When Emma Hayes left Chelsea in the summer, and in came Sonia Bompastor, some thought the winners of the last five Women’s Super League titles would be set for something of a transition season. Saturday’s 2-0 win over Manchester City, which maintained their 100 per cent record in the league this term through seven games, made that suggestion look particularly silly.
The Blues might have a different manager in the dugout and a few different players out there on the pitch, but they look as inevitable as ever at the moment. They look like the same winning machine that has emerged as the dominant force in English women’s football over the last five years and, now, they are in the driving seat to keep that status after taking top spot from the Cityzens.
Every year, the feeling is that Chelsea’s dominant spell has to come to an end. Can they really win yet another league title? Last year, Man City looked set to end their reign at the top, going into the final two games of the season in pole position and seeming unlikely to slip up. But stumble they did and Chelsea were right there to pick up the pieces. Give them an opportunity, and they’ll take it.
How things will look in this title race come April, only time will tell, but Chelsea were certainly opportunistic on Saturday. City had their chances, and they had them fall to their star striker Khadija Shaw too, but it was the Blues who really capitalised in the big moments and showed the ruthlessness that characterises champions.
It will be another six months or so until this WSL title race is properly decided but, despite some huge summer changes, the holders are doing everything right at the moment as they bid to keep that trophy in the capital for a sixth successive season.
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