Reggae Boy Amari’i Bell will be playing English Premier League football next season after he helped Luton Town F.C defeat Coventry City 6-5 on penalties in the Championship Playoff Final at Wembley on Saturday.

The 29-year-old left back played all 120 minutes as the Hatters, as they are called, secured Premier League football for the first time since 1992.

Luton Town took the lead in the 23^rd minute through Jordan Clark before Coventry equalized in the 66^th minute through Gustavo Hamer.

Then, with the teams locked at 5-5 in the penalty shootout, Coventry’s Fankaty Dabo missed in sudden death to give Luton the win.

Emma Hayes credited the togetherness of her players as the driving force behind Chelsea’s fourth successive Women’s Super League title following a 3-0 victory over Reading.

Chelsea sealed the trophy courtesy of goals from Guro Reiten and a Sam Kerr double.

And Hayes admitted the fear of losing galvanised Chelsea, who added to their FA Cup trophy they won against Manchester United earlier this month.

“The fear of losing drives me more than the will to win,” Hayes said.

“This year we knew we had to grind and dig out results, sometimes when maybe we didn’t create as many chances. It’s just unbelievable character from the players.

“This feels like a victory for the team because my staff have carried me in so many ways this season, especially when I was unwell. I think the team has carried each other. When senior players didn’t play as much, other seniors picked them up.

“In the second part of the season we saw our newer players start to bear fruit and we found different ways to win, and you have to, it can’t look the same all the time.

“When you are always chasing the whole year, it almost felt like the pressure wasn’t on us in so many ways because we were never in the front position for long. We’ve had different experiences being in first and second and to be honest with you we like being in both of them.”

Hayes labelled Reiten as one of the world’s best players after the winger set up Kerr to make it 1-0 before getting on the scoresheet herself in the 42nd minute to double Chelsea’s lead.

The Norwegian has been instrumental for the Blues this season having picked up 20 league goal contributions and filling the boots of Fran Kirby and Pernille Harder who have had injury-stricken campaigns.

“She’s my player of the season,” Hayes added. “She’s grown up, she’s exceptional in this team, she’s got an unbelievable mind, very wise.

“She’s funny and witty but most importantly she has an eye for a pass that is second to none. She doesn’t even need to see where Sam (Kerr) moves, she just gets half a yard and is always going to deliver it to her.

“Guro Reiten needs to be recognised as one of the best players in the world because she is.”

Reading manager Kelly Chambers conceded her side failed to show enough fight throughout the campaign, which resulted in their relegation.

She said: “The frustrating thing for me was we hadn’t done enough of that this season, having that fight, spirit and that work ethic, intensity. We were able to do that today but if we were able to that in other games it might have looked completely different.

“We can’t use any excuses, at the end of the day we haven’t been good enough in moments this season that potentially would have kept us up.”

LaLiga's handling of the "absolutely disgraceful" instances of racist abuse towards Vinicius Junior has been "completely inadequate".

That was the message from Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari after Vinicius was subjected to more abuse by sections of the crowd at Valencia's win over Real Madrid last Sunday.

Valencia's punishments for the incident were reduced on appeal, with the partial closure of Mestalla Stadium cut from five matches to three and their financial penalty also sliced.

Bhandari, chair of the organisation aiming to eradicate racism from football, says the Spanish Football Federation and LaLiga president Javier Tebas have failed to support Vinicius.

"I think the treatment we've seen of Vinicius has been absolutely disgraceful," Bhandari told Stats Perform at the Football Business Awards.

"It's 10 or 11 games, it's not just this last weekend, it's been happening over the course of the last two seasons.

"The response of the Spanish authorities has been completely inadequate and it's actually been worse than inadequate because it's made the matter worse.

"The way Javier Tebas, who runs LaLiga, responded trying to blame Vinicius and treating him as if he's a problem when actually he's the victim… it's really sort of going back 30 or 40 years."

Tebas was a vocal critic after Vinicius labelled LaLiga racist, the league's president criticising the 22-year-old for "not informing himself properly" before subsequently apologising for those comments.

The incident – and Tebas' reaction to it – sparked widespread condemnation of LaLiga and Spanish football's relationship with race, with Bhandari calling for further action on the issues.

He added: "They need to get on with taking more concrete steps to kick discrimination out of Spanish football, it's not acceptable to have whole stands of fans doing monkey chants.

