There was an air of inevitability as Chelsea shook in Manchester on Wednesday night.
It’s wrong to say they were preparing to win their sixth consecutive WSL titles. Bompastor admitted that Arsenal didn’t enjoy the idea of dropping points to Aston Villa and opening Chelsea’s doors.
Instead, this is a group of injured animals, who were hurt from the semi-final humiliation of the Champions League on Sunday and were keen to get it right.
Chelsea’s routine didn’t shake as Arsenal’s 5-2 defeat at Aston Villa finally spread to the stands at Lee Sports Village.
Bompastor raised his arms and watched the players warm up, acting as if there were no signs of what was going on elsewhere.
This was Chelsea in the usual ruthless mood, ready to get the job done.
It was in stark contrast to the pouring of emotion that came from the stands when they crowned the champion again 90 minutes later.
Supporters were sure of victory when Lucy Bronze sang “Chelsea, Champions” until the end, heading towards the game’s sole goal in the 74th minute.
Chelsea left late to break deadlocks, as they have done frequently this season, but they did what they had to do even when they weren’t doing their best.
“Mentality Monsters” is a recent tag and I have relied on it many times this season.
Of the total goals scored, 33% came in the final 15 minutes of the match. It’s more than any other WSL team.
They also scored eight points after coming from behind in the game – only Manchester City got more from losing position.
Essentially, it was always the Chelsea lost title – they won the previous five WSL trophies, had the largest budget in the league and invested more in the transfer period.
Their spending is unparalleled, but that’s why they are champions. Puck was walking after him, just like Chelsea ran.
When Hayes resigned, Chelsea recruited one of Europe’s best coaches and snatched Bonpasper from French giants Lyon.
When they were pushed into Brink last season by Manchester City and won the fifth consecutive title by goal difference, they responded by signing Barcelona’s Champions League winners Bronze and Keira Walsh.
They bouncing off a loss at Manchester City in the Champions League, defeating them in the league a few days later, winning a stop-time winner against Liverpool and booking their place in the Women’s FA Cup final.
They have built a team that can be challenged on all domestic flights, and they are continuing on the course this season with two trophies already in their bags and winning the treble.
Is the gap widening between Chelsea and everyone else in WSL? Their point tally and unbeaten season suggests that.
Arsenal and Manchester United showed their qualifications through a spell. But the difference is always that Chelsea still wins when they’re vulnerable.
