Will Emma Hayes depart empty-handed after Leanne Kiernan strikes for Liverpool?

No Continental League Cup, no FA Cup, no Champions League and, whisper it, possibly no trophy at all. Emma Hayes certainly thinks so, the Chelsea manager saying “the title is done”, after the Blues suffered a 4-3 defeat to Liverpool to hand Manchester City the advantage in the title race.

“I think the title is done,” she said. “Of course, mathematically it’s not, but I think the title is done. Our job between now and the end of the season is to keep pushing until the end, but I think it will be very difficult.”

It was end-to-end at Prenton Park, with four of the goals coming from the 80th minute onwards. Chelsea desperately needed a win to stay in the hunt, having suffered the disappointment of a Conti Cup final defeat to Arsenal, FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester United and Champions League semi-final exit to Barcelona.

“We knew they were a little bit vulnerable after how the last month has been for them,” said Liverpool’s manager, Matt Beard. “When you go in front and get pegged back against a team like Chelsea, to keep going and keep scoring is a great testament to the group.”

No team has lost three times in the WSL and gone on to win the league. This was Chelsea’s third defeat this season, six points now separating them from City, with the London side having one game in hand. City have to play Arsenal and Aston Villa but Chelsea have games against Bristol, Tottenham and Manchester United to come.

Hayes had made three changes to the side that suffered a frustrating 2-0 defeat at home to Barcelona, after a 1-0 win away, to end dreams of reaching a second Champions League final in the manager’s last season at the club. Notably, Millie Bright returned to the starting XI for the first time since an injury sidelined