The key matches in Chelsea’s WSL title success

Sonia Bompastor has led Chelsea to another Women’s Super League title in her first season as boss, with the team clinching the trophy without losing a game.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key matches in the Blues’ sixth consecutive league triumph.

Chelsea 1-0 Aston Villa, September 20

Playing their first competitive match since Bompastor succeeded the hugely successful Emma Hayes at boss, Chelsea opened the new WSL season by edging Villa at Kingsmeadow, with Johanna Rytting Kaneryd scoring a stunning winner late in the first half.

Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea, October 12

The Villa contest was followed by a ruthless 7-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park before Chelsea played one of their potential title rivals for the first time under Bompastor as they took on Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

In what would prove Jonas Eidevall’s final match as Gunners boss, the Swede resigning three days later, Chelsea surged into a two-goal lead via early goals from Mayra Ramirez and Sandy Baltimore before Caitlin Foord replied just prior to the break.

Chelsea 2-0 Manchester City, November 16

A meeting of last season’s top two at Stamford Bridge saw the hosts prevail after Ramirez and Guro Reiten finished in quick succession in the final quarter of the contest.

It extended Chelsea’s winning start to the campaign to seven victories from as many games – and they made it eight from eight by beating Manchester United 1-0 at Kingsmeadow the following weekend courtesy of a Reiten penalty.

Chelsea 1-0 Arsenal, January 26

Having dropped points for the first time in the campaign in their 10th fixture, being held 1-1 at Leicester in their final WSL game of 2024, Chelsea were back to business as usual at the start of 2025, winning 5-0 at West Ham and then completing the double over Arsenal.

The Gunners had been in fine form under Renee Slegers but came unstuck at Stamford Bridge, where Reiten netted another spot-kick in the 84th minute, with Katie McCabe sent off for the visitors moments later. Chelsea also benefitted from late goals in their next two league outings, a Sarah Mayling own goal giving them a 1-0 victory at Villa and Lauren James’ stoppage-time strike sealing a 2-1 come-from-behind win over Everton.

Manchester City 1-2 Chelsea, March 23

In a run of four meetings in a row across three competitions with City, who had put Nick Cushing in interim charge after sacking Gareth Taylor, Chelsea went into this third clash at the Etihad Stadium having won the League Cup final 2-1 at Pride Park the previous weekend, and then suffered their first defeat of the season, going down 2-0 in their Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Joie Stadium.

They fell behind to Kerolin’s first-half goal, but turned it around as Aggie Beever-Jones equalised early in the second half before another stoppage-time goal, from Erin Cuthbert, gave them all three points, putting them eight clear at the top.

Manchester United 0-1 Chelsea, April 30

Lucy Bronze headed a second-half winner as Chelsea clinched their sixth successive crown with a 1-0 win over Manchester United.

The England full-back finally broke the deadlock in a pulsating contest at Leigh Sports Village when she glanced a corner past the impressive Phallon Tullis-Joyce 16 minutes from time.

Arsenal’s defeat by Aston Villa earlier on Wednesday had opened the door for the Blues to wrap up yet another league success, their eighth in 10 seasons and a first under Bompastor.