On a day in which what felt normal a fortnight ago could be thought of as another era, and what felt normal mere days ago feels like a thought experiment going seriously wrong, Melbourne City confirmed their return to the W-League’s pinnacle with a 1-0 win over Sydney FC in a grand final played behind closed doors.

In a curious interpretation of the ‘behind closed doors’ condition there were no fans at AAMI Park, but a number of friends and family of the City and Sydney players were in the stands anyway, while the players nodded at one another in lieu of the usual pre-match handshakes in a required, if ultimately paradoxical, pre-match physical distancing precaution. The new normal.

Physical distancing, naturally, became null and void as Ante Juric’s Sydney FC arrived more than happy to match the intensity and press which the league has been accustomed to seeing from City, stifling much of their usual rhythm from the first whistle. If the end of the regular season, and even the semi-finals, were marked by a degree of caginess and disruption for all teams bar City, the same couldn’t be said for the final.

Sydney proved the most comfortable side in the opening 15 minutes, getting the first shot on target after a run and turn from their joint golden boot winner Remy Siemsen, although the ball was gathered comfortably by Lydia Williams.

But if you come at the queens then you’d better not miss, and it was the mark of City’s quiet confidence, reminiscent of their quiet start to the season, that they weathered the early pressure to score the game’s opening, and ultimately only, goal. Against the run of play, captain Steph Catley - later crowned the player of the final - having played a one-two with Emily van Egmond, received the ball in the penalty area and set up drive a shot at Aubrey Bledoe from a tight angle, who could only parry it into her own net.

This was not the circumstances in which the NWSL’s 2019 goalkeeper of the year would have liked to cap off her season; and nor was it how City, at the end of the season in which they reprised the unbeaten form and dominance of their inaugural W-League campaign back in 2015/16, would have wanted to indisputably reclaim their place at the pinnacle of the W-League and win a record fourth Championship.

Sydney, a team traditionally more than comfortable with directly winning after having to adjust their approach to the season following the departure of Caitlin Foord and Chloe Logarzo, have felt set up to not lose to City, a team which has proved its ability to win. But translating that to actively winning - keeping the ball after winning it and transitioning to attack quickly enough to breach City’s defence before their mainstay back three of Rebekah Stott, Emma Checker and Lauren Barnes could reposition themselves to absorb the attack - proved too much for last season’s champions.

Rado Vidošić’s half time edict was for his team to be “smarter” and “quicker”, playing too much in the middle and not enough down the flanks as has been their trademark this season, was heeded. Ellie Carpenter, a standout player in a team of standout footballers, was kept largely quiet by Lindsay Agnew and Veronica Latsko not allowing the Matilda her usual free rein down the right hand side of the pitch.

But if in the first half Carpenter wasn’t getting much purchase down the flanks and into the attacking third, she imposed herself on the game early in the second to clear from the goal line as Latsko beat Williams. This play encapsulated the game from Sydney’s perspective: the thinking and endeavour was there but not quite the precision of execution required to get the desired result against the City colossus.

It triggered a more assertive Carpenter as the half wore on; space opening down the wing for her to glide into, creating several opportunities for City as they searched for a second goal to put the game beyond doubt.

But in the end it was City’s moment of good fortune which sealed their fourth, record setting, championship win.