The twists and turns of the WSL kept us all hooked up until the final day this season.
But Emma Hayes had her fairytale ending as Chelsea stormed to their fifth successive title.
And Chelsea were not the only WSL club who have much to be proud of this season – nor are the only club who might well see areas to improve next year.
But how might each side be reflecting on their seasons this summer? talkSPORT.com takes a look.
Chelsea
In the end, it is hard to fault the Blues yet again.
Yes, they lost more games than ever on their way to the title and yes, their three defeats were all down to some very poor play.
But to wrestle a trophy from the jaws of defeat in Hayes’ last season somehow seems even more impressive than anything Chelsea have done before.
Hannah Hampton could perhaps have kept more clean sheets and Lauren James could have scored more goals and this team could have gone further in the Champions League.
But in the end, they won the WSL.
After the season they have had, they will be delighted with that.
Manchester City
Oh, Manchester City.
To come so close and to have even forced a concession out of a manager like Hayes will make their eventual loss that much more painful.
But they should learn the lessons of their defeat for next season: they have been shown to rely too much on striker Bunny Shaw perhaps, and their defensive shape lacks the discipline of a league-winning team.
Man City should have won the WSL this season – but if anything, their reaction next season will give us the true measure of this side.
Arsenal
The irony that it was Arsenal striker Stina Blackstenius who allowed their London rivals to seize their fifth consecutive WSL title will not be lost on the Gunners.
Arsenal have made absolutely no progress since last season – but then again, they have not regressed either.
For the second year in a row, they take home the Conti Cup trophy and a third place finish in the WSL.
But for a side so stacked with talent, losing games to the likes of West Ham, Liverpool and Tottenham is simply not good enough.
The challenge for the Gunners is figuring out why they are able to score four goals against Chelsea one week and then none against Spurs the very next.
Liverpool
They may not have won anything concrete, but Liverpool outshone everyone else, including the victors, in the WSL this season.
Manager Matt Beard deservedly beat the likes of Emma Hayes and Gareth Taylor to win the title of manager of the season for the remarkable job he has done with this side.
It is fitting that they beat the Blues – and their 4-3 victory over Chelsea will go down in WSL history, despite the fact that it did not ultimately stop Chelsea winning the title.
This was Liverpool’s finest hour and it epitomised the job that Beard has done with players like hat-trick hero Leanne Kiernan and new signings Marie Hobinger and Sophie Roman Haug.
Could they disrupt the top three next season? If they continue as they have this season, the sky is their limit.
Manchester United
It might seem strange to say that a team who have just won the FA Cup have had one of the worst seasons of all WSL teams – but it is hard to argue otherwise.
Their 5-0 loss to Chelsea on the final day demonstrated not just poor play, but a flawed attitude too – and it is a worrying sign for next season.
The Red Devils are supposed to be a team on the ascendancy but with manager Marc Skinner having signed a contract extension, they are in danger of being plagued by the same confusing squad choices and poor defending which led to their position at the end of the season.
Crucially, although Mary Earps has had a poor season by her standards – Manchester United simply cannot afford to let her go.
Tottenham
There are some managers who you know are going to leave a special legacy right from the beginning – and that is the sense that Spurs boss Robert Vilahamn gives.
There is belief at Tottenham – and rightly so, after a season characterised by a top half finish in the WSL and an FA Cup final.
Vilahamn’s players seriously respect him and the attacking style of play that he values is likely to pay dividends in the future – albeit with the inevitable heavy losses like their 4-0 FA Cup final defeat to Manchester United thrown in there.
But Spurs’ style of play has drawn many new fans to the WSL this season – and perhaps that more than anything will serve them particularly well going forward.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa will face criticisms for this season – and some of it will be warranted with some poor defending and a lack of clinical finishing harming them.
But much of it is simply down to them having over performed expectations so much last year – a seventh place finish is the definition of not too bad and not too good.
Their squad is strong but with manager Carla Ward leaving, they need to recruit a manager who can get the best out of the likes of Rachel Daly and Kenza Dali.
Arsenal have their eyes on their valuable keeper Daphne van Domselaar – and the Gunners usually get who they want – so Villa might well feel they need to make some signings this transfer window.
Everton
What might look like a rather indifferent season will probably be seen as a resounding success over at Everton.
Manager Brian Sorensen has lamented the injury crisis that has plagued them for most of this season, but in light of that the side did well – especially going the last four games of the season unbeaten.
But this is a side who lack identity at times and they could find themselves pulled back into a relegation battle easily enough next season.
A few landmark signings this summer would help greatly – if they are given the budget.
Brighton
Brighton’s biggest mistake this season was, arguably, sacking manager Melissa Phillips in February.
True, the club were in tenth place when she was sacked and they finished in ninth – but the only game that the Seagulls had lost at that point which one would have expected them to win was against West Ham.
And they had managed a 1-0 victory over Man City to make up for it.
Seven of their 13 losses happened after Phillips was sacked – certainly no vindication of the sacking.
Brighton boast the likes of former Champions League winner Vicky Losada as well as Sophie Baggaley as their goalkeeper – and she has repeatedly proved herself to be one of the most able keepers in the league.
With the side having had five managers in the past two seasons, they might do well to change tact and see what benefits a bit of patience might bring.
Leicester City
For a team tipped for relegation at the beginning of the season, Leicester had an exceptional start to the season – even topping the table at one point.
It is hard to say how much the sacking of manager Willie Kirk disrupted the side’s flow, but it certainly did not stop them reaching the FA Cup semi-final for the first time and putting on a performance to be proud of.
Leicester’s prospects seem overwhelmingly promising though – perhaps even more so than other teams who finished higher up the table than them.
They are getting a new manager over summer – a sound choice will realise they have a solid foundation to build upon next season.
West Ham
The Hammers have recorded their lowest ever WSL finish – but if you had asked them around Christmas time, then they might have seen event this as a relief.
They were the only other real contender for relegation other than Bristol City and it is arguable that it was only the Hammers’ financial superiority and ability to sign some key players in January that saved them in the end.
A standout win over title-hopefuls Arsenal showed a glimpse of their potential – but it was a potential that remained unfulfilled with just three wins all season.
They have been without their captain Dagny Brynjarsdottir this season – on maternity leave – and seldom has a team looked so very different without a single player.
With Crystal Palace coming up next season, West Ham might find that a financial advantage will not be enough to save them again.
Bristol City
They may not have a place in the WSL next season but this Bristol City side won over the hearts and minds of so many – not least thanks to some truly impressive goals.
Last year’s relegated team, Reading, were forced to go part-time just weeks after the end of the season and have struggled in the Women’s Championship this season, escaping another relegation by one place.
But with Bristol City already having dedicated their ongoing support to the team and to manager Lauren Smith, the future looks bright for the Robins.
We could well be seeing them back up in the WSL before long.
News Summary:
- Chelsea and Liverpool shine as Arsenal and Man City falter again – how each team performed in the WSL this season
- Check all news and articles from the latest Football updates.