Chelsea had been minutes away from winning the WSL title again on Sunday but were right not to celebrate prematurely as Manchester United ensured a rollercoaster race at the top will go down to the final weekend.
An impressive 2-0 win over Arsenal meant Chelsea had one hand on the trophy and would have been champions had United failed to beat Manchester City later on.
Chelsea looked set to win the league for a fourth successive year with United and City drawing 1-1 in stoppage time, but drama struck and Lucia Garcia’s dizzying winner halted the party.
It is still in Chelsea’s hands though. Equalling United’s result on Saturday will guarantee their crown and wrap up an exhausting and pulsating title race.
It has been a wild ride so far so it is no wonder Chelsea manager Emma Hayes said this would be her favourite title should they win it.
But it is not just the football journey that makes Hayes appreciate it more – it is what it is taking to reach the end.
Hayes, mother to five-year-old son Harry, missed six weeks between October and November following an emergency hysterectomy as part of her “ongoing battle with endometriosis”.
General manager Paul Green and assistant Denise Reddy took charge of the team in Hayes’ absence.
“We need to breathe, be human beings and not just football managers and players all the time – we’ve got to be people right?” said Hayes.
“Maybe that’s why it’s my favourite year. My own personal health issues, that was hard. To come straight back into work off the back of a hysterectomy…trust me, I know now I’ve had one.
“But to do it knowing I have trust in the competency and the expertise around to be able to deliver – I trust these people with my life and vice versa.
“I know on any given day that everybody can deliver high levels because the culture has been set. I’m so grateful to my staff, I’d be dead in the water without them.”
‘Life is just as important as football’
Winning takes sacrifices. Hayes knows that. She has won five WSL titles with Chelsea and 13 major trophies in total since joining the club in 2012.
“You can’t be an elite performer and have a work-life balance,” Hayes admits.
Being a mother has changed her outlook on life. Work is no longer her priority; her son is.
Family time with Harry is precious. She encourages her players to spend time with their families too and gives them time off when she can, believing it’s important to help them reset between matches.
“Harry turned five this week and all I keep thinking is I can’t let this time go before it’s too late, I need to put priorities for him first,” said Hayes.
“He’s certainly changed that in me. We have dedicated hundreds of thousands of hours into our profession – which is so anti-social – so when we get the opportunity, you have to just put the most important things first.
“There’s been a lot of things going on in my life, beyond Harry. My dad hasn’t been well, and so I think life is just as important as football. I’m prioritising life today.”
Ice cream and bike rides over Manchester derby
While her players were looking forward to watching the Manchester derby on Sunday, Hayes said it was not even an option for her.
She had taken Harry into work with her on Saturday and promised him an ice cream and a bike ride after their victory over Arsenal on Sunday.
“I’ve had midweek games on Wednesday nights, so you can imagine what I’m like in the mornings,” added Hayes.
“I’ve had a game every weekend so the pattern has been the same. He hasn’t seen me and he’s had to come to work with me when he doesn’t want to come.
“The only way I got him through this weekend was the promise of ice cream and bike rides. My son is the most important thing in my life and he comes first.”