Chelsea end WSL season unbeaten with win over Liverpool
BBC Online:
Champions Chelsea became the first Women’s Super League (WSL) side to finish a 22-game season unbeaten with victory over Liverpool.
England international Aggie Beever-Jones scored a stoppage-time winner to seal the win, firing the ball past goalkeeper Rachael Laws to cap off a stunning season.
Sonia Bompastor’s side have won 19 and drawn three of their matches in the French manager’s debut season in England.
They won the WSL title on 30 April with two games to spare and are still chasing a Treble with an FA Cup final to come on 18 May, having already won the League Cup.
The nature of the victory only helped add to Chelsea’s title celebrations as they lifted the trophy in front of fans at Stamford Bridge afterwards.
Liverpool had largely frustrated them and kept clear-cut chances to a minimum on a hot afternoon in London.
Bompastor rotated her squad and made several changes throughout as she tried to turn the game in their favour and eventually, following relentless pressure at the end, they found a breakthrough.
The best of the earlier chances fell to Sandy Baltimore early in the second half as she dragged an effort inches wide, while Liverpool had threatened on occasions but rarely tested goalkeeper Hannah Hampton at the other end.
It was nearly a positive end to Liverpool’s rollercoaster campaign but they still showed they can compete with the WSL’s best, despite narrowly losing to Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals a few weeks ago as well as here.
For Chelsea, it has been a phenomenal domestic campaign and they have set their best points tally (60) in the WSL, with a sixth successive title in the bag.
All eyes were on the champions this week as they prepared to lift the trophy in front of their fans after the match at Stamford Bridge.
They were given a guard of honour by Liverpool’s players before kick-off and a giant tifo was unveiled by supporters in the Matthew Harding stand displaying the word “champions” on it.
The match programme cover was titled “unrivalled” and the word was surrounded by petals with the years written inside that Chelsea had won each of their eight league titles.
That helped build a party atmosphere in London at Saturday lunchtime but it was not the routine victory Chelsea would have hoped for.
They were made to work for it, as they have done so often this season with this their 10th match won by a one-goal margin during an incredible ‘invincible’ campaign.