Chelsea manager Emma Hayes says that her side’s top of the table clash against Arsenal will not decide the destination of this season’s Barclays FA Women’s Super League title and she believes that the race for the silverware will go down to the final day of the season.
The Blues currently trail Arsenal by two points ahead of the pair’s meeting at Kingsmeadow on Friday evening. Chelsea have a game in hand on The Gunners.
Many will see the game as a potential title decider but Chelsea boss Hayes believes that the title race will be decided on the final day of the season and she is not feeling any pressure ahead of this weekend.
“Even after this weekend, there is still going to be a tight race to the end because there are so many top opponents in the league,” Hayes said when speaking in the pre-match press conference.
“Maybe once upon a time, it might have been clearer cut but this year, I think the league will go down to the last day of the season.
“It’s tight, it’s not pressure but it’s great fun. This is entertainment and it’s competitive but it is not pressure.”
Chelsea will go a point clear at the top of the table with a win but regardless of the result, Hayes is expecting more twists and turns in the title race yet.
“I think when you are able to gain points when they drop points it’s always a boost but I think those twists and turns will go all the way,” The Blues boss said.
“Regardless of the outcome, I don’t think it is a game that Arsenal need to win and I don’t think that a draw or a loss in either direction is necessarily defining. It’s billed like that but the reality is that it is a derby game. I think that there is still a way to go before we decide the order of the league, it is still too early to call which way the title is going to go.”
Chelsea have been chasing Arsenal for the entire season so far and Hayes went on to praise The Gunners for their consistency throughout the campaign.
She said “They are top of the league, they have produced consistency and have shown guts to remain in games. There is no denying that they are top for a reason and that’s for the rest of us to emulate.”
The Barclays FA Women’s Super League fixture between Chelsea and Arsenal is scheduled to kick-off at 7.45pm on Friday evening. The game is a sell-out therefore no tickets will be available at Kingsmeadow on the night.
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