Hayes to head off

Chelsea are pursuing a fifth successive WSL title to give Hayes a glorious send-off after it was announced in November that she would be leaving the club at the end of the season.

The news came just after the team had won 6-0 at Villa, and was followed 10 days later by confirmation that the 47-year-old - who has been Chelsea boss since 2012 - was to become the next head coach of the United States women’s side.

Title twist

Following Chelsea’s dramatic 4-3 loss at Liverpool four days earlier that had left their manager Emma Hayes saying she saw the title race as over, Manchester City were firmly in the driving seat at the top of the table as they hosted Arsenal on May 5.

But having led early on, City ended up being beaten 2-1 courtesy of a late Stina Blackstenius brace - and a few hours later, an 8-0 win for Chelsea at Bristol City, with Guro Reiten scoring four times, put them three points behind Gareth Taylor’s side with a game in hand and a goal difference superior by one.

Chelsea then won that extra game 1-0 at Tottenham on Wednesday night thanks to a Maika Hamano goal to replace City at the top, with a goal difference better by two, ahead of a final day that sees Hayes’ team play Manchester United at Old Trafford and Taylor’s take on Aston Villa at Villa Park.

So long, Vivianne Miedema. Arsenal are losing a lot more than just a striker with her departure, they will have to cope without a club legend, they won’t be able to call upon their trusty goal threat any more.

Yet it is a sign of how times are changing for Arsenal that this doesn’t feel like the blow it once would have been. Without Miedema they will be different, but they have already had to confront life without the Dutchwoman and the trial run has been promising.

That will enthuse boss Jonas Eidevall. Arsenal without Miedema would have forced him to grapple with a rebuild in the past, it would have set back all the hard work which has been done to get them back to their fighting best. Now, the damage is mostly consigned to the emotional front.

The heirs to Miedema’s throne are ample – and they’ve all been successful. Alessia Russo was a star signing last summer, now recruiting her is looking like an even more shrewd piece of business. Frida Maanum has flourished, Stina Blackstenius has had the required touch in the big moments. This Arsenal team are far from one-dimensional.

“We all know that I’m the sort of coach that wants to be as professional as I can to the end,” said Hayes.

“All the attention and focus is on getting the team ready today and the matchday-minus-one sessions are a lot of fun. We get to hopefully play in front of a close-to-sold-out crowd at Old Trafford and for us to be in with a shout of the title on the last day, that is all I have asked for from the players.

“No matter the outcome tomorrow, I’m excited. I’m just extremely proud of the efforts of everyone to put us in this position.

“We’re accustomed to being in this position. Everybody knows what’s at stake but we’ve had a lot of winning, so I don’t really think the pressure is on us. Of course, I’d love to leave with another title but it definitely won’t define my tenure here. We’ve always had the resilience to be at the top end come the business end of the season.”

2014-15 FA Cup

Ji So-yun’s first-half strike earned a 1-0 win over Notts County at Wembley to give Hayes a first piece of silverware with the west Londoners. A glittering spell for the club would follow.

Two months after success at Wembley, a 4-0 thrashing of Sunderland in October secured a league and cup double.

2017-18 FA Cup

Ramona Bachmann’s brace saw Chelsea down Arsenal 3-1 at Wembley, enabling them to bounce back after coming close in previous years.

2017-18 WSL

In a repeat of 2015, Hayes guided her side to another double with a 2-0 win at Bristol City to clinch the league crown. It was all the more impressive as she was 35 weeks pregnant and therefore not on the touchline to see the title clinched.

2019-20 League Cup

A stoppage-time effort by Bethany England completed her brace and earned Chelsea a first League Cup win under Hayes following a 2-1 victory over Arsenal at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground in February 2020.

2019-20 WSL

The Football Association’s decision to determine the season on points-per-game after the start of the coronavirus pandemic saw Chelsea crowned champions for a third time in five years in June 2020. Manchester City had been top but only by a point and had played one game more than their nearest challengers, who completed the double again.

