The race for the FA Women’s Super League took a major swing following Manchester City’s defeat at home to Arsenal. A Manchester City win could’ve all but confirmed the title for the Cityzens going into the final match day, but their slump to the Gunners has brought back life to the race. Chelsea were the major beneficiaries of this result. In Emma Hayes’s final campaign as Chelsea boss, she has endured a difficult run of form in recent weeks. Up until a month ago, the Blues were on course for a historic quadruple.
However, losing in the League Cup final to Arsenal, the FA Cup semi-finals to Manchester United and being dumped out of the Champions League to holders Barcelona meant they were eliminated from all cup competitions in the space of a month. Following these defeats, they lost a crucial league game to Liverpool in a 4-3 thriller, resulting in Emma Hayes conceding the title to the Manchester side.
“We will never give up but the title is far from us, it’s not in our hands. I think the (Manchester) City deserving of their consistency has put them in that position and of course, we will go to the end but I don’t think the title will be heading to us this year,” said Hayes.
Yet, Manchester City’s unexpected 2-1 loss to Arsenal snapped a 14-match winning streak for the Cityzens which dated back to November. This provided a glimmer of hope for Hayes’s side who thrashed Bristol City 8-0, closing the gap to Manchester City by 3 points with a game in hand while boosting a superior goal difference.
Chelsea’s game in hand is away at Tottenham Hotspur who they beat 2-1 in the opening game of the season. A win would put them level at the top with Manchester City, but above them on goal difference. In the final game of the season, Chelsea face Manchester United away from home while Manchester City face Aston Villa.
City will be without Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw as she sustained a foot injury in their 5-0 rout against West Ham on April 21. The Jamaican international is the Women’s Super League’s top goal scorer with 21 goals in 18 games and will be a vital miss against Carla Ward and Aston Villa, who will be managing her final game as Villa boss.
Chelsea’s away game to Manchester United will bring to an end a 12-year stint for Emma Hayes as Chelsea manager. In that period, she has won six Women’s Super League titles, five Women’s FA Cups, and two FA Women’s League Cups. She’ll be looking to add a seventh league title before heading to North America, when she begins her reign as the coach of the United States Women’s National Team.