Khadija Shaw’s goal inside the first quarter-of-an-hour ultimately decided the contest and moved City level on points with the Blues. The close nature of the title race was reflected in the close contest at a sold-out Kingsmeadow on Friday night.

‘We all know it is a game of tight margins and we started the game really well, then conceded a poor goal, and that affected us a little bit in the way we passed the ball,’ Hayes said as she began her analysis.

‘We weren’t very dynamic in our movement in the first half. In the second half we dominated but with a low xG until the last 10 minutes of the game. For all the ball possession, we lacked the quality until the Jelena Cankovic chance, she should put that away, but it was an unbelievable save, and then on the follow-up, from [Khiara] Keating.’

Hayes highlighted Chelsea's final-third play as being particularly disappointing on the night. In attacking situations, often the right decision was made but the execution of it was sub-standard, or when the ball was played well, it had been the wrong decision in the first place.

Our manager also revealed that Mayra Ramirez had a cut down her ankle from when Alex Greenwood made contact with her, rather than the ball, in the penalty area in the first half.

‘I think we should have had a penalty,’ Hayes insisted. ‘I’ve seen it a couple of times and the linesperson from where she was, she should call that to be honest. She was in line with it, but these things happen.’

The winning goal came after City nicked the ball from Erin Cuthbert’s possession inside the Chelsea half, but Hayes was quick to limit any blame on one player.

‘Erin has been unbelievable this year. That is not on Erin. These things happen. I know she'll be disappointed and she will be a leader about it. We haven’t lost the game [with that], we lost a goal. We still have to put the ball in up the other end.

‘A draw would have been a fair result but that is not football, it is about taking your chances. They got a big one and took it, we got one, maybe two, and didn’t take them, and didn’t get a penalty. That is the story of the game.’

There is now a two-week break before the Women’s Super League resumes. The players travel away to compete for their respective countries.

‘We have to regroup after the international break,’ said Hayes, ‘and I hope we can get Millie Bright back soon and I really hope we can get Cat Macario fit, as I feel that will give us some other options.’