"Making monkey noises and shouting monkey to Vinicius, that's totally unacceptable and there shouldn't be any deflection and making excuses for that kind of behaviour, which is what we have seen.

"They need to get on it and if that means closing the stand, that's a good step. We welcome that and fines are a move in the right direction.

"But if it doesn't stop that should move to points deductions and further sanctions."

Neymar's former Brazil team-mate Willian believes the forward could star for any team in world football, as he continues to be linked with a move to Manchester United.

Neymar has endured a frustrating spell with Paris Saint-Germain since leaving Barcelona in 2017, failing to win the Champions League and never playing more than 22 games in a single Ligue 1 campaign.

The 31-year-old was ruled out for the remainder of the season with an ankle injury in March, leaving him to watch PSG's Champions League round-of-16 exit against Bayern Munich from the sidelines. 

With PSG falling short of continental glory once again, both Neymar and fellow attacker Lionel Messi have been linked with a move at the end of the season.

Old Trafford has been suggested as a potential destination for the Brazil star after United clinched a return to the Champions League, and Willian believes he would thrive in England.

"Neymar, with the quality he has, performs anywhere," the Fulham winger told Stats Perform. 

"Wherever he goes in the world, he can easily perform with the quality he has, the talent he has. 

"It would be really cool to see him playing in the Premier League. Wherever he goes, he has the necessary quality to be able to enjoy and play the beautiful football he knows.

"He has a place in any team in the world for his quality. You only need to know if he wants to go to United. 

"It's a great club. For sure, if he goes there, he will be in a huge club. It's a club that has won many titles here, it's considered one of the biggest clubs in England along with Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, all big clubs. 

"If he comes to England, no doubt it would be great to see him in the Premier League."

While Neymar could become the latest Selecao star to grace the English top flight, his fellow Brazilian Roberto Firmino will seek pastures new after he plays his final game for Liverpool on Sunday.

Asked about Firmino's impact on the Premier League, Willian said: "He made history here. He's a player that I'm a big fan of, he's a star player for me. 

"He made history at Liverpool and won important titles. He is respected not only by Liverpool fans, but he is highly respected here in England. He leaves a legacy here. 

"I don't know if he'll stay in England, but if he leaves, he'll leave a huge legacy of what he did."

Willian was also asked about the performances of Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka, who signed a new long-term contract with the Gunners earlier this week following an outstanding campaign.

"He has the potential to be a great player, he has a lot of talent," Willian said of his fellow wideman.

"He's a player who has all the conditions to keep evolving, being one of Arsenal's big names and, consequently, fighting to be one of the best players in the league, without a doubt."

Rodrygo scored a deadly double as Real Madrid battled from behind to win 2-1 at 10-man Sevilla in LaLiga on Saturday.

Carlo Ancelotti's side strengthened their grasp on second place in the league after recovering from an early setback to triumph at Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan.

Rodrygo's free-kick cancelled out Rafa Mir's early opener in an entertaining first half in Andalusia, where Madrid played without their star duo of Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior.

Rodrygo's second goal with just over 20 minutes remaining proved decisive before Marcos Acuna was dismissed as Madrid moved four points clear of rivals Atletico Madrid, who host Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Mir fired Sevilla into a third-minute lead after reacting quickly to sweep into the top-left corner when Bryan Gil's initial effort ricocheted kindly into his path.

Rodrygo spurned a glorious opportunity to equalise shortly after, dragging wide when unmarked from Lucas Vazquez's low cross – but the Madrid winger soon made amends.

An unsighted Yassine Bounou was deceived as Rodrygo whipped a 25-yard free-kick into the bottom-right corner after 29 minutes, although Sevilla should have been ahead at half-time.

Erik Lamela volleyed against the post with Thibaut Courtois stranded, before the forward lifted a back-post chance over after an inviting Alejandro Gomez delivery.

Rodrygo somehow lofted over when one-on-one with Bounou after the break, while Mir turned narrowly wide from Acuna's pinpoint centre.

Yet Rodrygo proved the difference after 69 minutes, coolly finishing a rapid counter-attack by sliding into the bottom-right corner to down Sevilla, who saw Acuna dismissed later on for a mindless lunge on Vazquez.

Jim Goodwin has been appointed as Dundee United manager on a permanent basis on the eve of Sunday’s decisive fixtures in their battle to avoid the drop from the cinch Premiership.

