Women's Super League

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea were crowned Women's Super League champions for the sixth successive season after beating Manchester United 1-0 at Leigh Sports Village on Wednesday night.

Here's what matchwinner Lucy Bronze and manager Sonia Bompastor said after the game:

Defender Lucy Bronze speaking to Sky Sports: "It's hard to focus on so many competitions. We have always said that. We have done fantastically well to keep ourselves in all of them close to the end. It was nice to come here to celebrate a win, celebrate the league title and move forward and past the disappointment of the weekend."

"We have had an up and down season, although the results probably don't show that. It is difficult to come in and build something while not trying to take away from the legacy that Chelsea has always had.

"The second half of the season we have not been at our best. Sonia has done well so far but she wants a lot more from us. And I think we can give it her."

Sonia Bompastor speaking to the BBC: "I feel great. For my first season it feels amazing. I want to thank my players, I want to thank the club to have me on board.

"I was not expecting us to achieve that with two games left. This league is really competitive. It's a big achievement for the club, a big achievement for myself.

"It hurt a little bit to just lost these two games against Barcelona. To be able to bounce back was not easy. We had the character in the team to face that challenge and win tonight and get the title."

Image source, Everton

Everton midfielder Clare Wheeler has signed a new two-year contract with the club, running until the end of June 2027.

The Australia international joined the Toffees in August 2022 and has captained the side in recent weeks.

"I feel really excited," she told the club after putting pen to paper. "It is great to have that trust from the manager to want me to stay and believe in me and this project that we have going on here. I really like this club. I feel really at home here and I'm glad that I get to call it home for a bit longer.

"This team wants to strive for better. With the new owners coming in, there is a buzz around this team, and given our recent performances this year; it is seeing that there is a new chapter coming in.

"I really want to be a part of that and when Brian reached out with the option, it was something I was very interested in and I am really excited for."

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers says she wants her team to use the "emotions" from their Champions League semi-final triumph over Lyon on Sunday and turn them into "positive energy" for Wednesday's match with Aston Villa.

The Gunners players were involved in emotional celebrations following their impressive 4-1 victory over the eight-time European champion in the second leg in France, which saw them win 6-2 on aggregate.

"We've been very good in games to regulate our emotions and so I think that's a quality that the team has, so that's going to be needed now as well," said Slegers.

"I also think we don't want to neglect emotions and emotions can be turned into a lot of positive energy. So that's the balance we try to find, to find the perfect preparation for us."

Arsenal need to win against Villa (18:00 BST kick-off) otherwise Chelsea will be able to clinch the WSL title if they beat Man Utd later in the evening.

"[Villa] come from two wins in the league and I think they will be free in the way they will try to take on the game tomorrow," said Slegers.

"So we are very aware of what they can bring to the game and where they come from, so we need to be 100% focused and concentrated on what we need to do."

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa captain Rachel Corsie will return from injury for her side's Women's Super League match against Arsenal on Wednesday (18:00 BST kick-off).

The Scotland international has not played this season after being an unused substitute in the opening game of the campaign before having knee surgery in October.

She was initially ruled out for eight weeks but then suffered a setback on her return in January after picking up a calf problem.

Villa manager Natalia Arroyo confirmed Corsie would be in the matchday squad to face the Gunners, who are back in league action following their semi-final win in the Champions League on Sunday.

However, Villa will be without defender Lucy Parker, midfielder Lucy Staniforth and forward Gabi Nunes after they picked up injuries, while defender Paula Tomas has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a hip problem.

Image source, Getty Images

Marc Skinner said Manchester United will go "full throttle" in their remaining Women's Super League games as they look to secure a Champions League qualifying spot.

United face Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal in their final three league games and need three points to guarantee a top-three finish.

"It would be lovely but I don't think football works like that," Skinner said when asked about getting the job done against Chelsea on Wednesday (kick-off 20:15 BST).

"In reality we have to prepare that these are three games that we have to try and win. It doesn't matter, regardless of the result against Chelsea. Of course we want to try and win the game but even if we don't we have to try and beat Manchester City and we have to try and beat Arsenal.

"If we win all three games we can potentially finish second. We have to go full throttle in all the games. We know it's tough, we know it's a real challenging end to the season but that's why we're here.

"It would be beautiful and lovely to do all of that but that's not how it works so we have to be prepared for all the games."

Skinner said United will face a Chelsea side hurting from their brutal Champions League exit at the hands of Barcelona.

Chelsea beat United 1-0 when the sides last met in November and Skinner is excited about the challenge of facing the WSL leaders.

"They want a reaction from the game," he said. "I'm sure they are not happy with the scoreline from both legs.

"I'm sure they will be hurting and we've got to manage that hurt but also make sure we try and do the same to them.

"It's a massive challenge but something we are looking forward to, regardless of what shape they are in. We expect a reaction and have to be ready for that."

