On Saturday, Chelsea women clinch their fourth successive Women’s Super League title. Even though a new runner-up emerged, Chelsea remains the benchmark. It was their seventh WSL title including the spring series.
Like the previous two seasons, the Blues needed a win to confirm the title. This year, Manchester United was their closest rival towards the end of the season. At one point, Arsenal and Manchester City were also in the race.
Emma Hayes’s side dropped just 8 points as they finished the season with a record 58 points. Their achievement is remarkable considering the injuries that affected the squad. Fran Kirby, Pernille Harder, Melanie Leupolz, Magdalena Eriksson and Millie Bright were among the key players on the sideline. Even Hayes had to miss a few matches as she was recovering from an emergency hysterectomy surgery.
Chelsea Women clinch their seventh WSL title
An extended run in the cup competitions meant they had a lot of matches to deal with. Squad players stepped up massively for Chelsea. Especially in the second half, summer signings like Jelana Cankovic, and Eve Perriset were crucial for them.
Sam Kerr was once again important up top for the Blues. Although she only scored 12 league goals, there were crucial goals on the way. It was her first full season in England where she didn’t win the golden boot. It was mainly due to a change of style Hayes opted for as a result of injuries and to include other players.
With 11 assists and nine goals, Guro Reiten had a remarkable season in WSL. Erin Cuthbert played in the center of the pitch like she was playing there for years at Chelsea. Leupolz returned after being away for more than a year for maternity and was able to slide into the squad effortlessly.
Lauren James was able to show why she was rated so much by Chelsea as she was able to play without any injury worries like the previous years. Opposition players had a hard time taking the ball away from her.
There were also a few setbacks along the way in other competitions. Once again they failed at the last step in the WSL league cup. The Champions League run ended in the last four stages.
Retaining the FA Cup for the third consecutive time in front of a record crowd at Wembley was a joyous occasion for the team. Winning the Champions League remains the ultimate target for Hayes’s side. Competition in the WSL will only increase in the coming years.
Replacing outgoing club captain Eriksson and record-signing Harder will be tough. But Chelsea has already signed a few players with some more expected in the summer. With Emma Hayes at the helm, fans will be hoping for even more success.