United’s fate is out of their hands – they need to win at Motherwell and hope Kilmarnock beat Ross Count and wipe out the Staggies’ eight-goal advantage – but Goodwin and the Tannadice club have committed to one another regardless with a two-year deal.

Whether United survive or not, the club are planning a major overhaul in the summer, with Goodwin seen as the best man to lead it.

“I’m really pleased to have been able to get things agreed with the club,” the 41-year-old said. “I’m also incredibly grateful to the chairman and the rest of the board for offering me the position in the first place.

“This is a terrific football club with a great history and there are a lot of things to be positive about, albeit we’ve had a difficult season.

“It is now my job to make the necessary changes to ensure the club improves and moves forward in the right manner. Every decision I make during my time at Dundee United will be in the best interests of the club.

“Recruitment is pivotal at any football club. I recognise where the weaknesses have been this season and understand the key areas we need to improve and strengthen in the summer. I think that’s something for the supporters to look forward to.”

Chief executive Luigi Capuano said it was important to secure Goodwin’s position early in order to focus on the challenges ahead.

“As a club, we believed it was important to have him in place as soon as possible to allow the crucial rebuilding process to begin ahead of the 2023/24 season immediately,” he said.

“Since his initial appointment in March, Jim has been an example of professionalism, displaying all of the key attributes we feel are necessary to lead the football club and deliver on-field success in the future.”

Although the odds appear to be against United, midfielder Dylan Levitt claims he has seen “madder things happen in football” than the events it would take for them to avoid the drop.

The Wales midfielder said: “We need to go there and win, that’s the main thing first and foremost for the fans coming, for personal pride, to get a win before the end of the season.

“And then obviously football, you never know what can happen. You never know. But we are just going to go there and hopefully finish on a high.

“I have seen madder things happen in football, I think everyone has.

“Very slim chance but we need to go there and win the game more important than anything, just for yourself, the family and the fans.

“Going out and losing the last game of the season, no-one wants that.”

Luton completed their fairy-tale rise from non-league to Premier League with a dramatic, sudden-death penalty shoot-out victory against Coventry in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final.

Just nine years on from ending their five-season stretch in the Conference Premier, the Hatters are celebrating returning to the top-flight for the first time since 1992.

Previous point deductions and disappointments were left in the rear-view mirror at Wembley, where Jordan Clark’s opener was cancelled out by Coventry favourite Gustavo Hamer.

The match finished 1-1 after extra-time and Fankaty Dabo’s penalty miss meant a famous 6-5 sudden-death shoot-out victory for jubilant Luton.

Bayern Munich have parted company with chief executive Oliver Kahn and board member for sport Hasan Salihamidzic hours after clinching an 11th successive Bundesliga title.

Former Germany goalkeeper Kahn, who made more than 350 appearances for Bayern, and one-time team-mate Salihamidzic were relieved of their duties on Saturday evening with the dust still settling on a dramatic finale to the season as they edged past Borussia Dortmund to retain their crown.

Vice-chairman Jan-Christian Dreesen will take over from Kahn, while Salihamidzic’s replacement is yet to be appointed.

A statement on the club’s official website said: “Oliver Kahn is no longer CEO of FC Bayern Munchen AG. Hasan Salihamidzic will also be replaced as board member for sport. This was decided by the club’s supervisory board.

“Kahn will be replaced by the current vice-chairman of the board Jan-Christian Dreesen. Salihamidzic’s successor is still to be decided.”

Kahn joined the board in January 2020 and took over as CEO in July the following year, presiding over two league title wins as well as Champions League, European Super Cup, DFB Cup and DFL Supercup success.

Herbert Hainer, chairman of Bayern’s supervisory board, said: “The decision to part with Oliver Kahn was anything but easy for the supervisory board. Nevertheless, due to the overall development, we have come to the decision to make a new appointment at the top of the executive board.

“We would like to thank Oliver Kahn for his commitment, his ideas and for everything we have achieved together. He will always remain a great figure at FC Bayern. We wish him all the best for his future.”

Former midfielder Salihamidzic returned to the club as sporting director in August 2017 and was promoted to the post of board member for sport three years later.

He said: “It has been a great journey, which I would have liked to continue, but I respect the decision of the supervisory board. FC Bayern stands above everything else, and I wish our team and our fans cohesion and success.”

Union Berlin secured Champions League qualification for the first time in their history as Schalke suffered relegation from Bundesliga on the final day of the season.

