Chelsea win WSL after Sam Kerr brace as Man Utd miss out on Champions League

Chelsea won a third consecutive Women's Super League title after beating Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.

A brace from Sam Kerr helped the Blues recover from 2-1 down at half-time to win 4-2 at Kingsmeadow. Chelsea's title rivals Arsenal also won on Sunday, beating West Ham 2-0 at Victoria Road to finish just a point behind the Champions.

Chelsea started the day one point clear at the top of the WSL, knowing a win against United would confirm the title. That was easier said than done, however, as the Red Devils were aiming to qualify for the Champions League for the first time.

It promised to be a tough afternoon, yet Blues boss Emma Hayes insisted there was "no pressure" on her team ahead of the game. She would've been forgiven for changing her mind early on, when United's Martha Thomas nodded in Katie Zelem's superb free kick.

That put Arsenal top of the WSL on goal difference, yet only a fool would assume that was the end of the drama. Just minutes later, Erin Cuthbert smashed in a loose ball to equalise for the Blues.

A hush descended on Victoria Road as the news filtered through, yet that silence was quickly ended when Arsenal's Beth Mead went down in the box under Hawa Cissoko's challenge. Referee Emily Heaslip was right to wave play on.

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The Gunners returned to the top of the WSL when Ella Toone's deflected volley nestled in the back of Ann-Katrin Berger's net to re-establish United's lead. If Hayes wasn't feeling the pressure before, she certainly was now.

Despite events in Kingston upon Thames, Arsenal couldn't find a way past the Hammers at Victoria Road. They had 10 shots on goal during the first half, while West Ham didn't test Manuela Zinsberger once. Jonas Eidevall needed more from his title-chasing players.

As did Hayes. Chelsea required a hero in the second half... and Kerr was happy to step up and make the difference. The FWA Footballer of the Year produced a moment of magic to make it 2-2, lashing a left-footed volley into the top corner.

Then Chelsea took the lead for the first time in the game, as Guro Reiten converted a low cross from Pernille Harder. The Gunners responded by getting their first goal off the afternoon through Stina Blackstenius' neat finish.

Arsenal put more pressure on the Blues thanks to Steph Catley's excellent strike, giving Eidevall's side a commanding 2-0 lead. Few at Victoria Road thought there was any chance of West Ham mounting a comeback, such was Arsenal's dominance.

But their lead didn't matter, as Kerr confirmed Chelsea's title with an audacious strike from distance. After noticing goalkeeper Mary Earps was off her line, she controlled the ball on her chest, turned and found the back of the net with supreme confidence.

After that, there were no more twists in the tale. Kerr's stunner was the perfect way to end a thrilling WSL finale.

Man Utd denied Champions League spot

United's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League for the first time were slim heading into Sunday's final round of fixtures. They were on course to clinch third until last month's game against Aston Villa, when they dropped two points in a goalless draw.

City's 4-0 win against Leicester on the same day saw Gareth Taylor's side jump into third, leaving United needing to beat Chelsea on the final day and Reading to pick up a surprise home win against City to secure a place in Europe's biggest competition.

For a while, that seemed possible. City failed to break Reading down in the first 30 minutes, as the Red Devils established a 2-1 lead. But United's hopes were dashed when Lauren Hemp gave City the lead in the 33rd minute.

From there, it was always going to be a tall order for Reading to stop their opponents. City went on to win 4-0 to confirm their place in the Champions League. Marc Skinner's side have now finished fourth three years in-a-row. Their time will come.