A single point was the difference, millimetres in fact. Somehow, in the final moments of Arsenal’s visit to Chelsea on a freezing night in February, they could not force the ball over the goal line from close range. Three months later, Sam Kerr’s outrageous volley from 35 yards dipped over the head of the England and Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps to wrap up Chelsea’s third consecutive Women’s Super League title. Arsenal had stumbled along the way but in a title race that went down to the wire, it was the finest of margins that cost them.
After a historic summer and a week on from the delayed start to the new WSL season, there is talk of distances once again. Not only is the renewed battle between Emma Hayes’s all-conquering Chelsea side and Jonas Eidevall’s Arsenal expected to be just as close, but England’s landmark Euro 2022 victory in July has raised the possibilities for further strides and growth to be made as the domestic game returns. The confirmation last week of Barcelona smashing the world transfer record to sign Keira Walsh from Manchester City, making the England midfielder the most expensive female footballer of all time, is a sign of what to expect.