Rani Khedira's 81st-minute winner at home to Werder Bremen saw Union pip Freiburg to fourth place in the German top flight, with Urs Fischer's side booking their spot in UEFA's top club competition for next season.

There was no such good fortune for Schalke, though, as they dropped back down to 2. Bundesliga following a 4-2 defeat to third-placed RB Leipzig on Saturday.

As Bayern Munich celebrated edging out Borussia Dortmund for the title on goal difference, Stuttgart will be left to fight for their top-flight status in a play-off after a 1-1 draw at home to Hoffenheim.

Stuttgart will face either Hamburg or Heidenheim, with whoever finishes third in the German second division due to battle with Sebastian Hoeness' men for a place in Bundesliga next term.

Had Stuttgart won, Augsburg would have been in that play-off after a 2-0 final-day defeat at Borussia Monchengladbach, while Bochum pulled clear of danger with a 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen.

Tiffany Cameron has overcome every hurdle that came to the fore while representing both club and country.

In fact, over the past two years, in particular, Cameron stressed the significance of maintaining her physical and mental toughness, especially through the most difficult periods and it is this approach that has resulted in her current success on both fronts.

Despite the challenges along the way, the Canadian-born player, continued to parade her skills with much gusto and recently lead her Hungarian top-flight club ETO FC Gyor to Cup triumph, with hopes of adding the League title to their accolades.

This, as she positions herself for a spot on Lorne Donaldson's 23-player squad to the July 20 to August 20 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Cameron has accounted for 18 goals and 11 assists for her club this season, 15 of those goals coming in the league, where Gyor is set to square off against her former club Ferencvárosi Torna (FTC) in a two-game playoff to determine the champions. The first game is scheduled for Monday.

"I find this funny because 15 is my jersey number for Jamaica and 11 is my jersey number for my club so I find those the 15 goals and 11 assists pretty poetic. But my goal coming into this season was to be a Hungarian Cup winner and also to score more goals than I did last year, so I am happy that I was able to achieve both in what has obviously been a very good season," Cameron said from her base in the Central European country.

"I also had making it to the finals again on my to-do list and making history with ETO by winning the league title, something the club hasn’t done as yet and I am hopeful that we can achieve it this year.

"I’m glad that I have consistently been a key player for ETO FC Gyor since my transfer two years ago, but the work is still not done, so it's just about sticking true to the process and that mental grind that has brought me this far, as the coach can always count on me for my work rate and ability to create goal scoring opportunities for myself and my teammates whenever I'm on the field," she added.

Having defied the odds, Cameron, urged other players who maybe be faced with similar situation to never lose faith in their ability even as they pushed through what might be a down season.

"This is my third consecutive year playing in the Hungarian Playoff League final. To play overseas and achieve feats like these reminds me of how powerful the mind can be. It’s not easy playing away from home, not able to experience the warm embrace of family members when you need it the most," she shared.

"It takes a different type of mindset to embrace the change and still continue to shine and make history. There are bumps in the road and of course it’s never smooth sailing but you have to push beyond the norm and continue to shine and bring out the unique qualities you have," Cameron reasoned.

While her goal output and physical traits makes her well suited as a forward, Cameron, whose timing and vision in the box are perhaps her most outstanding assets, has also demonstrated a free-spirited and versatile approach, as she readily takes on the role as a right full-back when asked to do so for both club and country.

Interestingly, that is the role she played in Gyor's most recent win, in which she had a goal and an assist.

For Cameron, 31, that performance was somewhat of a dress rehearsal for the senior Reggae Girlz upcoming assignments, as she wants to replicate her form in Jamaica's senior Reggae Girlz setup.

"I had a great performance in that game as a wingback basically preparing myself for the summer," Cameron said in reference to the World Cup.

Donaldson, who is expected to name his final squad ahead of a two-game sendoff series on home soil next month, has shown a liking to Cameron's application in the defensive position at the Cup of Nations tournament against Australia and Czech Republic, and more recently against Sheffield United. 

"I don't know what the future holds, but my game fitness is up to par and I've proven that I'm capable of being an offensive threat and also my defensive prowess, so it will be really interesting to see how everything pans out," the jovial player noted.

Chelsea secured a fourth successive Women’s Super League title by coasting to a 3-0 victory at Reading which consigned the Royals to relegation.