2020-21 League Cup

Chelsea thrashed Bristol City 6-0 at Vicarage Road to add another trophy to the cabinet.

2020-21 WSL

A 5-0 win over Reading secured a record-breaking season for Hayes’ side, with Chelsea able to clinch the title on the final day. It was their 18th league win of the term and saw them reach 57 points for the campaign, the most achieved in the WSL in each category.

2020-21 FA Cup

A delayed final eventually took place in December 2021 and Chelsea ran out comfortable 3-0 winners over Arsenal, with Sam Kerr grabbing a brace to seal a domestic treble.

2021-22 WSL

Kerr was again the hero with a double to inspire a 4-2 win over Manchester United as Arsenal were pipped to the championship in yet another last-day decider. Hayes watched her team fight back from a half-time deficit to secure more silverware.

2021-22 FA Cup

Another brace by Kerr sealed a fourth double for Chelsea under Hayes, with a 3-2 extra-time victory over Man City giving the Blues manager an 11th trophy. The clash took place in front of 49,094 spectators at Wembley, a record attendance for the final at the time.

2022-23 FA Cup

Chelsea defeated Manchester United 1-0 at Wembley, with Kerr the match-winner once more. The mark from a year earlier was smashed as a crowd of 77,390 set a world record for a women’s domestic club match.

2022-23 Women’s Super League

Chelsea won seven games in a row to overhaul Manchester United and clinch the title. A final-day 3-0 victory over relegated Reading - with another Kerr brace - secured another double.

Here PA picks its WSL team of the season for the 2023/24 campaign:

Khiara Keating (Manchester City)

The 19-year-old has been Gareth Taylor’s preferred choice between the sticks and played a pivotal part in the push for the WSL title. Keating has enjoyed a breakout campaign for City, starting every league game and keeping nine clean sheets along the way.

Grace Fisk (Liverpool)

Fisk joined Liverpool from West Ham and has been a stalwart in the defence in a much-improved side. She has started all of Liverpool’s games this season, with Matt Beard’s side keeping six clean sheets as they aim for a fourth-placed finish.

Alex Greenwood (Manchester City)

Strong defensive displays have been key for City this season and Greenwood has been integral to that. The centre-back has been a consistent performer in a City side that have only conceded 14 league goals so far this season.

Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal)

The 25-year-old has been a dependable figure for Arsenal and has cemented her spot in the starting XI, helping the Gunners secure Champions League football for next season.

Niamh Charles (Chelsea)

Charles has continued to grow into her role at Chelsea, where she has shared captaincy duties with Erin Cuthbert. The 24-year-old has been an ever-present at full-back and played a key role going forward with six assists.

Jess Park (Manchester City)

Park has established herself in the City starting line-up following a maiden WSL start against title rivals Chelsea in February. She seized her chance as she slotted into midfield with ease and made an instant impact by setting up Khadija Shaw’s winner. The 22-year-old has since gone on to score four goals and assist three times in City’s quest for the title.

Grace Clinton (Tottenham)

Manchester United-loanee Clinton has enjoyed a breakthrough season in the WSL. The 21-year-old has played in a variety of positions across the midfield, contributing four goals and three assists, to help Spurs improve on last season’s ninth-placed finish under new manager Robert Vilahamn. She was rewarded with an England debut in February.

Jutta Rantala (Leicester)

Rantala has been the bright spark for Leicester in her debut season at the club. The versatile Finland international has been deployed in midfield and attack and has scored six goals and provided five assists.

Khadija Shaw (Manchester City)

Shaw had another stellar season in front of goal and leads the race for the Golden Boot with 21 goals in 18 WSL appearances, despite having her season cut short by a foot injury. The Jamaica striker scored three hat-tricks in the space of four WSL games against Tottenham, Everton and Liverpool.

Elisabeth Terland (Brighton)

Norway international Terland has 13 league goals in her second season in English football - half her team’s total tally - and became Brighton’s all-time top WSL goalscorer along the way.

