The 2023-24 WSL season is set to culminate this weekend with the final round of matches. Who will be crowned champions? Let's take a look at the exciting title race preview.
Who Will Be The Champion
1. Chelsea
On Chelsea's side, they will travel to Manchester tomorrow to face their old rivals, Manchester United, in the final round of matches. In a rescheduled match on Wednesday, they narrowly defeated Tottenham Hotspur Women with a 1-0 victory. However, this weekend they will face a formidable opponent in Manchester United, who have just won the FA Cup final.
Against the in-form attacking lineup led by Ella Toone, Chelsea's defense is sure to face a significant challenge.
On Chelsea's side, the Blues are eager to bid farewell to their manager, Emma Hayes, with a victory. In this crucial match, forward Mayra Ramirez needs to justify her record-breaking transfer fee, and captain Millie Bright, who recently returned from injury and was named Player of the Match in the last game, will be a key player in determining the outcome.
2. Manchester City
On the other side, Manchester City will also travel away to face Aston Villa. Compared to their champion contenders, Villa's strength is not on par with Manchester United, and they have failed to win any of their past four WSL matches. From this perspective, Manchester City seems to have a greater chance of securing the title.
3. Possible Scenarios
Before the start of the final round of matches, Manchester City and Chelsea are tied on 52 points, with Chelsea leading by just two goal differences.
Here's a breakdown of how each outcome could affect the championship:
- If both Manchester City and Chelsea win their final matches, but Manchester City's goal difference does not surpass Chelsea's, then Chelsea will still be crowned champions due to their superior goal difference.
- However, if Manchester City wins their final match by a margin greater than Chelsea's goal difference, they will win the title based on goal difference, even if both teams end up with the same number of points.
- In the event that both teams win their final matches and have the same goal difference, the championship will be determined by their head-to-head results. Since Manchester City previously defeated Chelsea 1-0 this season (with another match ending in a draw), Manchester City would be crowned champions in this scenario.
- If both teams draw their final matches, Chelsea would still be crowned champions based on their superior goal difference.
- Similarly, if both teams lose their final matches, the championship would be decided by comparing goal differences, and Chelsea would again emerge as champions due to their advantage in goal difference.
These scenarios illustrate the importance of every match and goal in the race for the WSL title and highlight the excitement and unpredictability of the final round of matches.
4. Fixture
The final round of matches will all kick off at the same time tomorrow, May 18, 2024, at 14:00 in the afternoon.
