There are no more second chances, no opportunities for redemption. After all the twists and turns this campaign has brought, the Women’s Super League goes down to the wire on Sunday. Birmingham are down – that we already know – but the champions and European qualifiers are still yet to be decided.
Jonas Eidevall, who signed a two-year contract extension with the Gunners on Friday, has managed to build a ruthless Arsenal side, who will be aiming to pip Chelsea to the title this weekend, since taking over last summer.
Joe Montemurro had been at the helm for four years prior but they began to lag behind their London rivals, failing to match the heights of their 2019 title win.
Eidevall has had a difficult task on his hands, succeeding a manager who had built a team to suit his style, but the Swedish coach has begun to place his impression on the team with signings such as compatriot Stina Blackstenius coming into the fold and talismanic forward Vivianne Miedema being trialled in new positions.
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After setting the pace early on in the season, their form began to falter and they fell behind Chelsea in the race for the top, the Blues looking certain for the title.
How to watch this weekend’s WSL action
All Sun 8 May, 12pm
- Aston Villa vs Birmingham City – The FA Player
- Brighton vs Everton – The FA Player
- Chelsea vs Man Utd – Sky Sports Main Event
- Reading vs Man City – The FA Player
- Spurs vs Leicester – The FA Player
- West Ham vs Arsenal – BBC Two, iPlayer and BBC Sport website
And while Emma Hayes’ side have been their usual ruthless selves, producing displays which only further highlight their level of superiority over the other teams in the league, recent performances have showed that they are far from infallible.
Against bottom-placed Birmingham in midweek it took a second-half penalty to produce the game’s only goal; versus Tottenham it was another tight fixture. They lead the pack now and have the title in their own hands, sitting a point above Arsenal heading into the final weekend, yet it’s far from a foregone conclusion.
It cannot be denied that Hayes’ side are favourites – she’s elicited a winning mentality in her side which allow them to flourish in these situations – but they’re up against another opponent who will be fighting to the last.
Manchester United are chasing a Champions League spot, being two points behind Manchester City but with a nine-inferior goal difference, and will be wanting to secure qualification for the first time.
Final day permutations
By Tim Sigsworth
Aston Villa vs Birmingham City – Birmingham may already have been relegated and Villa may have nothing to play for, but this Second City Derby will be far from meaningless for two sides who have won just once in their last six.
Brighton vs Everton – A win for Brighton against 10th-placed Everton could see them equal last season’s best-ever league finish. Interim Toffees co-gaffers Chris Roberts and Claire Ditchburn manage their final game before Brian Sorensen takes over.
Chelsea vs Man Utd – This weekend’s main event sees the clash of two teams who need three points to secure their league ambitions: the title for Chelsea, and Champions League qualification for United.
Reading vs Man City – Reading will be playing for nothing but pride when they host third-placed City, for whom a win would secure Champions League qualification at the expense of their city rivals.
Spurs vs Leicester – With second-bottom Leicester already safe, there will be no relegation drama in this one; Spurs, too, can only hope of securing fifth with a win or a draw, though doing so at West Ham’s expense would be a satisfying outcome for supporters.
West Ham vs Arsenal – West Ham need a win and other results to go their way to climb to 5th, as do Arsenal in their hunt for the title. One point behind Chelsea, there would be no better way to mark manager Jonas Eidevall’s new contract.
It took United a while to get off the blocks under new boss Marc Skinner and they have struggled as of late, though this is the closest a United side has ever seemed to the historic three titans of the WSL.
Not only will they have to pull off an unlikely upset against Chelsea to be within a shot of continental football, but it is reliant on City losing away to Reading.
Gareth Taylor’s side have faced the most adversity of the league’s top clubs with an early-season injury crisis making things difficult, but are now the frontrunners for Europe after turning the campaign around.
With one final weekend of action now here, it is still all to play for at the top. The most likely outcome is that the table will remain in its current state, but the WSL’s notable unpredictability may put paid to that.
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