Chelsea thump Reading to seal WSL title and maintain quadruple bidon May 9, 2021 at 5:17 pm

Chelsea retain their Women’s Super League title as Fran Kirby scores twice in their ruthless victory over Reading.

Kirby guided a second into the top corner and again linked up with Sam Kerr to power home after the interval.

Golden boot winner Kerr volleyed past Grace Moloney from Kirby’s lofted pass and Erin Cuthbert bundled in a fifth.

Second-placed Manchester City won at West Ham to finish two points behind as runners-up, but needed Chelsea to slip up to have any chance of snatching top spot.

England’s record appearance holder Fara Williams captained Reading in her final game before retiring as the Royals finish the season seventh.

Emma Hayes’ side have already won the League Cup this season and clinching a fourth WSL title moves the Blues a step closer to a historic quadruple.

They face Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League final next Sunday, and have a last-16 Women’s FA Cup tie against Everton to come on 20 May.

Leupolz’s neat opener, which went through Royals keeper Moloney, was the fastest WSL goal of the season – though Chelsea were not at their swashbuckling best in the first half at Kingsmeadow and had to be patient until England forward Kirby’s side-footed finish after a one-two with Kerr.

Williams was denied a farewell goal against her old club by the alert Ann-Katrin Berger and, once Kirby scored her second before the hour mark, Hayes took off Ji So-yun, Pernille Harder and Niamh Charles with an eye on next weekend’s European final in Gothenburg.

Kerr’s goal made her just the second woman to pass 20 goals in a WSL season – after Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema in 2018-19 – while substitute Cuthbert put the icing on the Chelsea cake late on.

Kerr-by combo conquers again

The partnership struck up by Kirby and Australia striker Kerr has led to them becoming known as ‘Kerr-by’ by supporters.

And when either of them scored in the title-clinching triumph it was the other one who set them up.

The pair have scored a staggering 52 goals between them in all competitions and have a near telepathic understanding when the ball is in the final third, with their movement and weight of pass entirely in sync.

“It’s a dream come true, they’re amazing,” Kerr told BBC Radio 5 Live when asked what it is like to play in this Chelsea side.

“This probably means the most to me out of all my golden boots – I feel like a lot of people said I had to come to Europe to prove myself and here it is.”

But the list of standout Chelsea players this season is a long one.

Germany goalkeeper Berger won the WSL’s golden glove with 12 clean sheets this season, edging out unfortunate Manchester City keeper Ellie Roebuck, who missed their final league match on Sunday with an ankle injury.

Having won last season’s WSL on points per game after the season was curtailed by coronavirus, it will feel sweet for Hayes and co to have retained their crown on the pitch.

Monday off for players? ‘They wish’

Chelsea boss Hayes said this is the best of her league title successes because of the fierce competition from Manchester City.

“They had a tremendous team and took us the whole way, so to win the title with the investment they’ve had too I think is a real testament to the players,” she told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“Winning the league is, I think, the real indicator that you’re the dominant team.

“To do that in the fashion we’ve done it – we’ve controlled what we needed to and we’ve not been chasing all season.”

Hayes said she feels “too weathered” for any talk of a potential Chelsea quadruple and asked whether she will be giving her players Monday off, she said: “They wish – they’re in tomorrow and they can have Tuesday off.”

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