WSL final day LIVE! Chelsea stroll to win over Reading to win title as Man United beat Liverpool

Sam Kerr scored twice as Chelsea cruised to a 3-0 victory over Reading on Saturday to win their fourth consecutive FA Women’s Super League title, completing a league and FA Cup double on the last day of the season and condemning their hosts to relegation.

The Blues finished on 58 points from 22 games, two ahead of runners-up Manchester United, who beat Liverpool 1-0 and 11 ahead of Arsenal, who finish third in the final Champions League spot.

Reading finished bottom of the 12-team league and are relegated to the second-tier Championship.

Chelsea opened the scoring in the 18th minute when Guro Reiten crossed for Australia international Kerr to steal a march on her defender and head home, and Reiten netted the second in the 42nd minute.

Kerr netted again in the 88th minute to complete the rout and add the WSL to the FA Cup they won on penalties against Manchester United on May 14.

WSL title race latest news

• FT: Reading 0-3 Chelsea

• FT: Liverpool 0-1 Man United

Thank you

17:21 , Jonathan Gorrie

Thanks for joining Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Chelsea’s WSL title win today.

Find our report and reaction below!

Eriksson says fifth and final Women’s Super League title means the most at Chelsea

17:21 , Jonathan Gorrie

Chelsea defender Magdalena Eriksson says her fifth and final Women’s Super League title with the club means the most.

The Sweden international will be leaving the Blues this summer after a trophy-laden spell for the club and played in Saturday’s win over Reading sealed the WSL championship on the final day.

Manchester United had pushed Emma Hayes’s side all the way but the champions retained their crown even despite Marc Skinner’s side beating Liverpool.

Read the full story here!

Chelsea stroll to WSL title once more as winning machine rolls on

16:43 , Jonathan Gorrie

While the final day of the Women’s Super League threatened to throw up a dramatic end to the campaign, the relentless winning machine is that Chelsea rather spoiled the party for the neutral.

For the fourth time in a row, Emma Hayes and her side reign over English football as champions.

They needed to lose to now-relegated Reading and see Manchester United beat Liverpool in order to give up their grip on the trophy and those thrill-seekers looking for some title excitement may have been convincing themselves that could indeed happen.

The Royals, after all, have been a difficult team to break down in previous years and United’s season has been one full of great strides forward.

Still, there is simply too much experience in the Chelsea ranks for that to realistically happen.

Read Jonathan Gorrie’s full report here!

FT: Liverpool 0-1 Man United

16:33 , Jonathan Gorrie

Skinner’s side at least get to end the season on a high!

FT: Reading 0-3 Chelsea

16:20 , Jonathan Gorrie

And that’s it!

Chelsea wrap up a fourth consecutive trophy with a routine win over Reading, who suffer relegation as a result.

It’s gone all the way but the Blues’ relentless run continues.

GOAL! Reading 0-3 Chelsea | Sam Kerr ‘86

16:15 , Jonathan Gorrie

86 mins: Kerr initially hits the post from close range but taps in the rebound!

GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Man United | Lucia Garcia '72

16:07 , Jonathan Gorrie

72 mins: Garcia gives United the lead on Merseyside!

Something to shout about, at least.

Harder says goodbye

16:00 , Jonathan Gorrie

71 mins: Emotinal moment as Harder goes off for Cankovic to big cheers from the away end.

A truly trophy-laden spell.

Slipping away for Manchester United

15:58 , Jonathan Gorrie

68 mins: Frustrating afternoon for United, with Liverpool holding firm,

Skinner will be furious they’ve not done their job.

Reading not showing much

15:46 , Jonathan Gorrie

56 mins: This is an absolute walk in the park for Chelsea now.

Back underway!

15:35 , Jonathan Gorrie

45 minutes to go in the season and Chelsea look set for the title!

A look at Kerr’s goal

15:28 , Jonathan Gorrie

Half-time at Liverpool!

15:23 , Jonathan Gorrie

The dream looks to be over for United...

CHANCE FOR MAN UNITED!

15:21 , Jonathan Gorrie

45 mins: Saying that, a goal would have made things slightly more interesting!

Zelem smacks the woodwork after a lovely ball over the top from Parris.