Boasting a two-point lead over Manchester United, Chelsea only needed to win at the Select Car Leasing Stadium to become champions and Sam Kerr’s 18th-minute header from Guro Reiten’s cross put them ahead.

The provider turned goal scorer before half-time with a fine finish and Kerr rubberstamped a win which confirmed a league and cup double in the 88th minute with a tap-in after her initial shot hit a post.

The Blues have been dominant in recent weeks – this was their seventh win in a row – but even if Reading had ripped up the script and claimed an unlikely three points, their demotion to the Championship was guaranteed by Leicester edging out Brighton 1-0 courtesy of Ava Baker’s strike.

United had to settle for second spot in the table – their highest-ever finish in the WSL five years after reforming – as substitute Lucia Garcia’s strike secured a 1-0 win over Liverpool at Prenton Park.

Garcia came off the bench to score a late winner against Manchester City last weekend and ensure the title race went to the final day of the season, and she came up trumps up again in the 72nd minute.

Three minutes after being introduced, Garcia beat the offside trap, chipped a Liverpool defender and while the Spaniard seemed to fluff an attempted volley, on the second attempt she drove beyond goalkeeper Rachael Laws at her near post.

Arsenal held on for third and Champions League football next season despite a 2-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa, where Rachel Daly equalled the record for most goals in a WSL season.

Daly struck in first-half stoppage time for her 22nd league goal of the campaign – securing the Golden Boot and emulating Vivianne Miedema’s haul for Arsenal in 2018-19.

Alisha Lehmann then made sure of Villa’s first WSL win over Arsenal in the 49th minute, but the Gunners secured third place due to a superior goal difference over Manchester City, who finished fourth after holding on to beat Everton 3-2 in Izzy Christiansen’s final match before retirement.

Khadija Shaw struck either side of Lauren Hemp’s fine effort to put City three goals to the good before Lucy Hope and substitute Leonie Maier scored consolations for the Toffees.

Bethany England scored twice for Tottenham at West Ham, who claimed a 2-2 draw following Emma Snerle’s curling strike and Kit Graham’s own goal.

Manchester United were once again grateful for substitute Lucia Garcia but their bid for Women’s Super League glory was dashed as Chelsea claimed the crown by beating Reading.

Garcia came off the bench to score a late winner against Manchester City last weekend and ensure the title race went to the last day of the season, where United needed to beat Liverpool and hope Chelsea slipped up.

The first part was accomplished as Garcia’s 72nd-minute strike secured a 1-0 win for United at Prenton Park, but Chelsea preserved the two-point gap between the sides by overcoming the relegated Royals 3-0.

Up until Garcia struck three minutes after being introduced it had been a frustrating afternoon for United, who nevertheless have achieved their highest finish in the WSL in being runners-up to Chelsea.

Any hope of cranking up the pressure on the Blues with an early goal failed to materialise despite United dominating pressure without really putting their hosts under significant pressure.

Indeed, it was Liverpool who came closest to breaking the deadlock early on as Shanice van de Sanden’s cross-shot just crept past a post while at the other end Nikita Parris headed at Rachael Laws.

The Liverpool goalkeeper made a stunning save to tip Parris’ strike onto a post and keep the scores goalless at half-time, by which point Chelsea were already 2-0 ahead.

Goalkeeper Mary Earps had to be alert to keep out Emma Koivisto’s shot from an acute angle, but just as it looked set to be a frustrating afternoon for United, up popped Garcia moments after coming on for Parris.

Garcia beat the offside trap, chipped a Liverpool defender and while the Spaniard seemed to fluff an attempted volley, on the second attempt she drove beyond Laws at her near post to put United ahead.

Liverpool, thrashed at Leigh Sports Village 6-0 when the teams met earlier in the season, were unable to fashion a comeback as United held on to claim three points but ultimately it was Chelsea’s day as they claimed a fourth successive league title.

Chelsea secured their fourth consecutive Women’s Super League title by beating Reading on the last day of the season.

The Blues completed a double after winning the FA Cup earlier this month and did so despite the absence of players such as Millie Bright and Fran Kirby for the run-in.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the key players in Chelsea’s title-winning campaign.

Guro Reiten

An influential winger in the Chelsea set-up, Reiten has had a sterling year for the club.

The Norwegian tops the charts in terms of assists in the league this season, providing 11 in total and linking up well with striker Sam Kerr.