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace manager Leif Smerud speaking to BBC Sport after the 7-1 defeat by West Ham confirmed his side's relegation from the WSL: "I was saying that over a year in football you get what you deserve, not always in a game, and we have to acknowledge we have not been good enough. We have to look at the facts and they are that we have not been good enough, not today and not during the season. It's not that difficult, you don't have to be an expert to see that."

On West Ham being clinical in front of goal: "I think the sum up of the season is a bit like this. We are not good enough to get the ball in [the net], we concede goals that we shouldn't. Overall we have to learn from it, as a club and as a team we have to learn from this. Today shows what the season has shown, that we are not good enough to stay in the league."

On trying to finish the season on a high: "Now we are disappointed, I think the supporters of [Crystal] Palace want to see us going and performing and today we couldn't do it, and we'll try and do it against Leicester and finish the season as we should. Today we are disappointed than looking forward."

Image source, Getty Images

Robert Vilahamn has no concerns about his future as Tottenham manager despite his side's poor run of form.

Tottenham have picked up just one point from their past seven league outings, with their most recent win coming against Crystal Palace on 26 January, and are on course for their joint-lowest WSL finish after slipping to ninth in the table.

They've particularly struggled in front of goal, scoring just four times in seven matches since the beginning of February.

But while Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, and Manchester City have all made managerial changes this season, Vilahamn is confident he has Tottenham's backing.

"What I hear from the board and everybody around me is we are in this journey together until we're not," Vilahamn said ahead of Tottenham's trip to fifth-placed Liverpool. "Everybody is showing me the support and we're trying to find ways to improve.

"You can say it's a failure this year [but] we also need to go through tough times to get to the next level. You need to look at how you can improve and I'm going to work really hard for this club until they say something else.

"We have three more games. We have a chance to win a few games, a chance to show the fans and media that we are taking steps. Hopefully Liverpool can be the start of three good games before we go on the break.

"If we don't show next season that we are better than year one and two, I will raise my hand and say this is not good enough. It's tough right now, we don't look good in the table. But I guarantee this year we will have some good learnings to use for the third year.

"We talk about patience, the extension of my contract, how we want to play and it takes time to develop and learn that."

Image source, Getty Images

Interim manager Amber Whiteley is targeting a top-five finish as Liverpool look to end the 2024-25 Women's Super League campaign on a high.

Liverpool, who achieved their best WSL finish of fourth last season, currently occupy fifth spot but are only two points clear of Brighton, while West Ham and Everton sit a further two points back.

In their remaining matches, the Reds face struggling Tottenham, who haven't won since January, and Everton at home before traveling to table-toppers Chelsea on the final day of the season.

"It's really important that we hold onto fifth. That's the aim for us," Whiteley said. "It's the highest we can finish.

"The teams below us will be wanting to catch us. We've got to make sure every week we're absolutely on our game and we do everything we can to keep fifth place. That starts with Tottenham this weekend.

"We want to keep improving week on week. We've made great progress over the past couple of months, but we want to keep pushing on and it'll be no different next season."

Liverpool will be without Alejandra Bernabe for the remainder of the season due to a muscle injury, while a decision is yet to be made on Leanne Kiernan, who picked up a knock in training.

However, leading goal-scorer Olivia Smith will be available after being forced off in the 51st minute against Brighton last weekend.

"Olivia wasn't as bad as first thought so she's been in full training this week," Whiteley said. "[Leanne] picked up another knock in training on the same leg that she got a knock on against Chelsea. We'll see how she is after further assessment."

Image source, Getty Images

Interim manager Nick Cushing says Manchester City "have to win" against Leicester on Sunday as they attempt to keep their slim hopes of Women's Champions League qualification alive.

City currently sit seven points behind third-placed Manchester United with three matches remaining and have only won two of their past five league outings, dropping points against Chelsea, Everton, and West Ham.

Victory at the King Power Stadium would close the gap to four points, with Manchester United facing unbeaten table-toppers Chelsea on 30 April ahead of next weekend's Manchester derby.

"Mathematically, we can make Champions League, so we have to continue the ambition of making sure we get maximum points," Cushing said.

"We know now that we have to get maximum points to make it happen. That starts with Leicester. We have to win. And that means we go into the Manchester United game [on 4 May] potentially with an opportunity to close the gap again."

City's Champions League ambitions have been handed a significant boost by the anticipated return of Lauren Hemp, who has been absent since November with a knee injury.

However, while Cushing's squad is looking "slightly healthier than it has done over the past few weeks", there is still no return date for Bunny Shaw. The WSL leading goal-scorer hasn't featured since mid-March with a hamstring injury.

"Lauren Hemp trained last week and will be involved at some point against Leicester," Cushing said. "That's a huge boost for the club.

"Alex Greenwood is training and getting close to being involved. Rebecca Knaak got through 60 minutes [against Everton] really successfully after not playing for so long.

"We'll continue to push the remaining players. We've got another day before we have to pick a team so hopefully if we can get one or two more back, it will give us more confidence."