Chelsea manager Emma Hayes calls for WSL to be expanded to 18 teams

Chelsea Women's manager Emma Hayes believes it is time for the WSL to expand from its current 12-team format.

In its current guise, each team plays 22 matches in a season which means that every result can have a pivotal impact on the final outcome.

But Hayes believes it is time to expand the league to include 16 or 18 teams so that clubs have more opportunity to develop over the season.

Last season in the WSL, Manchester United came second in the league by just two points.

They lost the same number of games as champions Chelsea, and the points difference came because they drew just one more game than Hayes' side.

Hayes believes such a small number of games leaves little margin for error and means that both the title race and the relegation battle do not hold as much excitement.

Hayes said the closing of the gaps between the standard of teams in the WSL was evidence that more teams needed to be added into the top league.

She said: «There is more unpredictability than ever. The opening game demonstrates that.

»I think the question we should be asking is when are we going to make our league a bit bigger?

«Because losing a league, or you know, going out of a league-contender position if you lose two games very early on — I think it's time to grow.

»It's time to grow from 12 to 16 or 18 teams, that's what I think."

Title-contenders Arsenal suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat to Liverpool on the opening weekend in a result which could ultimately cost them crucial ground in the title race, if last season's table is anything to go by.

Meanwhile, the pressure is on Chelsea to keep up their winning ways after they opened their season with a 2-0 win over Tottenham.

But the Blues face a challenge as they travel to the Joie Stadium on Sunday 8