Chelsea secured a fourth successive Women’s Super League title by coasting to a 3-0 victory at Reading which consigned the Royals to relegation.
Boasting a two-point lead over Manchester United, Chelsea only needed to win at the Select Car Leasing Stadium to become champions and Sam Kerr’s 18th-minute header from Guro Reiten’s cross put them ahead.
The provider turned goal scorer before half-time with a fine finish and Kerr rubberstamped a win which confirmed a league and cup double in the 88th minute with a tap-in after her initial shot hit a post.
The Blues have been dominant in recent weeks – this was their seventh win in a row – but even if Reading had ripped up the script and claimed an unlikely three points, their demotion to the Championship was guaranteed by Leicester edging out Brighton 1-0 courtesy of Ava Baker’s strike.
United had to settle for second spot in the table – their highest-ever finish in the WSL five years after reforming – as substitute Lucia Garcia’s strike secured a 1-0 win over Liverpool at Prenton Park.
Garcia came off the bench to score a late winner against Manchester City last weekend and ensure the title race went to the final day of the season, and she came up trumps up again in the 72nd minute.
Three minutes after being introduced, Garcia beat the offside trap, chipped a Liverpool defender and while the Spaniard seemed to fluff an attempted volley, on the second attempt she drove beyond goalkeeper Rachael Laws at her near post.
Arsenal held on for third and Champions League football next season despite a 2-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa, where Rachel Daly equalled the record for most goals in a WSL season.
Daly struck in first-half stoppage time for her 22nd league goal of the campaign – securing the Golden Boot and emulating Vivianne Miedema’s haul for Arsenal in 2018-19.
Alisha Lehmann then made sure of Villa’s first WSL win over Arsenal in the 49th minute, but the Gunners secured third place due to a superior goal difference over Manchester City, who finished fourth after holding on to beat Everton 3-2 in Izzy Christiansen’s final match before retirement.
Khadija Shaw struck either side of Lauren Hemp’s fine effort to put City three goals to the good before Lucy Hope and substitute Leonie Maier scored consolations for the Toffees.
Bethany England scored twice for Tottenham at West Ham, who claimed a 2-2 draw following Emma Snerle’s curling strike and Kit Graham’s own goal.
