WSL title race: Who will come out on top in four-team battle?

WSL apical 2 Chelsea and Manchester United met successful the FA Cup last connected Sunday

Will determination beryllium a caller sanction connected the Women's Super League trophy this season, oregon volition Chelsea get their hands connected it for the 4th run successful a row? With little than 2 weeks to spell until the last time of the season, everything is inactive to play for.

If the Blues triumph each 3 of their remaining games this season, past Emma Hayes' broadside volition seal a 3rd consecutive home Double having beaten United successful the FA Cup final past weekend.

Any slip-ups from United oregon Chelsea could beryllium punished by Arsenal, who beryllium six points down the leaders with a crippled successful hand. They sojourn Everton connected Wednesday.

Manchester City are mathematically inactive successful the contention but would necessitate a occurrence to assistance the WSL trophy, yet Gareth Taylor's broadside tin inactive person a immense accidental successful its destination with the apical 4 playing each different this weekend.

City sojourn United connected Sunday evening, aft Chelsea big Arsenal astatine lunchtime. If Chelsea bushed West Ham and the Gunners, past United neglect to triumph the Manchester derby, the Blues volition beryllium crowned champions.

Any different script sees the rubric spell down to the last day.

"Who would stake against Chelsea going connected to triumph the WSL now?" ex-England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis told BBC One pursuing their FA Cup last victory. "They cognize however to grind retired results. Emma Hayes has enactment unneurotic a relentless team."

How it stands

Stats

Manchester United (1st, 50 points)

Only reformed successful 2018 arsenic a 2nd part club, United are seeking their archetypal WSL rubric having finished 4th successful each of the past 3 seasons.

Marc Skinner's broadside person won 16 of their 20 matches truthful far, including location and distant to Arsenal, but person suffered 3 defeats successful each competitions to closest rubric rivals Chelsea, including astatine Wembley connected Sunday.

"I'm not going to halt and this team's not going to stop," said Skinner aft that decision successful the final. "If anyone thinks we're going away, we're not going away."

Their rubric propulsion has been built connected a watertight defence, which has kept much league cleanable sheets (13) than it has conceded goals (11) successful the WSL this season.

Still to play: Manchester City (h, 21 May), Liverpool (a, 27 May)

Chelsea (2nd, 49 points)

The Blues' rubric pursuit has a feeling of inevitability astir it. They are hunting a 4th consecutive WSL rubric and cognize that the destination of the trophy this play is successful their hands.

However, determination is 1 large obstacle inactive lasting successful their mode - Arsenal. The teams person already met 3 times this season, with Chelsea winning successful the FA Cup, the Gunners winning successful the League Cup last and the points shared successful the league.

Emma Hayes' broadside person travel into signifier astatine conscionable the close time, having recovered from a 2-0 nonaccomplishment astatine Man City connected 26 March. They person besides caught up with Man Utd's extremity difference, having scored 13 goals successful their past 2 WSL matches - a 7-0 triumph astatine Everton and a 6-0 location thrashing of Leicester.

"You saw successful that show against Everton, we get amended arsenic the play goes connected and this is truly the clip for america to amusement wherefore we've won truthful galore trophies," said striker Sam Kerr.

Still to play: West Ham (a, 17 May), Arsenal (h, 21 May), Reading (a, 27 May)

Arsenal (3rd, 44 points)

A archetypal WSL rubric since 2019 remains a anticipation for Arsenal, who ended a four-year hold for silverware earlier this play by beating Chelsea successful the League Cup final.

However, their mediocre signifier against the different apical 4 clubs - 4 points from 5 WSL games truthful acold - and a tally of 3 league games without triumph to commencement 2023 permission Jonas Eidevall's broadside arsenic outsiders.

"Our mentality is to win," said Eidevall. "It doesn't change. We effort to triumph it all."

Should Arsenal triumph each of their 3 remaining games, they person a accidental - but they tin lone scope a maximum of 53 points truthful would request United and Chelsea to gaffe up successful much than 1 game.

Still to play: Everton (a, 17 May), Chelsea (a, 21 May), Aston Villa (h, 27 May)

Manchester City (4th, 44 points)

Gareth Taylor's broadside are included due to the fact that mathematically they tin triumph the WSL rubric - but realistically they are retired of the running. As good arsenic winning their 2 remaining games, they would request United to suffer some of theirs, on with a extremity quality plaything of 17. A azygous Chelsea triumph would besides regularisation City out.

A dreadful commencement to the season, losing their archetypal 2 WSL matches, has travel backmost to haunt City, portion defeats to Arsenal and Liverpool successful their past 4 games person seen immoderate faint hopes slice away.

Still to play: Manchester United (a, 21 May), Everton (h, 27 May)