3 takeaways as Chelsea Women coast past Reading to hoist fourth straight title

Behind two vital goals by none other than Sam Kerr, the Chelsea Women eased past Reading to clinch their fourth successive Women’s Super League title.

Winning takes talent, but to do it over and over again takes character. There was no other way this season could have ended. After losing the first match of the league campaign to Liverpool, the Chelsea Women never looked back.

The task on May 27 was the same Emma Hayes’ side had against Manchester United in 2022. Win, and the title was theirs. It may have been a far inferior opponent compared to last year, but Kelly Chambers and Reading were fighting for their top-fight lives. While they ultimately fell short, you have to feel for the women’s team at Reading who are clearly not being given the same sort of support by its club as the rest of the teams in the WSL.

CFC fans flooded the stands at the Select Car Leasing Stadium with the Royals playing in what looked like more of a road match on their home ground. The Blues pieced together a quality first half, allowing just two shots while scoring two goals to put one hand on the trophy with 45 minutes left in the season. With the title in sight, the west Londoners’ took their foot on the gas in the second half, controlling the the contest at every level of the pitch.

The Blues finished with 10 more goals than any other team in the WSL as Sam Kerr scored her 90th goal of her CFCW career to put a cap on another stellar goal scoring season. Lucia Garcia’s second half goal at Preston Park ended up being meaningless for United whose successful campaign concluded with an honorable second-place finish. Just five of the Blues’ shots challenged the Royals’ stop stopper, but none of that mattered because the home side gave the then three-time champions far too much space in the middle of the park.

Magdalena Eriksson departs the club as someone who has lifted the WSL trophy in every season since being promoted to team captain. As each member of the team received their respective medal, Eriksson and Harder were given the largest round of applauses. It may have been their last day in Chelsea blue, but the appreciation that the two have been given from the fans, the club, and the entire media has been extraordinary.

The team is going to look a little bit different next season, but what the 2022/2023 group pieced together set the stage for what is to come for years to come. Not only did they maintain the standard domestically, they continued to raise the bar in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Here are three takeaways from a match that finally crowned the west London outfit the champions of England for the fourth campaign running.

3 takeaways from the Chelsea Women’s second win at the Select Car Leasing Stadium this season.

3. In front of Sarina Wiegman, Niamh Charles makes a statement

There is nobody on this CFCW roster that has taken a step forward more the Niamh Charles this season. With the England national team manager watching from the stands, the Blues’ No. 21 gave her even more assurance to why she should make the cut for the World Cup this upcoming July. Charles was both dynamic and sturdy in the back with her team just one win away from the title.

Nobody had more tackles plus interceptions than the English international on Saturday afternoon as she continuously disrupted play and progressed it forward at the same time. Only Sophie Ingle, who also had a stellar match had more progressive passes than Charles who accumulated 10. The 23-year-old completed every take-on she attempted, knifing her way through the Royals’ resistance as she created chances in the final third for her teammates.

She may not have contributed to one of the Blues’ goals in the last two games, but Charles’ influence on the flank was quite evident. Who knows if she knew that Sarina Wiegman was in the stands, but after another display like that it is difficult to see her leave Charles out of the squad for this summer’s tournament. As someone who is growing as a defender while affecting the attack going forward, the Blues’ No. 21 provides a sort of versatility that few players in the English domestic top-flight can provide.

2. Guro Reiten caps off her stellar campaign in style

In 21 matches played this season in the WSL, the Norwegian magician Guro Reiten accounted for 20 goal contributions. She may not receive the honors that Kerr obtains, but the left-footed winger continues to do her thing in the shadows put on by uneducated football minds. If you don’t know the quality that the Norwegian brings to an attack already, the World Cup should allow her to show the world why she is one of the most talented in the world.

Reiten does not blow you away with speed like most wingers in the men’s game tend to do, but nobody creates more goal scoring opportunities than the Norwegian herself. Her persistence on the left wing and precision with her cross found Kerr’s head to open up the scoring in the 18′. The Blues’ No. 11 and No. 20 have unmatched chemistry, making the future for this club as bright as can be.

Just before the halftime whistle, Reiten found the back of the net in the first half for the west London outfit for the third time in the last five contests in all competitions. With her goal on Saturday afternoon, the Blues’ No. 11 took sole position of second place in the goal scoring department in the WSL for the west Londoners. Making any sort of mistake with Reiten looming is going to result in disaster for the opponent. Easther Mayi Kith learned that first hand as her touch set the the Norwegian international brilliantly to slide her shot past goalkeeper Grace Moloney to double the away side’s lead.

1. Proving to be mentally strong once again on final day of season

In the middle of one of the worst season in the men’s team history, the Chelsea Women have consistently been an example of what it takes to bring it day in and day out. No matter what team it is, or the situation, Hayes always has her team ready for whatever is going to be thrown at them. The Royals with their backs against the wall did not provide much threat, but for the fourth season in a row, the Blues pulled together down the stretch to clinch the league title.

No matter how many trophies are in the case for the women’s team in west London, Hayes has created a culture where their satisfaction is never met. The gap between them and the rest of the pack in the WSL is getting smaller and smaller each year, but it is still quite clear which team runs the league. The mental toughness it takes to go out there week after week knowing that one slip up in the month of May could cost the title at the end is something that does not get talked about enough. Even with the new players and departures, Hayes makes them fit right into the mold that at the end of the tunnel leads to winning.

Millie Bright explained it well on Sky Sports post match during the celebrations:

Hayes is the heartbeat of this club, and under her leadership, the team has elevated themselves into a new atmosphere. You can see the passion in Hayes’ eyes when Kerr found the back of the net in the first half. Winning is in her DNA, and no matter what it takes to get there, she will have her team prepared. The idea that this team has been described as “mentality monsters” perfectly sums up the kind of consistent pursuit of excellence that is engrained in the club’s values.