05 June 2020

Chelsea leapfrog Manchester City to claim Women's Super League title as Liverpool are relegated

Chelsea have been crowned champions of the 2019-20 Women’s Super League season after clubs agreed an average points-per-game system to establish the final positions.

The London club leapfrog top-of-the-table Manchester City as they had one game in hand while two-time champions Liverpool are relegated to the Championship to be replaced by promoted Aston Villa.

It means Chelsea have completed the domestic double having already won the League Cup in February when they beat Arsenal 2-1 in the final.

Clubs were given three options as to how the season would be resolved.

The first was the points-per-game decision, which received the majority vote.

Option two would have also used a points-per-game system but would not have had relegation and would see 13 teams in the League next season with promoted Aston Villa joining the fold.

The final option was for the entire season to be voided - a decision which had already been made in regards to tiers three and below.

In a statement, the FA’s director of the women’s professional game, Kelly Simmons, said that the momentum behind the women’s game will not be slowed by the premature ending of the season.

She said: “Women’s football is going from strength to strength in England, both on and off the pitch, and our commitment to growing women’s football at every level of the game has never been greater.”

Simmons thanked clubs for their cooperation and support throughout the decision-making process and congratulated the champion clubs Chelsea and Aston Villa.

“There is so much to be positive about,” she said.

"We have some of the best players in the world gracing our league and they are now exposed to a worldwide audience through The FA Player. 

"We are soon to open bidding for domestic broadcast rights – and we expect this to be a highly competitive process, which will help the league grow both audience and revenue in the future.

“We're working hard to bring you a competition you can continue to be proud of.”

She finished by adding: “We have been unified while being apart, but we will be even stronger when we are back together.”

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