Half-time at Chelsea

15:20 , Jonathan Gorrie

No matter what happens on Merseyside, Kerr and Reiten’s goals look to have given the Blues another WSL title!

GOAL! Reading 0-2 Chelsea | Guro Reiten ‘42 mins

15:13 , Jonathan Gorrie

42 mins: Mistake from Reading at the back allows Reiten in to slot past Maloney.

Chelsea all-but certain to be champions now!

Chelsea strolling to a title

15:08 , Jonathan Gorrie

38 mins: For all the drama leading up to the final day, Chelsea are seeing this out like the winning machine they’ve been under Hayes.

Manchester United struggling at Liverpool

14:59 , Jonathan Gorrie

28 mins: Liverpool are making things difficult for United at Prenton Park, particularly in midifeld.

Getting no time on the ball.

CHANCE FOR READING!

14:52 , Jonathan Gorrie

21 mins: SO CLOSE!

Vanhaevermaet puts a header wide!

GOAL! Reading 0-1 Chelsea | Sam Kerr ‘18

14:49 , Jonathan Gorrie

18 mins: Chelsea on course for the title!

Reiten with a lovely cross over to Kerr, who nods home after getting in-front of her marker.

Wave after wave for Chelsea

14:40 , Jonathan Gorrie

10 mins: It’s not that Reading can’t hurt Chelsea, it’s just that at the moment they are playing long ball after ball with little sticking.

Chelsea are in total command on the ball.

Strong Liverpool opening

14:34 , Jonathan Gorrie

03 mins: Liverpool’s fast start takes them up for a corner, though it’s taken short and nothing comes of it.

Confident Chelsea start

14:34 , Jonathan Gorrie

03 mins: So dangerous with theball over the top, Kerr is brought down by Cooper.

The Blues, however, fail to make anything of it.

KICK-OFF!

14:31 , Jonathan Gorrie

We’re underway on the final day!

One last push!

14:26 , Jonathan Gorrie

Ten minutes to go!

14:21 , Jonathan Gorrie

It all comes down to this.

Chelsea remain strong favourites but United will continue push them the whole way.

Man United fans filing into Prenton Park

14:14 , Jonathan Gorrie

Chelsea unchanged

13:58 , Jonathan Gorrie

Worth noting of course that Hayes hasn’t changed anything in her Chelsea team since last week’s win over Arsenal.

That experience could prove the difference today.

Marc Skinner ready to dream

13:46 , Jonathan Gorrie

“The reality is we know if Chelsea draw we need a massive goal swing,” he said. “We will try of course.

“To think and believe you deserve that is the wrong mentality. Liverpool are wonderful at counter-attacking. We have to build success because they won’t give us anything.

“All we can try to do is to win the game. If there’s different connotations we need to try to react to that.”

Manchester United starting lineup

13:36 , Jonathan Gorrie

Man United XI: Earps, Batlle, Blundell, Toone, Risa, Zelem, Galton, Le Tissier, Turner, Parris, Russo

Subs: Baggaley, Riviere, Tounkara, Cascarino, Lad, Naalsund, Garcia, Thomas, Williams

Chelsea starting lineup

13:35 , Jonathan Gorrie

Chelsea XI: Berger, Ingle, James, Reiten, Perisset, Eriksson, Mjelde, Kerr, Charles, Cuthbert, Harder

Subs: Musovic, Carter, Leupolz, Svitkova, Fleming, Kaneryd, Buchanan, Abudllina, Cankovic

Berger tells Chelsea not to take Reading lightly

13:19 , Jonathan Gorrie

For many on the outside, Chelsea’s trip to Reading looks something of a forgone conclusion today.

Still, the experienced Ann-Katrin Berger has warned the Blues not to take the game lightly.

“Today’s game is probably one of the hardest games we will play. We can’t underestimate a team who are fighting relegation. Reading is and always has been a really tough team to play against. We know how serious we have to take it. It’s a lot for them to lose or gain and it’s the same for us. It will be a very good game.”

15 minutes until team news!

13:15 , Jonathan Gorrie

Things will be getting very, very real in those dressing rooms now!

How can Chelsea win the WSL title today?

13:09 , Jonathan Gorrie

As long as they avoid defeat at Reading and hope Manchester United don’t score six goals should the Blues draw, Emma Hayes’s side will win their fourth WSL title in a row today.

