The Lionesses defender bagged the title-winning goal as Sonia Bompastor's side capitalised on a shock defeat for Arsenal at Aston Villa

Lucy Bronze's flying header secured Chelsea's sixth successive Women's Super League title on Wednesday night as the Blues got the job done at the first time of asking, forcing Manchester United to watch the celebrations take place on their own patch for the second year in a row. Sonia Bompastor's side probably wouldn't have arrived in Leigh expecting to have the opportunity to clinch a trophy that has felt like theirs for months now, but a shocking loss for Arsenal at Aston Villa in the evening's early kick-off gave them the chance to do so, and it was one Chelsea took in a gritty 1-0 win.

At Old Trafford just less than 12 months ago, it was a rampant performance from Mayra Ramirez that gave the Blues a ridiculous 6-0 victory and another league title. This was a more under-stated affair. It was more competitive, too, with United the better team for large parts as their pursuit of Champions League football continues. But some strong saves from Hannah Hampton and a few examples of remarkable defending from Naomi Girma kept the hosts at bay.

There were not too many chances on the night but even as the final stages approached, it felt like there would be a goal and it was provided by an unlikely scorer – and in surprising fashion. Phallon Tullis-Joyce has been excellent all year, earning herself a United States debut as a result, but she was nowhere near Sandy Baltimore's corner as Bronze rose highest and headed into a relatively empty net to put the Blues on the brink. They only needed a point but they secured all three, wrapping up the WSL title with two games to spare to make it the earliest triumph in competition history.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Leigh Sports Village…

Goalkeeper & Defence

Hannah Hampton (7/10):

Made a clumsy mistake when she parried a Malard shot right into the path of Clinton early on but made amends with some great goalkeeping throughout the remainder of the game to keep a vital clean sheet.

Lucy Bronze (7/10):

Gave the ball away a little too easily at times but battled well and popped up with a brilliant header to deliver the title.

Millie Bright (6/10):

Dealt relatively well with the tricky challenge Malard provided, though was lucky not to concede a penalty in a clumsy collision with Clinton.

Naomi Girma (8/10):

A glimpse at the world-class talent Chelsea paid a world-record fee for. A huge block to deny Clinton was the stand-out moment of a strong display.

Niamh Charles (6/10):

A little indecisive at times but generally a better performance after some shaky ones.

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Keira Walsh (7/10):

Looked confident and composed when she got the ball, calmly getting Chelsea out of trouble and setting up attacks.

Erin Cuthbert (7/10):

Was dominant in her duels and great on the ball, bar a few sloppy passes.

Wieke Kaptein (7/10):

Worked really hard when things were scrappy and then started to shine more as the game went on.

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Aggie Beever-Jones (6/10):

Moved central once Ramirez limped off. Worked hard and was full of energy but lacked service.

Mayra Ramirez (6/10):

Was sharp and full of running until she had to be withdrawn with less than half an hour played due to a knee injury.

Sandy Baltimore (6/10):

Constantly offered an option in the final third and often looked likely to create an opening, be it from open play or her good set pieces. It was one of the latter that delivered the match-winning moment.

Subs & Manager

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (5/10):

Injected a lot of energy into the Chelsea attack when replacing Ramirez early on, making good runs into the box to trouble the United defence, but was sloppy with her passing in her defensive third. Subbed off with 15 to play.

Sjoeke Nusken (7/10):

Had over half an hour to make her mark and did so with plenty of energy as Chelsea slowly but surely got a foothold in the game.

Guro Reiten (N/A):

Part of a late triple sub to help Chelsea see out a title-clinching victory.

Catarina Macario (N/A):

So close to getting on the scoresheet when she forced a fine save out of Tullis-Joyce.

Maika Hamano (N/A):

Another late sub.

Sonia Bompastor (7/10):

Injuries, including one to Ramirez early in this game, restricted what she could do to some extended but she didn't panic when Man Utd had joy and made subtle adjustments to allow her team to eventually grab the vital win they needed.