Chelsea return to top of the WSL with 1-0 victory over Tottenham - title chance now in their own hands - Eurosport

Last Wednesday night, Chelsea bagged a tight 1-0 win over Tottenham, placing them back on the peak of the WSL leaderboard. However, the scoreline between Chelsea and Manchester City is quite tight since they both have the same points. Moreover, there's only one game to go, and they only differ in goal difference by two goals.

However, despite Emma Hayes' upcoming departure and her initial belief that the title race was over after losing to Liverpool earlier this month, Chelsea has made an incredible comeback. This achievement was certainly aided by their rivals' loss to Arsenal ten days ago.

"I feel relieved that we achieved our goal of winning three points and we are leaving with those three points now. Our task is almost complete as we have one more game to play," Erin Cuthbert expressed in a post-match statement.

It was important for us to emerge victorious this evening, which we did and it has led us to a promising game against Manchester United at their home ground, Old Trafford. We should savor this moment, but also take time to relax and recharge as we have another match coming up in just two days.

It was a pleasant evening in London, with warm and sunny weather. Chelsea began the game against Tottenham with a strong performance, creating more opportunities to score. Unfortunately, their efforts were thwarted by Tottenham's sturdy defense. However, everything changed when Maika Hamano scored the first goal for Chelsea, assisted by Niamh Charles who delivered a superb cross that Hamano easily tapped in. This was Hamano's debut goal for the Blues.

During a Barclays Women's Super League game held in London, England on May 15, 2024, Maika Hamano from Chelsea FC scored the team's initial goal against Tottenham Hotspur at the Brisbane Road stadium.

Credit for the image goes to Getty Images.

At half-time, Chelsea had a 1-0 advantage, while Tottenham had to make some changes due to Amanda Nilden's injury. The Swede was taken off the pitch with a shin injury towards the end of the first half.

Initially, they began the second half with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. However, as time passed, they started feeling anxious and tense. At the same time, Tottenham was playing without any constraints and started advancing towards Chelsea's side of the field.

With 20 minutes left on the clock, Tottenham brought on Martha Thomas and Matilda Vinberg to launch an offensive, keeping control of the ball and making it difficult for Chelsea to maintain possession. The supporters were growing anxious as they realized the significance of this potential triumph. A tie would not be sufficient as Chelsea would have to rely on the outcomes of other matches on the final day of the season.

Cuthbert made a thrilling move past the defenders towards the goal at Chelsea's home ground. She took a powerful shot, which was deflected and went out for a corner kick. Unfortunately, nothing significant emerged from that corner, except for Chelsea's defenders being given a brief break.

However, the game interrupted Tottenham's progress, and so did the twin substitution of Lauren James and Fran Kirby. They entered the game with only 10 minutes remaining for Aggie-Beever Jones and Guro Reiten. Just like Hayes, Kirby is also retiring soon, and she quickly got a chance to score but, it was a difficult one which went wide.

Emma Hayes, who is the manager of Chelsea, observes the Barclays Women's Super League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea FC at Brisbane Road on May 15, 2024.

Credit for the image goes to Getty Images.

Kirby was full of energy as the timer was running out, attempting to deliver a cross while Tottenham retreated, thus limiting their own offensive opportunities when they successfully cleared the ball.

The game finally ended, much to the relief of Chelsea supporters. They were feeling anxious throughout the match but their emotions turned into excitement as their team secured the top spot in the league standings. Hayes showed her happiness by pumping her fist in the air from the sideline.

Cuthbert stated that although they had a few opportunities, the crucial aspect of the game was preventing their opponents from scoring in the second half. Cuthbert also mentioned that they will give their all during their upcoming match on Saturday.

This means that Hayes has the opportunity to win her fifth championship in a row in her final game leading her team. On Saturday, Chelsea will visit Manchester United while their competition for the title, Man City, will face Aston Villa on the road. Most importantly, it is up to Chelsea to determine their fate. If they win and win convincingly on Saturday, they will become champions once again.

Every game in this league requires a great deal of hard work and determination, nothing comes easy. The league is becoming increasingly competitive, with Tottenham giving their all particularly in the second half. The players have shown outstanding performances throughout the lengthy season, and at this point in the year, it is a challenge to keep up the pace. Therefore, we require the entire squad to contribute, not just the starting line-up. Hayes shared these thoughts after the match.

I believe that our game is the more challenging of the two as we have to play at Old Trafford, which seems like a fitting end for me since it will be my last match. When given another opportunity in life, it's important to not require a third one. Nevertheless, we will give it our all, no matter what happens. I am extremely tired!

Regarding Tottenham, they have already secured a spot in sixth place in the league and will be playing a home game against West Ham in their final match of the season with the goal of finishing strong.

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