Reading 0-3 Chelsea: Chelsea win fourth successive WSL title

1 year ago 27

Chelsea won the Women's Super League for a 4th successive play arsenic they cruised to a final-day triumph against Reading and consigned the location broadside to relegation.

Emma Hayes' broadside travelled to Select Car Leasing Stadium knowing triumph would corroborate them arsenic champions and implicit a league and cupful Double.

It was a comfy triumph for the Blues and it was fitting that Sam Kerr and Guro Reiten delivered the goals aft their performances this play played specified a cardinal relation successful Chelsea's success.

The 2 combined for the aboriginal opener arsenic Reiten's transverse was headed successful by Kerr, earlier the Norwegian midfielder slotted past goalkeeper Grace Moloney to marque it 2-0 earlier half-time.

Kerr confirmed triumph successful the closing stages erstwhile she raced done connected extremity and poked successful the rebound aft her archetypal changeable was saved.

The Royals' eight-year enactment successful the apical tier has travel to an extremity but they person defied the likelihood for respective seasons, competing with teams affiliated to Premier League clubs and connected overmuch larger budgets.

One much occurrence was needed but they could not nutrient it, though fans stayed to applaud warmly aft unit and players fell to their knees successful disappointment astatine the full-time whistle.

Chelsea, meanwhile, amusement they person not loosened their grip connected the WSL contempt expanding contention from their rivals.

This rubric is possibly their astir awesome fixed they person had to combat disconnected those challengers portion dealing with wounded setbacks and to manager Emma Hayes.

Their dominance connected English women's shot remains beardown and a 4th league crown successful a enactment is simply a important achievement.

Reaction to the last play of the WSL season

Elation for Chelsea, despair for Reading

There whitethorn person been a consciousness of jeopardy going into the last play of the WSL play with Manchester United sitting conscionable 2 points down them, but erstwhile Chelsea person a occupation to do, they usually get it done efficiently.

Fans poured into the stands astatine Select Car Leasing Stadium with some sets of supporters preparing for precise antithetic outcomes.

Chelsea's were softly making plans for celebrations afterwards but did not situation tempt destiny publicly, albeit arriving successful plentifulness of clip to amusement their enactment connected what they knew could beryllium a large day.

As the aboriginal minutes ticked away, those aforesaid fans began to chant "Chelsea, champions" - but it was Reading who started with intent connected the pitch.

Deanne Rose, making a archetypal commencement since August aft recovering from a semipermanent injury, provided a menace and had an aboriginal changeable blocked, earlier Justine Vanhaevermaet aboriginal skewed a header wide.

But it ever felt similar a substance of clip earlier Chelsea would footwear into cogwheel - and it did not instrumentality excessively long.

Kerr should person scored erstwhile she sliced a transverse precocious and implicit from a fewer yards out, past Erin Cuthbert's curling effort was pushed onto the barroom by goalkeeper Moloney.

Chelsea fans could yet observe erstwhile Kerr's objective header arrived successful the 18th infinitesimal past Reiten pounced connected a mistake by Reading's Easther Mayi Kith for the second.

Reading were facing an uphill conflict and needed to a miraculous turnaround successful the 2nd fractional which ne'er felt likely.

They had possibly started to process the world of relegation past play pursuing their decision astatine Tottenham - but determination were inactive players distraught astatine full-time arsenic the club's enactment successful the apical tier ended arsenic Chelsea's celebrations began.

More to follow.

Line-ups

Reading Women

Formation 3-4-3

1Moloney
15HendrixSubstituted forTroelsgaardat 79'minutes
14CooperBooked astatine 3mins
5Evans
16Mayi Kith
27Vanhaevermaet
20MooreSubstituted forPrimmerat 78'minutes
3Mukandi
9Eikeland
6RoseSubstituted forPerryat 33'minutes
12HarriesSubstituted forWellingsat 63'minutes

Substitutes

7Wellings
11Wade
17Caldwell
19Alexander
30Poulter
34Perry
37Primmer
51Troelsgaard

Chelsea Women

Formation 4-2-3-1

30Berger
15Périsset
18Mjelde
16ErikssonSubstituted forCarterat 85'minutes
21Charles
22CuthbertSubstituted forFlemingat 85'minutes
5IngleSubstituted forLeupolzat 84'minutes
10JamesSubstituted forRytting Kanerydat 72'minutes
23HarderSubstituted forCankovicat 72'minutes
11Reiten
20Kerr

Substitutes

1Musovic
7Carter
8Leupolz
13Svitková
17Fleming
19Rytting Kaneryd
26Buchanan
27Abdullina
28Cankovic

Live Text

Match ends, Reading Women 0, Chelsea Women 3.
Second Half ends, Reading Women 0, Chelsea Women 3.
Foul by Jessie Fleming (Chelsea Women).
Justine Vanhaevermaet (Reading Women) wins a escaped footwear successful the attacking half.
Offside, Chelsea Women. Sam Kerr tries a done ball, but Johanna Rytting Kaneryd is caught offside.
Goal! Reading Women 0, Chelsea Women 3. Sam Kerr (Chelsea Women) close footed changeable from precise adjacent scope to the centre of the goal.
Sam Kerr (Chelsea Women) hits the close station with a close footed changeable from the centre of the box. Assisted by Jelena Cankovic.
Substitution, Chelsea Women. Jess Carter replaces Magdalena Eriksson.
Substitution, Chelsea Women. Jessie Fleming replaces Erin Cuthbert.
Substitution, Chelsea Women. Melanie Leupolz replaces Sophie Ingle.
Ève Périsset (Chelsea Women) wins a escaped footwear successful the antiaircraft half.
Foul by Sanne Troelsgaard (Reading Women).
Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea Women) wins a escaped footwear successful the antiaircraft half.
Foul by Tia Primmer (Reading Women).
Delay over. They are acceptable to continue.
Substitution, Reading Women. Sanne Troelsgaard replaces Brooke Hendrix due to the fact that of an injury.
Substitution, Reading Women. Tia Primmer replaces Jade Moore.
Delay successful lucifer due to the fact that of an wounded Brooke Hendrix (Reading Women).
Attempt blocked. Sam Kerr (Chelsea Women) near footed changeable from the centre of the container is blocked.
Corner, Chelsea Women. Conceded by Gemma Evans.