I make no apologies for writing about women’s football again, if only as an epilogue to a couple of recent posts.
Three weeks ago, as I explained here, I was one of almost 40,000 spectators at Stamford Bridge who watched the second leg of the Women’s Champions League match between Chelsea and Barcelona.
Chelsea were not at their best and lost 2-0 (2-1 on aggregate) which was disappointing but not unexpected. Barcelona, after all, have been the best women’s team in the world for several years.
A few days later Chelsea - the defending champions who had won the Women’s Super League four years running - lost again in a chaotic match won 4-3 by Liverpool.
This prompted long-serving manager Emma Hayes to effectively concede the title to Manchester City who were six points ahead of Chelsea with a significantly better goal difference, albeit Chelsea had played one game less and had three games to play compared to City’s two.
Fast forward to the following weekend and in the 88th minute Manchester City were 1-0 up against Arsenal, Chelsea’s fiercest rivals, and on course to be nine points clear of Chelsea who were playing relegated Bristol City later in the day.
I watched the City-Arsenal game on TV and although Arsenal enjoyed a better second half few would predicted what happened next. The visitors scored twice in the last few minutes to win the match 2-1.
Buoyed by that result, Chelsea then beat Bristol City 8-0, overturning the goal difference with Man City in a feverish atmosphere at Kingsmeadow, the team’s home ground in Kingston-upon-Thames.
Addressing the crowd after the match - her final home game before leaving the club to become head coach of the United States’ women’s football team - Hayes rowed back on her previous comment.
“Let me be clear. It’s not fucking over yet. There is no time for sentimentality. All work drinks have been cancelled. There is a title to be won.”
Last Wednesday a 1-0 win against Tottenham brought her team level on points with City, with Chelsea now two goals better off.
And so to yesterday, the final day of the WSL season. City were at Aston Villa, while Chelsea were playing Man United at Old Trafford in front of almost 30,000.
Chelsea had arguably the more difficult match, having lost 2-1 to United in the Women’s FA Cup semi-final only last month.
United were also playing on the back of winning the FA Cup (4-0 against Tottenham) at Wembley last Saturday.
If you don’t know, Man City beat Villa 2-1. Chelsea, however, went one better. Actually, make that six better.
A goal up after two minutes, two up after eight, and four up at half-time, the final score was 6-0.
Yes, United’s defending was comically dreadful at times, but in the first half - before she went off early in the second - there was a truly stupendous performance by the Colombian forward Mayra Ramírez.
Since arriving at the club in January following a long-term injury to Chelsea’s star player, the Australian captain Sam Kerr, Ramírez’s appearances have been limited by a series of niggling injuries, most recently a hamstring injury that had kept her out since April 14.
Sadly, that included the second leg of the Women’s Champions League match against Barcelona. Yesterday was her first game back and for 45 minutes, until she succumbed to cramp, she was sensational.
Chelsea, then, are the WSL champions for the fifth year running. Two weeks ago we thought it was all over … it is now.