Lucia Garcia's last-gasp winner keeps Manchester United title hopes alive
Manchester United 2 Manchester City 1
Chelsea were five minutes from being crowned champions but were forced to keep the champagne on ice until next Saturday after their rivals Manchester United sent the Women's Super League title race down to the final day of the season thanks to Lucia Garcia's stoppage-time winner in a pulsating local-derby victory over 10-player Manchester City.
Manchester United's victory was their first in the WSL over their neighbours, at the seventh attempt, and mathematically ensured they will finish above Manchester City in the table for the first time since they re-formed a senior women's team in 2018, and that Marc Skinner's team will qualify for next season's Women's Champions League.
It also means the WSL title will not be decided until the season's final day for a third consecutive year. But for the first time in their history, Manchester United are still in with a shot, as they continue to chase what would be their first major piece of women's football silverware.
It was very nearly not so, though, until Spain forward Garcia's scrappy late finish settled a gripping local derby which the hosts had looked set to throw away, despite playing the entire second half with an extra player, with Manchester City aggrieved when denied a penalty for what appeared to be a foul on Bunny Shaw.
After Hayley Ladd's second-minute rocket into the top corner lit the fuse on a firecracker of an atmosphere, City goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck was sent off on 42 minutes for a late challenge which saw her clatter into Nikita Parris outside the box leaving referee Rebecca Welch with little option. Yet Skinner's side were pegged by a fighting City when Filippa Angeldahl's right-wing cross deceived United goalkeeper Mary Earps and looped all the way into the far corner.
Chloe Kelly hit the woodwork twice for the visitors and Manchester United centre-back Maya Le Tissier produced a goal-saving block to deny Shaw moments before Garcia won it at the other end.
Chelsea know victory at Reading will win them another title
Earlier on what could have been a truly pivotal Sunday, Chelsea were in impressive form as they saw off Arsenal thanks to Guro Reiten's low finish early on and captain Magdalena Eriksson stabbing home a second, on her last home game for the club before departing this summer at the end of her contract, along with her partner and team-mate Pernille Harder. They said an emotional farewell to Kingsmeadow at full-time, but weren't able to cap the day by celebrating the title.
Nevertheless, Chelsea retaining their title still looks like the most likely outcome, as they travel to bottom side Reading next Saturday, where they will be the heavy favourites and will have matters in their own hands.
That said, Reading will have a huge amount to play for themselves. They were handed a stay of execution in the top tier on Sunday thanks to their closest relegation rivals Leicester City's home defeat against West Ham United, who themselves had not won a WSL fixture since December. A win for 11th-placed Leicester would have sent Reading down, after the Berkshire club lost at Tottenham on Saturday. However, now Reading could avoid the drop if they can pull off an unexpected win over Chelsea and Leicester fail to win at Brighton. All six of next Saturday's concluding WSL games will kick off simultaneously at 2.30pm.
If Chelsea do beat Reading, it would be a third campaign in a row where Chelsea have won at least a domestic double of the FA Cup and the WSL, having lifted the cup at Wembley for a third straight campaign last Sunday with a narrow, 1-0 victory over Manchester United thanks to Sam Kerr's goal. United, who are away to Liverpool on the final day, will need a huge favour from the Berkshire club if they are to end that streak.