chelsea boss Emma Hayes She says it’s “business as usual” for her side as she prepares for Saturdays Super League finale wants to complete another title.
Before the closing fixture of the season, the winning Blues WSL five times and for each of the last three seasons – two points behind runner-up Manchester Unitedbetter by five goals difference.
Aiming to double the league and the FA Cup, Chelsea are playing at the bottom away from Reading, while Marc Skinner’s United are in Liverpool.
Hayes said at a press conference: “I think let’s go back to every campaign, we won the league by just a few points at best, maybe (one game) somewhere along the (substitute) line, so it’s just business. It’s usual for us.
“Preparation is what we prepared at the very beginning of the season.
“It cannot be said that we have won leagues comfortably in the past, so nothing is different from our point of view. From our previous experience we always knew that it was going to the last game.”
For Chelsea, who have scored 24 goals and scored once in their last six games, a championship-sealing win will be their seventh consecutive league victory.
We have not won leagues comfortably in the past – so from our point of view nothing is different.
Emma Hayes
Meanwhile, Reading have lost each of their last five games and conceded 16 goals in their last four.
The Royals had a shocking 1-0 win over Chelsea at home last season, and Hayes said: “We’re not thinking about that. What we think is exactly where we want to be is that we are in a position to control the outcome.
“I have to constantly remind the team that we are 90 minutes away from the championship and I am focusing all my energy on that.”
No matter what happened on Saturday, at least securing second place, their first Champions League finish, United had their best WSL campaign to date and made it to the FA Cup final where they lost 1-0. Chelsea and Skinner said they felt their side was “not sufficiently respected”.
Asked about this comment, Hayes said, “They should. They’ve had an outstanding year. I’m sure Marc will build on that and make them even more competitive next year.”
Lying two points behind 11th-placed Leicester, who have a three-by-less lower goal difference and went to Brighton, the reading needs to win to have any chance of survival.
Reading boss Kelly Chambers said: “What’s the point for me stepping out there on Saturday if you give up now or don’t believe it then?
“There is still a ray of hope for us and we must do everything we can. If we lose to the better team, I can accept that – what I can’t accept is that we don’t just come out and fight for everything.”
Third-placed Arsenal look set to seal the Champions League final spot, currently three points away from Manchester City and have an 11 goal difference advantage against them.
Jonas Eidevall’s Gunners host fifth-placed Aston Villa, a striker with 21 goals. rachel daly He was named WSL Player of the Year on Friday, while Everton is playing at Gareth Taylor’s City home.
City finished outside Europe for the first time since 2014.
Taylor said: “There’s a subtle difference between being successful in a season like Chelsea and where we fell short.
“If we can get more of these players out for another season with the group and support we have, those are exciting times.”
Saturday’s other game sees West Ham entertain Tottenham.
Meanwhile, WSL attendances are up 173 percent this season from the previous season, with the 2022-23 average jumping from 1,931 to 5,272, according to Football Association statistics released Friday.
Cumulative attendance for the current WSL campaign is 664,211, the three highest WSL crowds ever this season.
It was 47,367 for Arsenal against Tottenham at Emirates Stadium in September, 44,259 for Manchester City v Manchester United at Etihad Stadium in December and 42,700 for Arsenal against Chelsea at Emirates in January.
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