Additionally Reiten has found goals for Chelsea when needed, scoring nine goals across the campaign including the opener against Arsenal on Sunday and the clincher against Reading after setting up Kerr’s opener.

Erin Cuthbert

After playing in a variety of positions for Chelsea, including as a full-back and forward, this season has seen Cuthbert settle into a regular role in central midfield.

The 24-year-old has stamped her authority in this position, but is also able to work across the pitch to fill in gaps where needed for the Blues.

Sam Kerr

Kerr proved an important cog in the Chelsea machine once again despite not returning her usual numbers in front of goal.

The Australian international only has 12 WSL goals this season compared to last year’s Golden Boot season of 20, but she has scored when it mattered.

Her strike proved to be the difference in the crucial 1-0 win over Manchester United in March, and she scored an 86-minute winner against Liverpool earlier this month and an 89th-minute equaliser against Arsenal back in January before netting twice against Reading.

Niamh Charles

Operating as a full-back and occasionally higher up the pitch if needed, Charles has made an impact on Chelsea’s success in the second half of the season.

The last couple of months have seen the 23-year-old help keep clean sheets in their last four league matches.

Charles has really come into her own with her attacking threat, however, bagging two goals and three assists in her last seven WSL matches to help Chelsea as they hit the home stretch of the season.

Jamal Musiala’s 89th-minute goal saw Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga title for an 11th year in a row as they snatched it away from rivals Borussia Dortmund on a dramatic final day.

Dortmund would have claimed their first title since the 2011-12 season if they had beaten Mainz at home but drew 2-2, only levelling in the sixth minute of stoppage time, while Musiala’s late strike gave Bayern a 2-1 win at Cologne to take the honours on goal difference.

Dortmund, for whom England midfielder Jude Bellingham was an unused substitute after injury, quickly got the sense this would not be their day.

They fell behind to Andreas Hanche-Olsen’s 15th-minute header, then saw Sebastian Haller’s penalty saved moments later before Karim Onisiwo doubled Mainz’s lead in the 24th minute.

Raphael Guerreiro offered the hosts hope when he hammered in a cross from Gio Reyna in the 69th minute.

And soon after Dortmund were back at the top of the standings as Dejan Ljubicic’s 81st-minute penalty cancelled out Kingsley Coman’s early curling strike to make it 1-1 in Cologne, Dortmund ahead by a point at that stage.

But there was one final twist as Serge Gnabry, guilty of conceding that late penalty, teed up Musiala to fire in the winner.

Niklas Sule scored deep into time added on for Dortmund but it would make no difference as Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern took the title.

Chelsea have secured a fourth successive Women’s Super League title and sixth under Emma Hayes’ management.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key games in the Blues’ latest successful league campaign.

Chelsea 2 Manchester City 0, September 25

Having suffered a shock 2-1 loss at Liverpool in the opening match of their title defence, Hayes’ side bounced back in fine style in the following game.

They got off the mark by defeating Gareth Taylor’s City at Kingsmeadow via Fran Kirby’s 42nd-minute goal and a Maren Mjelde penalty with 12 minutes to go.

Manchester United 1 Chelsea 3, November 6

City’s derby rivals Manchester United made a perfect start to their campaign, winning each of their first five games – before coming up against Chelsea at Leigh Sports Village.

Goals in quick succession after the break from Sam Kerr and Lauren James put the visitors in control, and after Alessia Russo pulled one back for United, substitute Erin Cuthbert wrapped things up in stoppage time.

Chelsea 1 Manchester United 0, March 12

Chelsea then completed the double over Marc Skinner’s team four months later.

Kerr’s delightful effort in the 23rd minute proved the difference and moved the Blues two points clear at the top with a game in hand.

Chelsea 2 Liverpool 1, May 3

It looked as if another surprise result against Liverpool, managed by ex-Chelsea boss Matt Beard, could be on the cards when Emma Koivisto put the Reds ahead in the second minute.

But after Niamh Charles had drawn things level just prior to the interval, Kerr struck late on to keep the hosts on track – at this point four points behind United, but with two games in hand.

Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0, May 21

Chelsea closed in on the title as they saw off Jonas Eidevall’s Gunners at home in their penultimate match, with Guro Reiten and skipper Magda Eriksson on target in the first half before Arsenal’s Katie McCabe missed a second-half penalty.

That temporarily put the Blues five points clear at the top, but Manchester United beat rivals Manchester City later that day to take the title down to the final week.