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Man City 2 - 2 Chelsea
Chelsea remain in pole position to win the Women’s Super League after surviving a late onslaught from title rivals Manchester City that left Chelsea manager Emma Hayes “praying for the final whistle”.
After a “world-class” save from Chelsea keeper Ann-Katrin Berger to deny Lauren Hemp and a stoppage-time header from Lucy Bronze that dropped wide, the engrossing 2-2 draw left the defending champions with the destiny of the WSL title firmly in their hands with just two matches remaining.
Hayes’ team now know they will retain their crown and lift the WSL trophy for a record fourth time if they beat Tottenham and Reading in their final two games, but only after surviving a gripping conclusion to arguably the game of the season.
“I was so relieved, I hated every minute of the second half, it was uncomfortable, it was painful actually,” Hayes admitted. “I’m delighted it’s finished. I need to recover from today. The girls have put me through hell in the second half.”
Yet Hayes also had high praise for her side’s “resilience” and the display of German goalkeeper Berger, whom she hailed as the best in the country, and few would argue with that after Berger’s remarkable reactions kept out Hemp’s goal-bound flick from a late corner.
“You can score goals to win games but defence wins championships, Hayes added. “She’s an unbelievable asset to the team.”
In what was billed as a title decider, lively Australia star Sam Kerr stole the show in the first half and opened the scoring when she escaped her marker Caroline Weir to head home Erin Cuthbert’s corner. The hosts’ winger Kelly tucked home an equaliser soon afterwards from Lauren Hemp’s cross, but Kerr’s pace then won the visitors a penalty as she got the better of Alex Greenwood and was brought down by goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck. Pernille Harder tucked home the spot-kick to make it 2-1 at the break.
Kerr, whose 18th goal of the WSL season edged her into first spot in the race for the golden boot, is playing “the best football of her career”, according to Hayes, who added: “She’s got the whole package, her hold-up play, her link-play, she was the difference tonight for us.”
After a clever tactical switch which saw Rose Lavelle replace striker Ellen White, leaving the hosts without a recognised central striker but more bodies in midfield, Manchester City applied increasing pressure in the second half and a rare lapse in concentration from one of their star names gifted them an equaliser.
Fran Kirby’s strangely wayward pass rolled perfectly into the path of Kelly, whose cross was not cleared by Millie Bright and Hemp slammed in the leveller.
As City then searched for the late winner they needed to leapfrog their rivals in the table, Berger stepped up as the visitors’ heroine. Chelsea have still never won at the Academy Stadium in the WSL but holding on for Wednesday’s vital draw will feel like a victory for them, especially after unmarked Fifa Best player of the year Bronze headed narrowly wide so late on.
Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor said: “It looked like we were going to get a late winner. It took a world-class save from their goalkeeper to keep them in it. We just ran out of time.”
Asked if he still has hope his team can win the title, Taylor added: “There’s still always a chance - we need to give ourselves the best possible chance - but you can understand the disappointment tonight.
“I thought the girls left everything out there this evening. I can imagine it was an entertaining one for the supporters back home. We can see the game going to new levels now.”
Both teams’ affiliate men’s club were among the six English teams to sign up for - and then dramatically withdraw from - the breakaway European Super League this week, but while the rebel ESL owners had given a brief mention to their hopes of adding a women’s version in the future, Telegraph Sport learnt that senior figures in the women’s game at the relevant clubs had not been consulted on the idea.
Thankfully for neutrals, the existing Super League’s top two reminded fans of the tension and drama sport can bring on the pitch, as a fiercely-competitive title race reached a fitting conclusion.
Match details
Manchester City (4-3-3-): Roebuck 6; Bronze 7, Dahlkemper 6, Greenwood 6, Stokes 8; Mewis 7 (Stanway, 75) Walsh 6, Weir 7; Kelly 8, White 6 (Lavelle, 64), Hemp 7
Subs not used: Mannion, Coombs, Beckie, Morgan, Park, Lavelle, Benameur, Davies
Yellow cards: Greenwood
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Berger 9; Carter 6, Bright 6, Ingle 6, Andersson 6; Ji 7 (Reiten, 77), Leupolz 7; Kirby 6 (England, 90), Harder 6 (Charles, 62), Cuthbert 8; Kerr 9
Subs not used: Musovic, Telford, Blundell, England, Reiten, Fleming, Spence, Fox
Yellow cards: None
Referee: Rebecca Welch (Tyne and Wear)