Chelsea finish third as Kerr scores in farewell win

For six straight years Chelsea won the Women's Super League. On Saturday at Stamford Bridge the run ended with a third-place finish.

Sonia Bompastor's side will now enter Champions League qualifying after Arsenal beat Liverpool 3-1 to take second place. Alessia Russo scored twice for the Gunners.

Sam Kerr marked her final appearance for Chelsea with the only goal of a 1-0 win over Manchester United. The strike was her 116th for the club, tying Fran Kirby's record for most goals in all competitions.

Kerr, who has been linked with a move to the United States, called the club the "biggest honour" of her career. "I have so many amazing memories and I will carry them with me forever," she told Sky Sports. "Chelsea and London will always be home to me now. My little boy was born here and I have so many great friends at this amazing club. It's going to be hard to leave but I only have good things to say about this amazing club."

Millie Bright was also honoured after retiring earlier this month. Both players were central to the title-winning teams under former manager Emma Hayes.

Manchester City claimed the title for the first time in 10 years after leading the table since the eighth week of the season. Arsenal and Chelsea traded places for much of the campaign, but the Gunners held the advantage for long stretches thanks to games in hand.

Arsenal finished the season without a trophy except for the inaugural Champions Cup they won in January. Katie McCabe played her final game for the club and provided an assist in the win at Liverpool. "I was just enjoying every second of it," she said. "My team talk was to go out and enjoy it and play the Arsenal way, play our football, and we certainly did it. We were playing with smiles on our faces. I'm just delighted I could end with a win."

Beth Mead is also leaving Arsenal at the end of the season. Both clubs now face a summer rebuild. Chelsea are expected to target Manchester City's out-of-contract striker Khadija Shaw to replace Kerr. Arsenal are linked with Bayern Munich and England midfielder Georgia Stanway and Barcelona full-back Ona Batlle as they look to add depth for next season's fixture list.