The Blues were on course to be neck and neck with Manchester City at the top of the WSL table had we won our two games in hand, but a 4-3 defeat at Liverpool in the first of those now means City must slip during their final two games if they are not to lift the trophy.

The game on Merseyside was going Chelsea’s way at half-time but our single-goal lead was overturned and despite levelling twice, the Blues lost out to an added time winner. It is the first time this league season we have not gone on to win after taking the lead and only the second time Liverpool have turnaround such a match in their favour.

‘I don’t know if we have ever conceded four goals in a half before in my time here,’ pondered Hayes before making the trip back to London.

‘You definitely can’t concede three set-piece goals and expect to win a game. We scored three and we are on the losing end.

‘When the brain is tired, you can forget your role. It is small details. Liverpool did their set-pieces exactly how we prepared for but if someone gets a run on one player… Fair play to Liverpool, they executed their game plan.’

‘It has been a tough, tough run of fixtures,’ Hayes continued, ‘and we lost three players at the weekend coming into this game, and the players who play game after game – Jess Carter, Niamh Charles, Erin Cuthbert - look exhausted.’

It was knee problems that kept Lauren James and Melanie Leupolz from playing a part at Prenton Park. Mayra Ramirez is out with a hamstring injury.

‘I have been here before and we had to win this game to keep the pressure up,’ Hayes said of the title race. ‘Of course there is a slim chance of doing that, it is mathematically there, but I don’t think the title is there anymore.

‘I am not going to be harsh on the players, they have delivered over a long period of time, and I know they wanted to do it, they wanted to win the title but it is not to be I am afraid. I want to make sure for the remainder we just keep pushing and we finish the season the best way we can.

‘It is not what we all want it to be – I just want to make sure they feel supported by me to the end.

‘We have lost some really big players this year and others have to step forward and it takes time to develop consistency and performance, and those who have been performing consistently for us looked absolutely exhausted in this game.

‘We are going through the transitions that need to happen in teams but I am certain this team will be in a healthy place in the future.’