The Liberty A-League Premiership race will come down to the final match of the season after Sydney FC were stunned 4-0 by Melbourne Victory.
Entering this week, a historic fourth straight Liberty A-League Premiership was Sydney FC’s to lose but an extraordinary turn of events means that the Sky Blues now need to rely on Perth Glory getting a result against Melbourne City to clinch the silverware.
After being stunned 1-0 by last-placed Canberra United on Wednesday night, Ante Juric’s side were soundly beaten 3-0 by Melbourne Victory on their home turf on Sunday.
Incredibly, this is the first time since February 2020 that Sydney FC have lost consecutive home and away games in the same season; that was 64 matches ago.
Goals from Alana Murphy, Rachel Lowe (penalty), Emily Gielnik and Alex Chidiac mean that the Liberty A-League Premiership will be decided by the very last match of the regular season.
- If City beat Perth, they will be crowned Premiers.
- If Perth beat City, Sydney FC will be crowned Premiers.
- If the match ends as a draw, Sydney will be crowned Premiers on goal difference (Sydney 11, City 10), given both sides will have the same number of wins.
Perth Glory v Melbourne Victory will decide the Liberty A-League Premiership. Watch the match live on 10 Play from 6:30pm AEDT.
Meanwhile, Melbourne Victory have moved from seventh to fourth with this win, leapfrogging Central Coast Mariners to secure a home Elimination Final, and in the process ending Western Sydney Wanderers’ season.
In turn, we now know that the six sides who will compete in this season’s Liberty A-League Finals Series will be Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory, Western United, Melbourne Victory, Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets.
All that is to be decided is who will finish first and who will finish second.
This was not the end to the season Sydney FC or Juric would have envisaged, having entered the final week of the campaign unbeaten in nine matches.
Here, they were comfortably outplayed by the Victory, who were ruthless in front of goal and dominated possession to spring a major shock on the final day of the regular season.
A goal from 18-year-old Murphy got things underway in the 17th minute, before a moment of madness from Sydney FC goalkeeper Jada Whyman saw Lowe double the lead from the penalty spot.
Whyman kicked out at Victory midfielder Alex Chidiac and was arguably lucky to avoid a red card that would’ve seen her banned for the first week of the finals and perhaps beyond.
Recently recalled by the Matildas, Gielnik made it three in the 64th minute with a beautifully taken finish from an acute angle, before Chidiac struck in injury time to round out the result.
Now, all eyes turn to Perth Glory v Melbourne City.
Who will be crowned Liberty A-League Premiers?
Watch the thrilling climax to the regular season live and free on 10 Play.
