have not appeared settled under interim manager Mikey Harris since Melissa Phillips’ dismissal in February. If a team with lofty aspirations wants to compete at the highest level, it appears that they must start over.
Liverpool cements fourth place.
Over the years, there have been numerous teams outside of the conventional top three (Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester City) that have pushed to finish in the top four before slipping back the next season. While Manchester United have routinely outperformed the rest, Liverpool are now in a strong position to make it a five-horse race.
In only their second season back in the WSL, Matt Beard’s Reds finished fourth, and their 4-0 victory over Leicester City revealed as much about them as it did about their opponents. They were ahead early on thanks to Sophie Román Haug, but they did not gain a cushion until beyond the hour, when Leanne Kiernan came on and scored three goals. There is still a long way to go before the Merseysiders can consistently threaten those above them, but their progress has been significant.
The encounter also marked Leicester’s eighth consecutive game without a win, and while relegation never threatened the Foxes, it was a dismal season finale for a club with significant potential. How they recover from Willie Kirk’s departure in April could define their long-term prospects.
Could Liverpool challenge higher in the WSL next season?
Spurs secure their first win of the month.
Following a sad FA Cup final loss to Manchester United and a close 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in midweek, Spurs needed to finish a memorable season on a high note. And, following a 3-1 victory over West Ham United, it appears that many of the pieces are in place for manager Robert Vilahamn next season. Bethany England’s half-volley in the fourth minute opened the scoring, and following West Ham’s level, they found a way back through Jess Naz, before Drew Spence struck the game-winner with a rocket from range. Sixth place and 31 points feels like a success given their relegation difficulties previous season resulted in 18.
West Ham United, who are second from bottom, are struggling to see the season in a positive light. There has been some improvement as Rehanne Skinner has added some quality to the team, but with four managers and six WSL campaigns behind them, there are concerns about their long-term viability in the top division.
Toffees exacerbate Robin’s sorrow.
Bristol City were already relegated after a brutal return to the WSL that saw them end with one win and six points in total, so there was nothing they could do when Everton arrived with their shooting boots on to seal a 4-0 victory. Brian Sørensen’s squad won convincingly with four different scorers, demonstrating their potential despite serious injury concerns this season.
Lauren Smith, on the other hand, received an unfavorable conclusion to a lengthy season. The Robins are a warning tale for any team promoted from the Championship, as the gap between the two leagues appears to be widening.
Lyon claims their 17th title.
France’s Division 1 Féminine concluded on Friday with its inaugural playoff final to determine the league winner. Ultimately, there were few surprises, either in terms of who made the final — Lyon and PSG both advanced from the semifinals against fourth-placed Stade de Reims and third-placed Paris FC, respectively — or Lyon’s eventual 2-1 victory.
Lyon won the title for the 17th time in 18 seasons (PSG in 2021 was the only exception), with Delphine Cascarino scoring the opening goal and former PSG player Kadidiatou Diani adding a quick second. Tabitha Chawinga’s second-half strike gave PSG hope, but Lyon did what they do best and finished the game.
Lyon may find the match to be a good warm-up for their Champions League final against Barcelona on Saturday evening, albeit the Catalans will be a very different opponent.
The leadership from both the coaching staff and experienced players has been instrumental in maintaining high standards and motivation.
Arsenal and Chelsea are planning a historic visit of the United States, according to sources.ESPN
Chelsea’s tactical flexibility allows them to adapt their gameplay to different opponents, making them a formidable challenge.
Their defensive line has been impressive, demonstrating excellent organization and communication throughout the season.