Why Chelsea and Manchester City’s WSL clash is not as season-defining as you think

Neither side have lost in the league yet but a more competitive division should take title race to the wire There was a time when the games between the top three – traditionally Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal – were title-deciding games. Where every point taken off a title

Neither side have lost in the league yet but a more competitive division should take title race to the wire There was a time when the games between the top three – traditionally Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal – were title-deciding games. Where every point taken off a title rival was key. Such was the gap in investment and quality between those teams and the rest of the Women’s Super League that it was extremely rare that points would be dropped to teams outside that elite clique.

As the WSL has grown in investment, profile and size, that narrative has started to shift a little. The investment gap is still large from the top to the bottom of the league, but increased investment among the “best of the rest” and even among those teams further down the table, as well as an increase in high-quality coaches with the tactical and technical vision to get more from players, is having an impact. Continue reading...