Her team go into the final WSL game of the season ahead of Manchester City in the table due to a +2 better goal difference. If they emerge from Saturday afternoon’s final round of fixtures still ahead then an already unprecedented run of consecutive league titles will be extended to five.

Man City play away at Aston Villa while the Blues visit Manchester United with the potential to win the trophy in Hayes’s final game as Chelsea manager.

‘We all know that I'm the sort of coach that wants to be as professional as I can to the end,’ said Hayes at her final pre-match media conference, with her son Harry watching with the journalists on his sixth birthday. She dismissed the idea that her leaving has an emotional impact on her.

‘All the attention and focus is on getting the team ready today and the matchday-minus-one sessions are a lot of fun. We get to hopefully play in front of a close-to-sold-out crowd at Old Trafford and for us to be in with a shout of the title on the last day, that is all I have asked for from the players.

‘No matter the outcome tomorrow, I'm excited. I'm just extremely proud of the efforts of everyone to put us in this position.

‘We're accustomed to being in this position,’ Hayes added. ‘Everybody knows what's at stake but we've had a lot of winning, so I don't really think the pressure is on us. Of course, I'd love to leave with another title but it definitely won't define my tenure here. We've always had the resilience to be at the top end come the business end of the season.’

Our manager highlighted that the squad has had a lot to deal with in the latter part of the season, not only with the knowledge that she is departing but that legendary players are too. Then there has been the transitional element with young players being assimilated and making their mark – not least with the impact made by Aggie Beever-Jones and Maika Hamano in recent games.

‘I trust in this whole group and I'm delighted to be in a place where we can go into tomorrow's game with everybody feeling like they can contribute,’ she stated.

‘The players are having to perform with that unnecessary boulder [Hayes leaving] on their shoulders, but I promise you they will play with freedom tomorrow. There's no pressure, there is merely joy and privilege and their manager is so proud of everything they've done. I just want to look forward and make sure it's a day when we can just be Chelsea tomorrow.’

Our opponents Manchester United defeated Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final and went on to lift the trophy at Wembley. It has been announced today that their manager Marc Skinner has signed a contract extension.

‘They deserved to win the FA Cup, knocking out the holders and then putting on the performance they did against Tottenham,’ acknowledged Hayes.

‘I’m really happy for Marc who has demonstrated that he's learned with each year what you need to do to win trophies. I think his fanbase are really tough on him if I am being honest. He's brought the first piece of silverware to that football club and he got booed.

‘I know he'll love nothing more than a packed crowd at Old Trafford, it is something he's been driving. He knows how passionate that fanbase is and they won't want to watch someone lift the title on their patch. They will want to demonstrate why the FA Cup is just the beginning for them, so it will be an incredibly tough game.’