Hamano pushes Chelsea past Spurs to set up furious final day in WSL title race | Women’s Super League
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Emma Hayes was philosophical after Chelsea’s 1-0 win against Tottenham, pleased her side grabbed their “second chance” to stay level on points with Manchester City on the final day of the season. “I love the saying, ‘When someone gives you a second chance at life, make sure you don’t need a third,’ and I love that we stuck it out until the last day,” she said.
Just a win would be good and the bigger the better to improve the goal difference. Manchester United await Chelsea at Old Trafford on Saturday, while City play Aston Villa to improve on Chelsea’s result. If both win, Chelsea’s goal difference is two better. Maika Hamano’s goal ensured the teams would stay level.
It was never going to be as simple as that 8-0 drubbing of Bristol City on May 5, erasing the goal difference against their rivals. However, the moment City dropped points against Arsenal and opened the door again for Hayes to win a fifth consecutive title, there was a feeling that Chelsea would not just put a foot through the gap, but push the door with renewed vigor.
“I told them, proverbially, it’s like going in with a gun in your mouth,” said Hayes, who is leaving Chelsea at the end of the season. “How do you want to answer that? What I love about the team is our ability to…keep our cool. We will find a way to continue to perform regardless of the pressure.
“That will be the thing I remember the most. It won’t be the victories, but the ability of human beings to keep finding a way. People write you off, you wonder if you have anything left to give – we’re still finding a way after four titles in a row.”
Robert Villahamn made three changes to the team that lost 4-0 to Manchester United in the FA Cup final on Sunday. Goalkeeper Becky Spencer was replaced by Barbora Votikova for the visit of the WSL champions, with Celine Bizet and Grace Clinton returning to the starting XI, with the latter ineligible against United.
Chelsea, meanwhile, swapped out three of the starters who smashed Bristol City, with Sophie Ingle and Sjoke Nyusken on the bench and Ev Perisse absent altogether, in favor of Catarina Macario, Melanie Leupolz and Ashley Lawrence.
The Chelsea manager was all smiles after two minutes, a rendition of “Emma Hayes, you’re going to miss the PG tips” that lightened the mood at the start of a tense league encounter.
Chelsea dominated at the start of the half, playing against a stand packed with almost as many visitors as home fans. Twice they tested Votikova inside five minutes, first through Macario, then Aggie Beaver-Jones, and had a solid penalty shout waved away by the referee, Emily Heaslip, shortly after when the ball appeared to come out of Amanda Nilden’s hand and Luana’s hand Buehler in quick succession.
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After Millie Bright’s lovely cross to Niamh Charles was headed into the box early than necessary and Guro Raiten’s effort beat Votikova but was cleared by Amy James-Turner, it began to feel as if luck had deserted the visitors. The goal that would ease those creeping nerves came in the 37th minute when Macario’s through ball to Raiten was swept across the face of the goal by the Norwegian and met by Hamano at full stretch.
A serious injury to Nilden in added time at the end of the half forced a substitution for the home side, with Charlotte Grant coming on after the defender was carried off on a stretcher. A couple of corners for Tottenham breathed life into their attack after the break, the first well read and cleared by Bright, before the second hit dangerously into the box with Beaver-Jones eventually blocking Buhler’s effort.
Chelsea weathered that brief storm and began to regain control towards the final 20 minutes. In the end, one goal was enough for the win, but will it be enough for the title? We’ll find out on Saturday.
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