June 5 – Chelsea have been awarded England’s Women’s Super League title on a points per game basis after the season was ended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
When the campaign was controversially suspended in March, Chelsea were one point behind leaders Manchester City with a game in hand.
Aston Villa, who were top of the Championship, will replace the WSL’s bottom club Liverpool next season – a somewhat different scenario from the men’s game where Liverpool are on the verge of being crowned league champions for the first time in 30 years once fixtures resume in mid-June.
The decision to curtail the women’s domestic game was taken on May 25 with 45 games outstanding in the WSL.
“The FA Board has reached a majority decision to decide the 2019-20 FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship on a basic point-per-game basis, with promotion and relegation determined on sporting merit,” the FA said in a statement.
“As a result, the FA Board has today confirmed the decision to award the 2019-20 Barclays FA Women’s Super League title to Chelsea FC Women, and to award the 2019-20 FA Women’s Championship title to Aston Villa Women FC.”
Chelsea secured their second title in three years after one of the closest title races in recent years, with just 0.2 points per game separating them and last year’s champions, third-placed Arsenal. Chelsea enjoyed the best head-to-head record from the matches involving the trio, all six of which had been played before the season was curtailed.
The decision to award the title on a points-per-game basis represents a particular bitter blow, however, to Manchester City who were a point ahead, having played one game more than their rivals, when the season was halted. Both they and Chelsea, who were unbeaten throughout the campaign, have now qualified for next season’s Women’s Champions League.
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