Photo: Chelse FC

Chelsea Ladies had to beat Birmingham Ladies on Saturday to become champions and they did just that by defeating them 2-0 away from home.

Chelsea Ladies manager Emma Hayes has hailed the Blues’ return to the top of the English football ladder after winning the Spring Series.

“First of all, congratulations to my players who have put in an unbelievable shift since the first day of pre-season,” Hayes told the official Chelsea website.

“We’ve brought new players into the club who have bought into our way of thinking and they’ve added more quality.

“The players who were already here have pushed on another level, we’ve improved their fitness, and mentally we’ve gone to a new place.

“For us to come back here, where we lost the Women’s FA Cup semi-final in April, and control the game without there being too many chances against us is a sign of that.

“We are now the top team in the country, that is a fact. We’ve won the Spring Series and the team deserves a bit of recognition, which sometimes we don’t get. I hope they do now.”