Having been narrowly beaten by eventual winners Chelsea in the race for this year’s FA WSL, Manchester City’s in-form midfielder Isobel Christiansen has publicly stated her belief that the sky Blues will continue to improve – after a fantastic flourish towards the end of this season.
With their consistent form in the aftermath of a successful World Cup in Canada for England’s women, Nick Cushing’s side won eight of their final nine fixtures as they progressed from mid-table, to applying pressure among Chelsea and their London rivals Arsenal, for a place in the top two of the division.
City's excellent post-World Cup form gives them European bow
Mathematically, the Citizens still could have won the league on the final day this past Sunday, but needed a favour from Sunderland as well as hoping they’d win their own match – a 2-1 victory over Notts County, coupled with a club-record attendance too.
Unfortunately from a City perspective, Chelsea did not let the nerves get to them – as they infamously did last year. A dramatic result saw them relinquish top spot on the final day to Liverpool in 2014, but Emma Hayes’ side were even more motivated to avoid the same fate this time around.
Chelsea fully deserving of the title, but City eager to rival them
A 4-0 win sealed title glory for the west Londoners and it’s fully deserved after an excellent season all-round, despite some surprising scorelines.
As quoted by BBC Sport, Christiansen said the team collectively have proven that they’re ready to compete in Europe next term, and during pre-season, they are "only going to strengthen throughout", which will allow them to return “fitter, better and stronger."
Meanwhile her manager echoed the same beliefs. Although he admitted that there is disappointment that City have not managed to lift a trophy this year, he likened Champions League qualification to one – not least because it’s only his second full season in charge of the ladies' side.
"In our third year we’ll have grown a bit more, we’ll have evolved and we’ll have more experience. We’ll be back next year to work harder and be better."