Hayes’ Chelsea will be back in action for the first time since announcing that she will leave the club at the end of the season after 12 years at the helm.
They take on Everton on Sunday and, as the only WSL team who remain unbeaten, they will be keen to continue that form through to their manager’s departure next year.
Chelsea have won six WSL titles under Hayes and are going for an unprecedented fifth consecutive trophy.
Hayes’ legacy at the club will stretch from success on the pitch – 13 major trophies – to her work off it advocating for better pitches, more research into female athlete health and equal prize funds.
“It’s not actually an easy thing to do to leave at the top with a world-class team but I always made the promise to myself that I would do that,” she said in a news conference on Friday.
“I’ve taken this team to the top and I always said I wanted to leave at the top.”
Chelsea have already become known as “mentality monsters” thanks to Hayes’ instillation of a winning culture but, inspired by honouring their outgoing manager, they are even more of a frightening prospect.