Chelsea win WSL title after edging Arsenal on final day

Chelsea won a third consecutive Women's Super League title yesterday after twice coming from behind to defeat Manchester United to edge rivals Arsenal by a point on a final day of thrilling drama.

- JAMIE BRAIDWOOD

The title was in Chelsea's hands but Emma Hayes's side found themselves 2-1 down at half-time after goals from Martha Thomas and Ella Toone stunned Kingsmeadow and put Arsenal to the top of the table. But Chelsea made an immediate response after the break as Sam Kerr and Guro Reiten, two key players in their title campaign, fired them ahead for the first time - before Kerr added a fourth with what was perhaps the goal of the season from 30 yards.

It was a worthy way to wrap up the title, Chelsea's fifth in six seasons, after a race with Arsenal that had been neck and neck since the opening day. Arsenal did their part with a closing 2-0 victory over West Ham and ultimately the title would have been theirs if it had not been for a shock 2-0 defeat to Birmingham City in January, in what was the Gunners' only loss of the campaign.

It was a result that was illustrative of what has been a wild and unpredictable campaign, and that continued right up until the final day where the title was up for grabs and there were trophies at both Kingsmeadow and at West Ham in case there was one final twist.