WSL: Chelsea Keep Title Hopes Alive with Thrilling Win Over Villa

Chelsea edge Aston Villa in thrilling WSL encounter

Chelsea's reigning champions keep their faint hopes of a seventh WSL title in a row alive with a thrilling win over Aston Villa. Chelsea's defensive frailties exposed as Aston Villa stage a comeback, but Sjoeke Nuesken's 82nd-minute winner secures a 4-3 victory.

Sjoeke Nuesken's late goal secures a dramatic win for Chelsea, keeping their faint title hopes alive...

Chelsea's reigning champions kept their faint hopes of a seventh WSL title in a row alive with a thrilling 4-3 win over Aston Villa at Kingsmeadow. Sjoeke Nuesken's late goal secured the victory for Chelsea, who had taken an early lead through Sam Kerr, Naomi Girma, and Lauren James, but saw Villa fight back with two quick-fire goals from Kirsty Hanson.

Despite being behind, Chelsea managed to regain their lead, only for Villa to equalize again. However, Nuesken's brilliant winner in the 82nd minute proved decisive, moving

Chelsea's chances of winning the league are looking slim, but they're not giving up yet. To take the title, they'll need to win their remaining three games, while Manchester City would have to lose all of theirs, having only dropped seven points so far.

WHAT A WIN! WHAT A GAME! 👏#CFCW pic.twitter.com/3gCMqBkKrs

— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) March 29, 2026

 

In their latest match, Chelsea was trailing 1-0 to Aston Villa, courtesy of Chasity Grant's early goal. However, they turned the game around with three goals in an eight-minute spell from Sam Kerr, Naomi Girma, and Lauren James, putting them back in the driving seat. Despite Villa's strong comeback, Sjoeke Nuesken's late goal secured a 4-3 win for Chelsea, keeping their title hopes alive.

Lauren James is your @BarclaysWSL Player of the Match. 🏆#CFCW pic.twitter.com/v5b3FKaP1D

— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) March 29, 2026

Chelsea's defensive vulnerabilities were exposed once again as Aston Villa staged a remarkable comeback, leveling the score with two rapid-fire goals from Kirsty Hanson. However, Sjoeke Nuesken's stunning winner in the 82nd minute secured a thrilling 4-3 victory for Chelsea, keeping their faint hopes of a seventh WSL title alive.

Sjoeke Nusken celebrates scoring Chelsea’s fourth goal with Ellie Carpenter, Sandy Baltimore (L)

The win moves Chelsea up to second place with 40 points, nine points behind leaders Manchester City, with both teams having played 19 of their 22 league games. This victory showcases Chelsea's resilience, but also highlights areas for improvement, particularly in defense 

West Ham United dropped points in their title chase, held to a 1-1 draw by London City Lionesses.

Bottom side Leicester City take on Brighton & Hove Albion later on Sunday.

Manchester City strengthened their grip on top spot with a 3-0 derby win over Manchester United. Arsenal also made a statement, beating Tottenham Hotspur 5-2 to put themselves in a strong position in the race for second place.