Manchester City come up short in ‘cruellest’ WSL title race

Instead he can only reflect on a WSL campaign which, despite missing out on the title, has brought plenty of positives.

They won 14 successive games, a new league record, and vastly improved on a 2022-23 campaign where they finished fourth and missed out on the Champions League.

“Yes, missing out on the title will hurt these Manchester City players but this experience today will do them good moving forwards,” former England international Fara Williams said.

“They haven’t been in this position much over the last few years, getting close to Chelsea at the end of the season. The experience, or lack of it, has told for City today.

“They created a number of chances in front of goal today but were not calm and composed enough in the moments that they needed to be. This group of players will learn from this season, a young team lacking experience but they will learn from it moving forwards.”

City could look at moments throughout the season which cost them – the controversial draw at home to Chelsea where they had two players sent off, or the shock home defeat by Brighton where they missed a hatful of chances against relegation candidates.

But ultimately, it was giving a chance to Chelsea in the last few days of the campaign which cost them – as Hayes herself said, in her post-match media conference.

“If we had been in City’s position when we lost to Liverpool, in the years gone by, we would definitely have won those next games,” she said.

“I think they have had a tremendous season but if you leave that door open for Chelsea? I think the minute that door was left open, was the minute everyone knew we would walk through.”

Maybe, with better injury luck, a deeper squad and Hayes safely out of the WSL as United States manager, Taylor and Man City will go one step further next season.

But for now, they must accept this cruellest outcome.