Chelsea moved to the top of the Women's Super League by beating Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in a nervy affair at Brisbane Road.
Maika Hamano's goal in the 37th minute was enough to seal victory for Emma Hayes' side, which sees them move ahead of Manchester City on goal difference.
They face Manchester United on the final day at Old Trafford, knowing a win would likely see Hayes depart the club with a fifth WSL trophy in a row.
In her farewell season, Chelsea have played their part in an exhilarating title battle. Just two weeks ago, the 47-year-old said "the title race is done" after they lost 4-3 to Liverpool, but as soon as Man City slipped up to Arsenal, the Blues took full advantage by beating Bristol City 8-0 to move into pole position.
With the pressure high and the nerves rising, the serial winners showed their experience at Brisbane Road. They dominated the first half with a performance full of determination to win the WSL yet again. Hamano shone throughout, scoring the crucial goal in the first half with a simple tap-in after latching onto Guro Reiten's cross.
They consistently showed their experience against Spurs, going through periods of pressure, but always coming out of them unhurt. It's what champions do — and now they are one win from winning a 16th trophy with Hayes as she prepares to depart.
Spurs had periods of the match where they impressed, but they lacked the crucial touch in the final third. Any pre-match suggestion that they would be 'hungover' from their FA Cup Final defeat three days ago was quickly dismissed, as they pressed with intensity from the beginning.
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Story of the Match
Tottenham made three changes to the team that lost in the FA Cup Final. Grace Clinton, Celin Bizet and Barbora Votikova replaced Martha Thomas, Matilda Vinberg and the injured Becky Spencer.
In their hunt for the title, Chelsea made three changes from the side that thrashed Bristol City 8-0. Melanie Leupolz, Catarina Macario and Ashley Lawrence came in for Sophie Ingle, Sjoeke Nüsken and Eve Perisset.
Pressure and Chelsea are two words that match one another perfectly. They've shown over the years their ability to grind out important results during a title battle, even with an injury crisis this campaign. At Brisbane Road, they started with assertion which showcased their determination to continue their title streak.
Finding space on the flanks with Hamano and Reiten became a recurring theme for the Blues early on. They had a strong penalty claim waved away in the first 10 minutes for handball, whilst Hamano squandered a golden chance in the 14th minute, as she guided her diving header over the bar after being left unmarked in the box.
In a series of promising efforts early on, Erin Cuthbert tested Votikova with a long-range effort whilst Reiten, despite free inside the box, fired a strike high over the bar. The Norwegian continued the dominance with a shot blocked off the line by Amy James-Turner minutes later.
Chances continued to pop up for Chelsea in the first half — and, eventually, they took advantage. Hamano, consistently at the heart of the Blues' attacking threat, gave her side the lead in the 37th minute.
Reiten drove down the touchline in acres of space, fizzed a teasing ball across the face of goal, and the Japanese winger was in the right place at the right time to fire home.
Born as serial winners, it felt never in doubt that Chelsea would go on to secure victory at Brisbane Road. A team doesn't win four WSL titles in a row, potentially five on Saturday, without being determined to succeed at every opportunity. It's part of their blood — but they did let Spurs gain some brief control at the start of the second half.
Charlotte Grant and Bizet found space on the right flank on multiple occasions, whilst Luana Bühler and Ashleigh Neville both missed promising chances in the six-yard box from a corner. James-Turner also came close with a flicked-on header, but Chelsea came away unscathed, just like traditional champions do.
As the clock ticked away and Hayes introduced fresh legs in the form of Jess Carter, Nüsken and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, they asserted a spell of control and experienced wisdom. The tempo of the match slowed and, although Spurs still had periods of possession, it rarely looked like they would threaten once again.
Chelsea had moments to finish the contest, one with Cuthbert and one with newly-found star Aggie Beever-Jones, but they couldn't capitalise on space in the penalty box. Four minutes were added on, yet the Blues continued to show their wisdom, defending resolutely as Spurs pushed for an equaliser.
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Player of the Match - Maika Hamano
Chelsea knew the pressure was on them tonight. They had to deliver. On a night like that, it is typically the experienced players who rise to the occasion, but Hamano went against that script.
The 20-year-old shone in the first half, consistently finding space on the right flank, causing problems for Amanda Nilden, who eventually went off injured.
She was rewarded for her efforts with her goal in the 37th minute, as she latched onto Reiten's cross to fire home. It was just her second goal of the season, and definitely her most important one.