Lauren James (Chelsea)

The England star has continued to go from strength to strength for the Blues. She has hit 13 goals, including a sensational hat-trick against Liverpool in November, and stepped up in the extended absence of striker Sam Kerr through injury.

Manchester United boss Marc Skinner has signed a one-year contract extension with the option for a further 12 months.

The 41-year-old former Birmingham manager succeeded Casey Stoney at United in the summer of 2021.

The team, who were launched in 2018, finished fourth in the WSL in 2021-22, then second last season, as well as being FA Cup runners-up.

They are currently fifth in the table and Skinner has faced some fan criticism, but the news of his extension comes five days on from him overseeing United win their first major trophy, beating Tottenham 4-0 in the FA Cup final.

Skinner said in a statement from the club: “It’s an honour to extend my stay at Manchester United.

“I’ve always felt at home here, with our excellent players, staff, and fans. Being able to secure the team’s first major trophy at Wembley was a real career highlight for me and another sign of our continued growth, on and off the field.

“Thanks to everyone who has supported me on this journey, and I look forward to creating many more winning memories together.”

Matt Johnson, interim head of women’s football, said: “Everyone at Manchester United is delighted to see Marc continue as women’s team head coach and build on the success of the team’s historic FA Cup win.

“Congratulations to Marc on his contract extension and we all wish him and the team the best of luck going into the new season.”

United, who were eliminated in the Champions League qualifying rounds early in their 2023-24 campaign, conclude it on Saturday by playing Chelsea at Old Trafford in their final league game.

Emma Hayes has voiced her concern that there will be a decline in the number of female coaches in the Women’s Super League as she prepares for her departure from Chelsea.

Hayes, who is becoming United States head coach, will oversee the final match of her glittering 12-year tenure as Blues boss when the team play Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.

That afternoon will also see fellow parent Carla Ward have her last game in charge of Aston Villa as they host Chelsea’s title rivals Manchester City at Villa Park.

Asked what she would like to see in the WSL in the coming years, Hayes told a press conference on Friday: “I’ve been an advocate of not just the women’s game but how to do the best for women in the game and I still think we’re wide of the mark with that.

“I think there will be declining numbers of female coaches for sure, because of the demands. And if you’re a parent, forget about it, unless we have an openness and a willingness to consider different things.

“It’s really, really difficult to be a parent and full-time in this industry, which isn’t nine to five, it’s seven days a week.

“So I think being open to doing things differently - I’d love to see a co-coaching team, females coaching the game, maybe two mums. I think we have to consider those things.”

Hayes also called for more investment in the women’s game, as well as expressing her view that it is “getting a little nasty”, adding: “I see some of the abuse this year that’s been at an extreme level, whether it was (Tottenham goalkeeper) Becky Spencer in the FA Cup final the other day...Lauren James or (fellow Chelsea player) Fran Kirby, whoever.

“I think there’s that part of the game or social media that I don’t like. I hope that changes with regulations.”

Arsenal this week announced plans for their women’s team to play 11 games at the Emirates Stadium next season, and Emma Hayes also said of the future: “This should be happening here - that’s what I want to see at Chelsea, I want to see us at Stamford Bridge every week, but sold out.

“I want the girls to have a new facility. I want that to continue to be upgraded. I want them to continue to have a voice - and I know they will.

“I know the technical directors will work with the player leadership group. I want them to never ever stop asking ‘what can we do better’?”

Relegated Bristol City, despite winning just a single match and heading into the weekend with only six points, have set women’s first-team attendance records at Ashton Gate – figures that saw them crack the top five in league attendances in a season where the WSL’s cumulative figures also surpassed one million for the first time.

The Robins’ situation – along with Newcastle’s rapid rise to the Women’s Championship and independent Lewes’ corresponding drop from the second tier – nevertheless served to highlight the large disparity between the resource-rich top-of-the-table clubs – all attached to Premier League sides – raising questions about whether or not it is even possible for teams without the backing of a top-flight men’s outfit to compete.