How can Manchester United win the WSL title today?

12:59 , Jonathan Gorrie

Marc Skinner’s side need to beat Liverpool and hope Chelsea lose to Reading.

If Chelsea draw, United must win by six clear goals.

Chelsea complete Sjoeke Nusken signing ahead of summer

12:45 , Jonathan Gorrie

Chelsea have completed the signing of Germany midfielder Sjoeke Nusken.

The 22-year-old has signed a three-year deal with the Blues and will link up with the squad in July when her contract at Eintracht Frankfurt expires.

Nusken has been tipped for a bright future and is expected to be part of the Germany squad at this summer’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. She primarily plays in midfield, but can also operate at centre-back as well.

“I wanted to move to the Women’s Super League because it’s a good league, English football is very cool to play in and it’s the right thing to do now,” said Nusken. “I’m very excited and happy to be at Chelsea and I’m looking forward to next season.

Read the full story here!

Head (h2h) history and results

12:34 , Jonathan Gorrie

Reading wins: 1

Draws: 2

Chelsea wins: 9

Chelsea beat Real Madrid and Bayern Munich to sign Ashley Lawrence from PSG

12:18 , Jonathan Gorrie

Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Canada international Ashley Lawrence from Paris Saint-Germain.

The Women’s Super League leaders are working to fill the gaps set to be left by outgoing pair Magdalena Eriksson and Pernille Harder, who will join Bayern Munich at the end of the season.

Lawrence, 27, is available on a free transfer this summer when her PSG contract expires. Both Real Madrid and Bayern were keen on a deal but have lost out to the Blues.

Read the full story here!

Sam Kerr relishing pressure as WSL title race goes down to final day

12:08 , Jonathan Gorrie

Sam Kerr says she is relishing the pressure, as Chelsea’s WSL title race with Manchester United goes down to the final day.

Chelsea lead United by two points and tomorrow they visit bottom side Reading, where a win for Emma Hayes’s side will see them crowned champions.

Speaking at last night’s Football Writers’ Association awards, where she was named women’s player of the year for the second straight year, Kerr said: “I love the pressure. I love the big moment, love the big occasion.”

Testimony to those words are the fact that she scored the winner in the FA Cup final against United a fortnight ago, “I think to some people it might look easy, but every year it gets harder and harder to win the league,” said Kerr, whose side are looking to win a fourth WSL title in a row.

Read Kerr’s full interview here!

Prediction: Chelsea to win and seal WSL title

12:02 , Jonathan Gorrie

While shocks can of course happen in football, it is simply too hard to imagine a team as experienced as Chelsea letting the title slip from such a commanding position on the final day.

Chelsea to win 3-0 and seal Women’s Super League title.

WSL title race permutations: What Chelsea and Man Utd need today

12:02 , Jonathan Gorrie

The Women’s Super League title race has gone right down to the wire.

Both Chelsea and Manchester United could win the WSL title later today.

United only re-formed their women’s side in 2018, but they have gone from strength to strength in that time and their quartet of European champions — Alessia Russo, Nikita Parris, Ella Toone and Mary Earps — have powered them through an unexpected title challenge. They led the league table for much of the season.

Read our permutations break down here!

Chelsea team news: Bright and Kirby not fit

12:00 , Jonathan Gorrie

Mille Bright and Fran Kirby are the only absentees for Chelsea.

Hayes, though, is confident Bright will make England’s World Cup squad.

Reading team news: Deanne Rose available

12:00 , Jonathan Gorrie

Deanne Rose is available for selection having missed Reading’s game against Tottenham last week.

Rachel Rowe and Lily Woodham, however, miss out.

Where to watch Chelsea vs Reading

11:59 , Jonathan Gorrie

TV channel: The game will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Ultra HDR and Sky Showcase.

Live stream: Subscribers will be able to watch on a live stream via the Sky Go website or app.

Welcome

11:52 , Jonathan Gorrie

Welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Chelsea’s trip to Reading on the final day of the WSL.

The Blues could win the title should they avoid defeat at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, with a victory being enough to ensure it does not matter what happens between Manchester United and Liverpool.

Kick-off is at 2.30pm BST.