And just like that, the champions of the Women’s Super League are known. And unsurprisingly, it’s Chelsea once again—for the sixth season in a row. After Arsenal had a slow start to the campaign under former manager Jonas Eidevall, Chelsea took the lead early and never looked back. Sonia Bompastor’s side only needed a point from their match against Manchester United, after Renee Slegers’ Arsenal suffered an unexpected 5-2 defeat to Aston Villa.

Tired legs and squad depth and rotation for Arsenal

Wednesday’s clash with Aston Villa has raised serious questions for Arsenal—particularly around squad depth and rotation. Renee Slegers opted for a heavily rotated starting XI, making seven changes. Katie Reid was handed her first full WSL start, joined by Lotte Wubben-Moy, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Victoria Pelova, Manu Zinsberger, Stina Blackstenius, and Beth Mead.

But as has been the case more than once this season with Zinsberger in goal, Arsenal struggled to play out from the back. Aston Villa, by contrast, made full use of their pace up front, exploiting space behind Arsenal’s defense with balls over the top. Before the break, the claret and blues were already 2-0 up. The second was a stunner from Katie Hanson, who continues her red-hot form with an outrageous minutes-to-goal ratio in recent weeks.

The Gunners’ backline, including Steph Catley and Katie McCabe, looked fatigued, and every long ball seemed to spell danger. At half-time, Slegers turned to Kim Little, Leah Williamson, and Alessia Russo to steady the ship—but within a minute of the restart, it was 3-0 after a mix-up between McCabe and Zinsberger. A swift counter made it 4-0 not long after.

There was a flicker of hope when Arsenal hit back with quick goals from Blackstenius and Russo, briefly suggesting a comeback might be on the cards. But another simple ball over the top made it 5-2, sealing a ruthless night for Villa. Five shots on target, five goals—clinical finishing and a nightmare for Arsenal, who handed Chelsea a far easier path to the title, needing just a draw to seal it.

The Women’s Football Blog game of the weekend

The Women’s Football Blog game of the week featured Manchester United taking on Chelsea. The Blues went into the match knowing that a single point would be enough to secure their sixth consecutive WSL title.

Both sides showed attacking intent, and chances came at both ends, but goalkeepers Hannah Hampton and Phallon Tullis-Joyce once again proved why they’re among the best in the league. In the 74th minute, it was Lucy Bronze who finally broke the deadlock for Chelsea, giving them a lead they held onto until the final whistle. It was a strong response from the Blues after the heavy defeat to Barcelona over the weekend.

Chelsea are the WSL champions once again

For the sixth season in a row, Chelsea have been crowned WSL champions—this time with two games to spare. It marks Sonia Bompastor’s first league title in England, and she’s stepped into Emma Hayes’ shoes in a way few thought possible. Chelsea remain unbeaten in the league, having only dropped points in a couple of draws. And the season isn’t over yet: in just a few weeks, these two sides will meet again at Wembley for the FA Cup final.

Manchester United still in 3rd place

The loss to Chelsea will be a tough one to take for Manchester United, as they remain in third place—when a win could’ve lifted them to second. While third place still offers a route into the Champions League, it’s a far more difficult path, with qualifiers coming earlier and offering less preparation time after the Euros. As we’ve seen in previous seasons, a shortened pre-season can seriously affect a team’s chances of making it through to the group stage.

WSL Results: This Weekend’s Scores