Chelsea had just lost at Liverpool, one of two games we had in hand over Manchester City. We had gone into that match believing we would need to win all our games to set up a close, last-day scenario like the one that played out this weekend.

However, City then lost their next match at home to Arsenal while the Blues did not put a foot wrong again, resulting in our eventual league triumph on goal difference.

‘I've been in City's position before,’ said Hayes, ‘and if we'd have been in City’s position had they been the team that lost to Liverpool, in the years gone by we’d definitely have won our next game.

‘City should have won the title, I am not doubting that. I think the loss of Bunny Shaw was significant and I think Man City have had a tremendous season. They really have.

‘They pushed us all the way but if you leave that door open for a team like Chelsea - I think the minute that door was left open was the minute everybody knew that we would walk through it.’

Man City striker Shaw ended up the WSL’s top scorer with 21 goals, ahead of our own Lauren James and Brighton’s Elisabeth Terland with 13. Shaw missed their last three games with a foot injury but Chelsea lost strikers too.

‘With two games to go in the title race, we’ve got a 19-year-old on the right-hand wing in Maika Hamano, and Aggie [Beever-Jones] who is 20,’ pointed out Hayes. ‘No one talks about that enough. It's not Sam Kerr.

‘I respect that City lost Bunny Shaw. Look what we lost this year. When you watch Millie Bright’s performance on Saturday, she's played the last three games and we all know she hasn't been 100 per cent but what a leader! We've missed Millie for large chunks of the season.

‘Some of the teams don't change their team or they're in the peak of their eras and they play a game a week. We don't. We've played significantly more games over the last five years, and that took its toll - plus the Olympics, World Cup and Euros in terms of our senior players.

‘I almost can't believe we won the title!’