IT’S ARSENAL YET AGAIN AS SUPER LEAGUE LOOMS

There was a very familiar ring to what was the last season of the FA Women’s Premier League before the launch of the Women’s Super League: Arsenal were champions for the seventh consecutive campaign and, for the fifth time in succession, Everton were runners-up.

Though the Gunners no longer had the now retired Vic Akers as manager - and with his replacement Tony Gervaise departing the club after just eight months in charge - they powered their way to yet another title, winning it with an 11-point gap between themselves and their forever-chasing closest rivals.

That was in contrast to the previous season, in which a nail-biting finale ended in only goal difference dividing the top two. This time around, with former reserve team manager Laura Harvey taking over the reins after Gervaise’s February departure, the reigning champions comfortably retained their crown with time to spare. 

They did so by clinching the title with a victory over Everton six days after they had been beaten by the Toffees in the FA Cup final - the first time the Gunners had suffered defeat in 11 FA Cup finals.

Between those two meetings, Harvey’s team had the chance to wrap up the league title by winning a Thursday night fixture at Blackburn Rovers - but they were surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw.

Come the trip to Everton, however, a well deserved 4-2 victory made sure that the National Division trophy would once again be heading Arsenal’s way. 

Not that it made up entirely for the loss of their proud FA Cup final record. "Winning the league partly makes up for losing the final," said Harvey, "but we're still hurting from seeing someone else with the Cup. 

“We went to Blackburn on Thursday and should have won the league there, but we had the hangover from hell and had to settle for a draw. So playing Everton today was the best game we could have had and I'm delighted we've got the title again.”

Toffees boss Mo Marley, whose team had knocked the Gunners out of the League Cup as well as beating them in the FA Cup final, said: "Our problem is that we can do it in one-off games but not over the course of a season. That's why Arsenal are league champions and not us."

While the Gunners and the Toffees were having their usual season-long top of the table battle, an emerging Chelsea side had their second successive third place finish after winning each of their last seven matches.

With internationals such as Casey Stoney, Lianne Sanderson, Claire Rafferty and Dunia Susi now in their ranks, the future looked bright as they prepared to step into the FA Women’s Super League.

Chelsea were one of six WPL National Division clubs - along with Arsenal, Everton, Doncaster Rovers Belles, Birmingham City and bottom of the table Bristol Academy - who bade farewell to the now 19-year-old competition in order to join the new league.

Sixteen clubs had applied to be part of the eight-team WSL, including 2009-10 National Division outfits Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers, Millwall Lionesses, Watford, Nottingham Forest and Leeds Carnegie.   

Carnegie’s application was withdrawn and most of the players left as a new team, Leeds Ladies, was being formed to take place in a new-look National Division that, like the WSL, would comprise of just eight teams.

Unsuccessful WSL applicants Sunderland, Blackburn, Millwall, Watford and Forest were set to remain in the Premier League and would be joined in its re-jigged top flight by Reading and Barnet plus Leeds.

FINAL TABLE

RESULTS

16/08/2009
Birmingham City 4-0 Watford
Bristol Academy 0-2 Sunderland
Doncaster Rovers Belles 1-1 Blackburn Rovers
Millwall Lionesses 1-0 Nottingham Forest
Queens Park Rangers 1-0 Charlton Athletic

23/08/2009
Blackburn Rovers 2-4 Millwall Lionesses
Nottingham Forest 2-2 Birmingham City           
Watford 2-1 Sunderland

30/08/2009
Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Birmingham City           
Doncaster Rovers Belles 2-2 Watford
Millwall Lionesses 2-0 Bristol Academy            
Sunderland 2-3 Nottingham Forest

06/09/2009
Birmingham City 0-1 Doncaster Rovers Belles   
Bristol Academy 0-1 Nottingham Forest
Sunderland 2-1 Millwall Lionesses
Watford 3-2 Blackburn Rovers

20/09/2009
Leeds 2-0 Doncaster Rovers Belles   
Millwall Lionesses 0-0 Birmingham City           
Nottingham Forest 1-3 Watford

27/09/2009
Birmingham City 0-1 Arsenal                   
Bristol Academy 0-4 Leeds
Everton 6-0 Nottingham Forest
Millwall Lionesses 2-0 Doncaster Rovers Belles   
Sunderland 1-2 Blackburn Rovers
Watford 0-7 Chelsea

30/09/2009
Nottingham Forest 2-4 Doncaster Rovers Belles   

01/10/2009
Birmingham City 4-0 Bristol Academy            
Leeds 1-2 Sunderland

07/10/2009
Chelsea 3-1 Millwall Lionesses

11/10/2009
Arsenal 8-1 Doncaster Rovers Belles   
Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Nottingham Forest
Bristol Academy 2-0 Watford
Chelsea 3-1 Sunderland
Leeds 4-2 Birmingham City           
Millwall Lionesses 0-5 Everton                   

15/10/2009
Bristol Academy 0-4 Chelsea
Leeds 3-2 Blackburn Rovers
Nottingham Forest 0-8 Arsenal                   
Watford 2-0 Millwall Lionesses

