WSL title race reaches boiling point with pivotal derby double

19 May 2023 , 14:27

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Leah Galton scored for United in the last Manchester WSL derby

One of the greatest WSL title races in history could be decided this weekend.

Having regained top spot with a midweek win over West Ham, Chelsea host London rivals Arsenal at Kingsmeadow knowing they are just two wins away from retaining their crown. The Blues could even be champions as early as this weekend, should they win and Man Utd lose.

Manchester United have the small task of a derby showdown with neighbours Manchester City at Leigh Sports Village, needing to win to have any realistic chance of catching Emma Hayes' side. Manager Marc Skinner has the difficult task of getting an immediate reset from his players following last weekend's FA Cup final defeat to the Blues at Wembley.

City have to win to maintain their hopes of finishing in the top three and qualifying for next season's UEFA Women's Champions League. At the bottom of the table Reading travel to Tottenham in a fixture that could prove decisive in the relegation battle.

Here's what to watch out for on a huge weekend of WSL action.

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Can Chelsea take final steps towards the 'treble double'?

All the talk post-game at Wembley last weekend was of Chelsea creating a new "dynasty". Fresh from winning yet another FA Cup, the Blues now have two more league games to win to secure a third straight league and cup double.

Pernille Harder and Magdalena Eriksson celebrate after Chelsea win the 2023 women's FA Cup ((Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images))

A midweek away win at West Ham has sent them back to the top of the table, two points clear of Man Utd. Chelsea also now boast a superior goal difference to United meaning a win and a draw could be enough to secure the title.

First of all they have to get past the team that defeated them in the Conti Cup final two months ago - Arsenal. But Emma Hayes will be confident that with home advantage, her side can get the job done. Chelsea must also deal with the news that both Pernille Harder and Magda Eriksson will be leaving in the summer - with both players in outstanding form in recent weeks.

Could Arsenal spring another surprise?

It feels almost inevitable at this point that Arsenal have had to deal with yet another injury blow this week. Lia Walti became the latest victim when she was stretchered off during Wednesday's win over Everton, after a late tackle from Aggie Beever-Jones.

Walti will miss the trip to Chelsea, along with long-term absentees Leah Williamson, Beth Mead, Laura Wienroither and Viv Miedema. But when Arsenal's backs are against the wall, they normally find a way to win.

They did so against Man City when they looked out of the race for top three and very nearly got past Wolfsburg to reach the European Cup final with a severely depleted team. Don't rule out Jonas Eidevall's team for one more big result this season.

Biggest ever Manchester derby could highlight power shift

Man Utd know that they need Chelsea to slip up if their unlikely title push is to have a fairy-tale ending. But setting aside silverware ambitions, a win over Man City on Sunday would represent a landmark achievement.

Three points over their neighbours would guarantee United a top three finish, and with that comes Champions League football. It would be a remarkable achievement for Marc Skinner, that few were predicting at the start of the season.

For so long Chelsea, Arsenal and City have seemed unattainable to the rest of the league but a win for United on Sunday would confirm the glass ceiling has well and truly been smashed. It has felt as if the power has shifted in Manchester in recent times, and Gareth Taylor and City will be all too aware that United's progression into Europe would probably come at their expense.

Gareth Taylor will be hoping his City side can take maximum points in the second Manchester derby of the WSL season

This could well be the most unmissable game yet of a dramatic season. If Arsenal do get something at Chelsea earlier in the day, a win may even take Skinners' side back to the WSL summit with just one match to play. Put simply it is the biggest women's Manchester derby in history.

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Reading need win to take relegation fight to the wire

After 20 games, the WSL dogfight is approaching it's final stages. The team occupying the sole relegation spot has rotated throughout the season, but with just two games to play Reading are staring down the trapdoor.

If the Royals are to survive they realistically need to be beat relegation rivals Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The hosts also need a big performance in front of what should be their largest home attendance of the season.

This one is part of a double-header, with the men's team facing Brentford earlier in the day at the same venue. But all the good will from the crowd will disappear if Tottenham don't get the win needed to secure safety. Reading are in last chance saloon, but manager Kelly Chambers will be confident they can cause an upset after beating Spurs in the reverse fixture.

Can Leicester complete the great escape?

If Reading are beaten at Tottenham on Saturday, relegation rivals Leicester City will be just one win from safety. The job Willie Kirk has done is nothing short of remarkable, remember the Foxes didn't even have a point when the league paused for a winter break in December.

But if they beat out-of-form West Ham in their final home match, it could very well be job done for Leicester. Kirk himself was a controversial omission from the Barclays Manager of the Season nominees on Friday, failing to make the four-person shortlist.

But if he guides Leicester to another three points on Sunday at the King Power, mission impossible may well have been accomplished. We all saw what the Leicester men's team did in the Premier League back 2016 after completing a miracle run to survival the year before.

Foxes everywhere will be dreaming the women's team can go onto better things next year, if they can finish the job off against Paul Konchesky's West Ham.

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Jack Lacey-Hatton