LONDON, England — As Chelsea hoisted the Women’s Super League (WSL) trophy into the air for a sixth consecutive time on Saturday afternoon, the celebrations for their historic win were emphatic.
The Blues were already champions — having sealed the title with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United on April 30 — but a 1-0 win over Liverpool in their final game cemented their place in the history books as the only women’s team in history to go unbeaten across a 22-game season. In dropping points from only three draws, they also set a new record points tally (60) in the WSL, beating their own mark of 58 from 2022-23.
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Chelsea’s unbeaten record in the 22-game WSL season
As has been their habit, Chelsea left it late to seal the win as Aggie Beever-Jones — Chelsea’s top scorer and standout player all season — netted in the 91st minute. But the result encapsulated why Chelsea are champions. This is a team with an insatiable appetite for winning; it is engrained in their DNA. They fight to the end and, this season, their grit and sheer relentlessness has proven too much for their WSL rivals to match.
Some may have expected the squad to take time to adjust to new coach Sonia Bompastor in her debut campaign, following the exit of the legendary Emma Hayes last summer. But their relentless desire to win has not slowed down; if anything, it has grown further with a self-proclaimed “sore loser” now leading the team.
It is incredible that Bompastor has already returned two trophies — the WSL and League Cup — in her first season in charge, with the possibility of a third coming next weekend as they face Manchester United in the FA Cup. Yes, Chelsea’s Quadruple dream died at the hands of Barcelona in the Champions League semifinals, but the speed with which the French coach has taken charge and made the team her own has been remarkable.
Making a mark
You could be forgiven for thinking Bompastor and this team had been together for the past five campaigns, but it has been less than 12 months. It has been a seamless transition and Bompastor has regularly praised Hayes in the media for the work she did to build the foundations for success over the last 12 years and leave the club in the state she did.
Bompastor didn’t really have to do much once she stepped through the doors at Cobham; the squad is a purpose-built winning machine and knows what it takes to be champions. The fact that Hayes made sure to sign a host of young players — such as midfielder Maika Hamano and striker Mayra Ramírez — before she left meant Bompastor inherited a succession plan and the ongoing development behind the scenes meant the training, staff and facilities were raised to be among the best in Europe.
Naturally, Bompastor wanted to leave her own mark and make tweaks to ensure that Chelsea’s success continued. But from the early discussions around her taking the job, the emphasis was geared around building on Hayes’ legacy, not dismantling it to start afresh. Indeed, a source told ESPN that this was one of the reasons that Bompastor was so highly regarded by the club’s hierarchy.
Once she arrived, the club made sure that Bompastor had all the resources necessary to ensure a smooth transition and a source said that the players responded incredibly well to her appointment. They quickly got on board with her approach and liked her competitive edge, believing that it would push them to new heights.
Preseason was seen as the perfect time to align the squad and Bompastor brought a cohort of new coaching staff and players with her, using the club’s trip to Washington DC and New York (where they defeated NWSL side NY/NJ Gotham and local rivals Arsenal in friendly games) to outline her expectations. Sources told ESPN that the team’s bonding on and off the pitch during the buildup to the start of the WSL season was imperative and, after a nervy 1-0 win over Aston Villa on the opening day, a 7-0 destruction of Crystal Palace proved to be an ominous warning to the rest of the league.
Setting the standard
Setting the standard early was crucial. Bompastor adopted an intense training schedule, where slacking off would not be tolerated, and sources told ESPN that the coach demanded the same commitment in training as she would in a cup final.
Though it differed from what Hayes demanded, it was welcomed. While Bompastor focused more on technical aspects and build-up play, a source told ESPN that the players enjoyed the increased intensity, believing it was getting the best out of them. Early on, there was a feeling around the squad that it was Bompastor’s desire to win everything that forced players to step up and, as the WSL progressed towards the new year, Chelsea were already ahead of the curve (and the table) with nine wins from nine games — including against title rivals Arsenal, Manchester City and Man United.
A shock 1-1 draw with Leicester on Dec. 14 saw Chelsea drop points for the first time. But champions are made from adversity and another four-game winning streak — with a vital 1-0 win over Arsenal — saw them ease into March with 13 wins from 14 games and eight games left.
Success in the League Cup over Manchester City on March 15 kept the winning feeling going but it also began a bizarre run of four games in 12 days against the same opposition. And it was those four games that defined the season.
Bompastor can be ruthless at times and, as she was such a fierce competitor as a player, she is never shy of telling her players what she thinks. Sources have described her as “a terrible loser,” with Bompastor admitting as much in various interviews, and after the 2-0 loss to Manchester City in the Champions League quarterfinal first leg she shared her frustrations, loudly, in the dressing room.
Four days’ later, Chelsea found themselves 1-0 down against City after a dismal first half of their WSL clash and, sources said, history repeated itself. This time there was a chance to turn things around and her actions spurred her players on, as they ultimately clawed back a 2-1 win thanks to a 91st-minute goal from Erin Cuthbert. Then, in the second leg of the Champions League, the fire was lit with three goals in the first half to ensure a 3-0 victory would seal a semifinal meeting with Barcelona.
But while a source told ESPN that the rapport that Bompastor has built with the team ensures no-one wants to let her down, she is also the first to put an arm around her players and rally them together when needed. Indeed, when the team lost 4-1 in the second leg to Barcelona (8-2 on aggregate), she knew it was not the time for tough love and that intuition is something that her former players at Lyon also enjoyed about her management style.
Mentality monsters
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Krieger: Chelsea deserve to win sixth straight WSL title
Ali Krieger hails Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor as she leads her side to a sixth straight WSL title following a 1-0 win over Man United.
If you want to know what makes Chelsea capable of winning six consecutive titles (a ninth overall, including the 2017 Spring Series) and respond from their UWCL humiliation by Barcelona to win the league in the very next game, the answer is: their mentality.
After Arsenal’s 5-2 loss to Aston Villa on April 30, the squad didn’t talk about the fact they could seal the title with two games to spare against Man United later that evening. Bompastor even said she turned the game off after Villa went 2-0 up, as her side were warming up at Leigh Sports village. She asked a member of staff for the result but did not share it with her players when she entered the dressing room ahead of kickoff; she wanted them to win the game because of their desire to win, not to add further pressure.
Indeed, a source said several players were aware of the score but did not share it in the dressing room either; conversations were focused solely on winning against United. They only needed a point but secured the win with a narrow 1-0 victory. They then beat Tottenham and Liverpool 1-0 in their last two games. In fact, the Blues won 10 of their 19 games by a one-goal margin this season, proving their ability to get a result no matter what, while their rivals succumbed to needless losses and draws against teams they would be expected to beat.
A guard of honour for the @BarclaysWSL champions. 👏#CFCW pic.twitter.com/zdwVZY7WSQ
— (C)helsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) May 10, 2025
But despite their historic run, record points total and unbeaten season, it is not enough for Chelsea. After the defeat to Barcelona, Bompastor admitted that she was not satisfied with the campaign and a source told ESPN that the players and staff feel like there is unfinished business in the Champions League; that, despite their domestic success, it is impossible to count this season as their best due to their failure on the continent.
That mentality is reflective of the insanely high standards the team set all the way back during preseason. It is a mindset that carried them far and, with a squad depth which is arguably only matched by Barcelona, their insatiable appetite for winning and competitive manager willing to do whatever it takes to win trophies, has set them up for more success in the years to come.
From the evidence of this campaign, it will take a miracle for anyone to stop Chelsea getting their hands on another title next season.
