Chelsea boss Emma Hayes has dismissed suggestions of “must-win” pressure as the Blues bid to secure an unprecedented fourth successive WSL title on the final day of the season, insisting it's “business as usual” as her side take on relegation-threatened Reading.
The Blues have embarked on a relentless domestic run since their shock loss to newly-promoted Liverpool on the opening day of the season.
Another league trophy lift remains firmly in the hands of the defending champions after their 2-0 victory over Arsenal, with two points separating them to second-place Manchester United whose steely resistance against Manchester City has forced the title race to the wire.
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The Royals, two points adrift of WSL safety, must execute a shock upset against Chelsea on Saturday if they hope to keep their eight-year WSL tenure alive. But Hayes played down insinuations in her pre-match press conference that the pressure on both sides would play a part in Saturday’s result.
“No, is the bottom line,” Hayes said. “Because it’s what we’re prepared for anyway. I think back to every campaign, we’ve only ever won the league by a couple of points at best, maybe a game somewhere along the lines, so this is just business as usual for us.
“So the preparation is what we’ve prepared for at the very beginning of the season.”
Chelsea have claimed the league six times in the last seven years, three of which have come on the final day of the season.
Nevertheless, this season’s title race has cut itself one of the most enthralling in recent memory and Hayes acknowledged the growing challenge of laying claim to the league as the league’s floor continues to rise.
“I think when everybody invests the level of money and finances and has players that are top professionals, inevitably there is going to be a closing of the gap which we’ve seen so much of with each subsequent year,” she said.
“I think the difference this year is that more teams are at a higher level than previously and as a result of that, more games are difficult as opposed to a differentiation between some games.
“But like I’ve said before, it’s not like we’ve won leagues comfortably in the past, so nothing is different from our perspective. We’ve always known from previous experience that it goes until the last game.”
Saturday marks the end of the first WSL season since the Lionesses’ Euro2022 triumph, and Hayes insisted that keeping the momentum moving along a positive trajectory does not demand profound changes but rather a concerted effort around increasing the quality of the sport.
“I think just building on what we’ve already done,” Hayes said.
“So making sure there are more games in men’s stadiums. But with growing attendances no one wants to play in front of an empty house, I think that’s the big thing for me. Teams need to keep improving their quality and personnel because as the product gets better so does everything else.
“It’s not about seismic change, just gradual incremental improvements built on what’s already a positive foundation.”
Reading v Chelsea kicks off at 2:30pm on Saturday, with the fixture also set to be broadcast live on SkySports.
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