A ruthless performance on Emma Hayes’ Home farewell kept Chelsea in this enthralling title race which has taken more turns than Spaghetti Junction this weekend alone.

Guro Reiten scored four, Aggie Beever-Jones bagged a brace, as Sjoeke Nüsken and Niamh Charles claimed the others in what was a crazy, emotionally-charged evening at Kingsmeadow.

The Departing Fran Kirby and Maren Mjelde were named among the substitutes bench, as Emma Hayes handed another start to Maika Hamano- looking to build on her promising form over the last month.

Relegated Bristol City handed a start to Fran Bentley in goal, as well as Sille Struck at left-back in two notable changes employed by Lauren Smith from their last clash.

A late brace from Stina Blackstenius at Joie Stadium saw Arsenal claim a 2-1 victory over Manchester City, meaning Emma Hayes’s side’s hopes at silverware were far from extinguished as they returned back to Kingsmeadow on Sunday evening.

CHE: Musovic, Perisset, Bright, Bjorn, Charles, Nusken, Ingle, Cuthbert, Beever-Jones, Hamano, Reiten.

BRC: Bentley, Powell, Bull, Connolly, Struck, Napier, Jones, Rodgers, Syme, Morgan, Threstrup.

Under the balmy May sunshine, it was Chelsea who got us underway and had the first chance of the game in front of an expectant crowd.

Maika Hamano was found at the edge of the box but didn’t get the cleanest connection, scuffing her effort wide of the post.

It wasn’t to be long before the Blues got their big chance however, as Niamh Charles took a tumble in the box under Jasmine Bull’s challenge and left referee, Stacey Fullicks, in no doubt as she pointed to the spot.

Guro Reiten stepped up and emphatically put the ball into the corner, with Chelsea rushing back to the centre circle, knowing that goal difference is going to be key in catching Manchester City on the league table.

The visitors were no pushovers and were now playing without fear. They had their first chance of the game, which really should’ve levelled the scores.

The Robins charged forward, possibly sensing a gung-ho attitude from Chelsea, Carrie Jones saw her first effort saved by Zecira Musovic, while Amalie Threstrup somehow couldn’t make meaningful contact on the rebound and Chelsea scrambled it away.

Niamh Charles and Guro Reiten were displaying their seemingly telepathic understanding of each other on the left hand side, with the Norweigan sliding a ball through to the left back, but the pull across was behind any Chelsea runners,

The Blues smelt blood, Aggie Beever-Jones came next closest, curling a left footed effort just wide, before Guro Reiten raced onto a long ball, touching it right for Hamano, but the Japan international dragged her effort wide.

Charles again was the architect of another chance, sliding Reiten in down the left hand side of the box, with the Chelsea 11 standing up a teasing cross which somehow wasn’t headed home by Beever-Jones.

The Blues eventually smuggled their second over the line. It came from a deligthful corner, swung into the danger area which was somehow bundled right over the line from Sjoeke Nüsken, who was virtually sitting down when she struck it home for the Blues.

It wasn’t pretty, but the German- or anyone with a Chelsea persuasion- didn’t care a jot!

Guro Reiten was giving the right hand side of Bristol City nightmares, striding forward again before clipping in a delicious ball which didn’t reach the flying Beever-Jones with the acrobatics, before Hamano diverted the ball over the bar.

Bristol City still remained a threat and steamed forward on the 34th minute, with Ffion Morgan driving into acres of space but her ball cross was easily cut out by Nathalie Bjorn at the back for Chelsea.

The Robins had been deployed with a counter attack game plan which they were doing well, looking ever so dangerous every time they broke in behind the Chelsea back line, with Emily Syme snatching at the latest chance for the visitors as we approached half time.

Millie Bright, making her first home start since November, flicked Reiten’s corner wide as the half time whistle blew, bringing an end to a half which Chelsea have dominated.

Hayes did opt for a change at half time, bringing on Fran Kirby for her final Kingsmeadow outing, replacing Sjoeke Nusken, with the Kingsmeadow faithful belting out a rousing rendition of ‘Super Fran Kirby’.

The Blues were quick out the blocks and Aggie Beever-Jones grabbed her side’s third of the evening, running onto a ball and firing through Fran Bentley for The Blues’ third, with her fifth goal over the last four games alone.

It wasn’t three for long, as Guro Reiten added her second of the game to the tally, cutting in from the left and firing a arrowed shot past Bentley to make it four nil to Chelsea.

Cat Macario was right in the thick of things straight after coming on, having a swing and a miss before firing her effort just over the bar.

With Chelsea switching to a back three and sensing this is their chance to chase Manchester City down, Amalie Threstrup spurred a golden chance, fluffing her lines and putting the ball straight at Musovic between the posts.

Guro Reiten was at her ruthless best to grab her hat-trick with 20 minutes to go, as Cat Macario delivered a delightful reverse ball through for Reiten to take into her path and rifle past Bentley at the near post to get Chelsea’s fifth.

Macario then had her second assist in double quick time, floating in a stunning free kick right onto the left boot of Niamh Charles, who smashed in Chelsea’s sixth of the evening and take them one goal behind Manchester City in the score tally.

If you thought Chelsea were done there, then you would be foolishly mistaken. Guro Reiten decided to add a fourth to her name, as she smashed home from the edge of the area to the sheer disbelief of everyone inside of Kingsmeadow.

Maren Mjelde was then introduced to the adoring Chelsea faithful with nine minutes to go, in place of Nathalie Björn for her final Kingsmeadow bow.

Fran Bentley then denied her namesake in Kirby of the most fairytale of goals, clawing away the Number 14’s left footed effort, when most of Kingsmeadow thought it had nestled into the corner.

There was more time for an eighth, as Aggie Beever-Jones stooped to nod home her second, sparking sheer delirium inside Kingsmeadow. Chelsea had done the impossible and clawed back a massive goal deficit and showed exactly why you can never write them out of the storyline.

The final whistle blew on one of the most incredible games, not just of the 2023/24 season, but in the history of the Barclays Women’s Super League.

It was the farewell of dreams for Fran Kirby, Maren Mjelde and Emma Hayes, as Chelsea clawed back a seven goal deficit to go three points behind, but one goal ahead, of Manchester City in the enthralling race for the title.