Chelsea’s dominance ends – is the WSL now Man City’s to win?
Five hundred and eighty-five days. Thirty-four WSL matches. Chelsea’s incredible unbeaten league run is finally over.
On a day when Manchester City dug deep to secure a win, Chelsea couldn’t find a breakthrough of their own.
The result leaves City six points clear at the top of the WSL, and suddenly a first league title since 2016 looks firmly within their grasp.
But nothing is guaranteed. City fans won’t forget how last season slipped away after a late home defeat to Arsenal, which handed the trophy back to Chelsea. That collapse came shortly after Chelsea themselves had lost 4–3 to Liverpool – the last time they’d been beaten in the league until Sunday.
This time it was Everton who delivered a dramatic smash-and-grab at Kingsmeadow. The game lacked the wild scoreline of May 2024, but not the drama.
Sonia Bompastor’s first WSL defeat came despite Chelsea taking 30 shots, winning 18 corners and registering 61 touches inside the Everton box.
“You could see the frustration and a bit of self-doubt creeping in,” former England star Fara Williams said on BBC Sport. “Their confidence really dipped in the second half.”
Bompastor admitted the performance wasn’t poor, but finishing let them down:
“We had control of the game but couldn’t score. That’s football.”
Even deep into stoppage time, it felt like Chelsea would keep pushing until they found a goal. But after Sandy Baltimore’s 98th-minute free-kick rattled the bar, referee Rebecca Welch blew for full time. The streak was over.
‘They got a little bit desperate’
Chelsea’s title challenge isn’t dead – but the warning signs have been there. They’ve failed to win any of their last three league games and only two of their last six.
Despite the squad’s depth, weaknesses have begun to show. Baltimore, naturally an attacker, was exposed at left-back for Everton’s goal, beaten by Toni Payne before Honoka Hayashi tapped into an open net.
Injured goalkeeper Hannah Hampton’s absence also told; Livia Peng is capable but not at Hampton’s level.
In midfield, the bite of Erin Cuthbert was sorely missed. Keira Walsh, playing as the lone holding midfielder, lacks the physicality the Scot brings.
“The unbeaten run was nice, but we want to win the league,” Walsh told the BBC. “Dropping points won’t help that.”
Even big names struggled. Lauren James and Sam Kerr – both still regaining fitness – couldn’t provide the individual brilliance Chelsea usually rely on.
Last season, James rescued this fixture with a stunning 93rd-minute winner. This time, Chelsea were left slinging in 53 crosses as frustration mounted.
“This is where they got desperate,” Williams added. “They’re creating chances but not converting them.”
Man City have the momentum
City, meanwhile, showed resilience. They were frustrated for 70 minutes at Leicester before finally breaking through and winning 3–0. Like Chelsea, they turned to a returning attacker – and Kerolin changed everything.
The Brazilian added pace, urgency and variety, creating space for Khadija Shaw, who scored twice late on before returning the favour with an assist for Kerolin.
“We knew it would come if we stayed patient,” Shaw said afterward.
City have now won nine straight WSL matches and have lost just one of their last 26 league games against bottom-half teams. In a short 22-match season, momentum is everything – and right now, City have all of it.
The February 1 showdown, when Chelsea travel to Manchester, could define the title race.
Or maybe not. With Chelsea’s invincibility shattered, their response must be immediate if they want to stay in the hunt.