18/10/2009
Bristol Academy 1-4 Arsenal                   
Doncaster Rovers Belles 2-2 Chelsea
Everton 5-0 Watford
Nottingham Forest 0-5 Leeds
Sunderland 3-1 Birmingham City           

25/10/2009
Millwall Lionesses 1-2 Sunderland
Watford 0-0 Doncaster Rovers Belles   

28/10/2009
Doncaster Rovers Belles 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Everton 3-1 Blackburn Rovers
Millwall Lionesses 0-4 Chelsea
Sunderland 0-0 Leeds

01/11/2009
Sunderland 4-1 Watford            

08/11/2009
Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal                   
Doncaster Rovers Belles 2-0 Bristol Academy            
Nottingham Forest 1-1 Millwall Lionesses
Watford 2-2 Birmingham City           

12/11/2009 
Bristol Academy 1-0 Birmingham City           

15/11/2009
Arsenal 5-1 Sunderland
Bristol Academy 0-2 Millwall Lionesses
Everton 3-5 Chelsea

19/11/2009
Chelsea 4-2 Bristol Academy            

22/11/2009
Chelsea 0-2 Doncaster Rovers Belles   
Everton 3-0 Bristol Academy            
Sunderland 2-1 Arsenal                   

29/11/2009
Sunderland 2-0 Chelsea
Doncaster Rovers Belles 3-1 Birmingham City           

03/12/2009
Arsenal 6-2 Watford

06/12/2009
Sunderland 2-1 Bristol Academy                           

13/12/2009
Arsenal 8-0 Bristol Academy            
Birmingham City 0-2 Sunderland
Blackburn Rovers 1-5 Doncaster Rovers Belles   
Everton 2-1 Millwall Lionesses
Watford 0-0 Nottingham Forest

24/01/2010
Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea

14/02/2010
Leeds 6-0 Watford

18/02/2010
Everton 1-3 Leeds

28/02/2010
Blackburn Rovers 4-2 Watford

07/03/2010
Arsenal 4-1 Blackburn Rovers
Birmingham City 1-0 Millwall Lionesses
Leeds 4-0 Bristol Academy            
Watford 0-4 Everton                   

11/03/2010
Birmingham City 0-3 Everton                   
Chelsea 3-1 Watford

14/03/2010
Chelsea 4-1 Blackburn Rovers
Doncaster Rovers Belles 2-1 Sunderland
Millwall Lionesses 4-2 Watford

17/03/2010
Everton 4-0 Doncaster Rovers Belles   

21/03/2010
Bristol Academy 0-1 Blackburn Rovers
Chelsea 2-5 Everton                   
Millwall Lionesses 0-4 Leeds

28/03/2010
Birmingham City 0-4 Leeds
Doncaster Rovers Belles 2-2 Millwall Lionesses

04/04/2010
Everton 4-0 Sunderland
Leeds 1-0 Millwall Lionesses

07/04/2010
Doncaster Rovers Belles 1-4 Leeds

08/04/2010
Millwall Lionesses 1-3 Arsenal                   
Birmingham City 1-4 Chelsea

11/04/2010
Everton 0-1 Arsenal                   
Leeds 0-1 Chelsea
Millwall Lionesses 0-2 Blackburn Rovers
Nottingham Forest 1-2 Bristol Academy            
Sunderland 0-3 Doncaster Rovers Belles   

14/04/2010
Doncaster Rovers Belles 1-1 Everton                   

15/04/2010
Leeds 1-0 Nottingham Forest
Arsenal 5-1 Millwall Lionesses
Chelsea 3-0 Birmingham City           

18/04/2010
Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Bristol Academy            
Chelsea 1-0 Nottingham Forest
Leeds 0-1 Arsenal                   
Sunderland 0-4 Everton                   

21/04/2010
Watford 0-1 Arsenal                   

25/04/2010
Birmingham City 1-0 Nottingham Forest
Blackburn Rovers 0-3 Sunderland
Bristol Academy 0-5 Everton                   
Chelsea 2-0 Leeds
Doncaster Rovers Belles 1-2 Arsenal                   

28/04/2010
Blackburn Rovers 0-2 Leeds
Everton 2-0 Birmingham City           

29/04/2010
Arsenal 4-1 Nottingham Forest

02/05/2010
Bristol Academy 1-2 Doncaster Rovers Belles   
Nottingham Forest 1-2 Blackburn Rovers
Watford 0-1 Leeds

06/05/2010
Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Arsenal                   
Leeds 1-1 Everton                   

09/05/2010
Arsenal 4-2 Everton                   
Blackburn Rovers 0-3 Chelsea
Nottingham Forest 0-3 Sunderland
Watford 1-1 Bristol Academy            

11/05/2010
Nottingham Forest 0-2 Everton                    

12/05/2010
Arsenal 3-0 Leeds

13/05/2010
Birmingham City 0-1 Blackburn Rovers

15/05/2010
Blackburn Rovers 0-2 Everton                   

16/05/2010
Arsenal 4-1 Birmingham City           
Nottingham Forest 1-2 Chelsea