Emma Hayes’ Perfect Farewell: Chelsea Secures WSL Championship by Defeating Manchester United
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Chelsea’s Epic Send-Off for Emma Hayes with a 6-0 Victory at Old Trafford
Emma Hayes had a dream farewell as Chelsea crushed Manchester United 6-0 to win the Women’s Super League title in spectacular fashion.
On the final day of the season, Mayra Ramirez delivered a stellar performance, scoring twice and assisting twice before halftime, dismantling the hosts. This victory meant Manchester City’s win against Aston Villa was irrelevant, with Chelsea securing the title on goal difference.
This marks Chelsea’s fifth consecutive league title and the seventh under Hayes’ leadership. Just weeks ago, after a loss to Liverpool, Hayes had all but given up on the title. But Chelsea roared back with an 8-0 win over Bristol City, capitalizing on Manchester City’s defeat to Arsenal to regain their lead.
Hayes’ tenure hasn’t been without its setbacks. The team lost in the League Cup final to Arsenal and was knocked out of both the FA Cup and Champions League in the semi-finals by Manchester United and Barcelona, respectively. However, the season ended on a triumphant note.
In her final match before taking over the United States national team, Hayes led Chelsea to Old Trafford with the title race on a knife edge, tied on points with City but ahead on goal difference. Within eight minutes, Chelsea had doubled their lead. Ramirez scored just 90 seconds in, then set up Johanna Rytting Kaneryd to score, quickly putting any doubt to rest.
By halftime, Chelsea was up 4-0. Sjoeke Nusken tapped in after Ramirez outplayed Millie Turner, and Ramirez scored again in stoppage-time, leaving United reeling. The second half saw Melanie Leupolz add a fifth, and Fran Kirby, in her final appearance, scored a beautiful goal to make it 6-0, sending Chelsea fans into raptures.
Even though Manchester City won 2-1 against Aston Villa, it wasn’t enough. What could have been a tense afternoon turned into a celebration of both the title win and Emma Hayes’ remarkable era at Chelsea.
