Match in Focus: Chelsea dominate to hit Manchester United for six

Chelsea beat Manchester United 6-0 to send Emma Hayes off to the USA with a seventh Women's Super League title in style at Old Trafford...

Chelsea players celebrate with Emma Hayes on the final whistle. Image: Annabel Ellis / Sportimage

Perhaps we should have known.

For all the talk of the potential twists and turns and banana skins which could potentially befall title rivals Chelsea and Manchester City, the now seven-time Women’s Super League champions sent Emma Hayes out of English football in a style befitting of the occasion.

From the second minute when Mayra Ramirez headed the champions in front, it was never in doubt, and one of the most one-sided games you could imagine between two teams who went into the final day 12 months ago vying for the title.

Ramirez was superb, despite being a shock addition to the teamsheet pre-match, but this was Chelsea as a team blowing Manchester United out of the water, with Marc Skinner’s side showing nothing of the fight and determination which saw them knock Chelsea out of the FA Cup a month ago.

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This was the relentless calm of a team who knew exactly what they had to do and didn’t look even remotely affected by the nerves.

Nor the 30,000 inside Old Trafford or the expectation on them to send their manager out with one final title to her name.

This was a cold, ruthless demolition, of which Ramirez was the leader of, and you’ll be hard pushed to find many spells of 45 minutes more dominant by one individual in the history of the league.

For United and Skinner, there will be many questions going into the summer and perhaps this was just a hangover after the high of last weekend, but they did not do themselves any justice in front of their loyal Old Trafford fans, and won’t make those fans feel any better about the new contract announced for Skinner the day before the game.

For Chelsea, it’s the end of an era, but given what they’ve missed this season and still come out on top, it’s one of Hayes’ best achievements.

So simple it was the second half was more pantomine than football match, with away fans chanting “Emma, what’s the score?” and Hayes obliging with the full five fingers on her left hand.

Here’s five key takeaways from the match in WFC’s view…

Chelsea flew out of the box with no nerves

It’s hard to compute for the most part whether this was Chelsea at their very best or United at their very best, perhaps it was a combination of the two.

But United just weren’t at it, and from the moment Maya Le Tissier was caught behind her defensive line playing Guro Reiten onside, the Norwegian had the chance to pick out Ramirez who set the tone for her one-sided battle with the United defence with a clinical header from close range.

You’d have been forgiven for thinking Chelsea might be nervous, especially given it was the last game for Hayes, but this was a side who just knew what to do, because they have done it so many times before.

Seven titles in all, an incredible five in a row, sending Hayes off to the USA still unmovable from the top of the English game.

Every goal got worse for the hosts as the defence continued to part, whether it was leaving substitute Sjoeke Nusken with the penalty box to herself for the third or their inability to lay a boot on Ramirez for the fourth, it peaked with the fifth after half-time which only lacked some comical music over the top as Mary Earps saved, a clearance rebounded onto the post and yet still Melanie Leupolz was unmarked in the box to turn home.

United couldn’t deal with Ramirez

As mentioned, it was one of the finest solo performances you could wish to see from a player, particularly given it was unlikely the Colombian was even going to be fit for the game, yet she led the line at Old Trafford like someone in the form of her life.

While there is no doubt years more of these performances to come long after Hayes will be gone, this one paid the fee to Levante back in one go, right from her header in the second minute.

She then rolled her marker and set up Johanna Rytting Kaneryd for the second, before bulldozing her way past Millie Turner to set up Nusken just minutes after a similar run could have brought her a penalty.

She scored the fourth herself as it looked like she was playing on her own, such as United’s inability to deal with her inside the box, before being withdrawn early in the second half.

United had conceded nine of their 26 goals this season before today in the 15 minutes before half-time, and Ramirez ensured that tally went into double figures.

45 minutes. 2 goals. 2 assists. And a first WSL title for her, and probably not the last.

Issues for United

Let’s make no bones about it, this was not United at their best, for whatever reason. It was a world away from the United who beat Chelsea last month, and a side who didn’t manage a shot on target throughout the game.

It was an interesting call from Hayes to pick Zecira Musovic over Hannah Hampton, but in the end she could have played anyone, with the Swede having very little to do throughout the 90 minutes.

It’s hard to imagine despite it being a dead rubber and possibly physically and mentally exhausted off the back of a first major trophy that United’s players wouldn’t have been up for a big occasion at Old Trafford, but it didn’t seem that way.

During an inspid second half, Skinner didn’t even appear on the touchline at any point, staying instead in the confides of his dugout alongside Charlotte Healy.

Such was Hannah Blundell’s woes against Ramirez, she was subbed off at half-time, while both Le Tissier and Turner endured horrible games at the heart of the defence.

The midfield continues to be an issue, with Lisa Naalsund and Katie Zelem completely ineffective, and the attack was rarely given a chance as Chelsea controlled things for 90 minutes.

As said, this isn’t a true reflection of where United are at, but somewhat summed up a below par season in the league which sees them finish well off the top four and behind Liverpool, and there’s plenty to work on for Skinner if he wants that one-year option exercised this time next year.

Chelsea win a seventh WSL title. Image: Annabel Ellis / Sportimage

Chelsea stepped up, not just today

In many ways it feels like a lifetime ago since Hayes conceded the title after a dramatic late defeat to Liverpool.

In reality, it was less than three weeks ago.

With Man City leading Arsenal in the 89th-minute a fortnight ago, it did look like she’d be proven right until her rivals over the years scored twice in as many minutes to blow the title race wide open again.

From then on, Chelsea went into beast mode, doing what they had to do - and more - against Bristol City later in the day by scoring eight.

After that, it never felt in doubt, even if their win over a weary Spurs on Wednesday was tighter than they’d have liked.

But this is what champions do, going right back to grinding out their now crucial 98th-minute equaliser at the City Football Academy back in September.

While City crumbled too often in the final minutes to let a potential domestic double slip away, Chelsea screwed on their heads and showed their champion mindset, and they’ve yet again come out on top.

What next?

Of course, there will be a period of transition for Chelsea now, because it’s not just Hayes leaving, but assistant Denise Reddy, goalkeeper coach Stuart Searle and others also expected to move on.

Any new manager will be expected to hit the ground running, and the might, but it’s also not always that simple, as many teams have found out over the years.

But as Hayes told WFC exclusively this week, they are well positioned to continue this success after going out and recruiting some of the best young players around.

Many players in this Chelsea squad aren’t near their peaks, while the fans haven’t even seen the likes of Alejandra Bernabe and Wieke Kaptein who were signed last summer and loaned back out, as well as domestic talents such as Lucy Watson and Lexi Potter.

The future may look uncertain in some ways, and no doubt their rivals will want to pounce on that early next season, but there’s always every reason to believe this dominance could continue.