The 2024/25 Women’s Super League season kicks off on Friday night with Chelsea hosting Aston Villa at Kingsmeadow. This season marks a new era for the women’s game in England, as the WSL and Women’s Championship are now under the control of the new Women’s Professional League Ltd. Chelsea and Manchester City are expected to be favorites for the title, with Arsenal trying to keep up and Manchester United looking to bounce back from a disappointing previous season.
Liverpool, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Brighton, and Leicester will be competing for places in the top half of the table. Newly promoted Crystal Palace faces a tough challenge at the other end of the table.
Arsenal is considered a shining example when it comes to marketing, branding, and fan engagement in women’s football. However, they have struggled to compete for titles in recent years despite their consistent top-three finishes.
Aston Villa had an impressive campaign two seasons ago but struggled last season after losing key players to injury. They have appointed Robert de Pauw as their new manager and will rely on other players stepping up this season.
Brighton has had a turbulent few seasons with changes in management and key personnel leaving. They have made several signings over the summer and will be looking for a fresh start under new manager Dario Vidosic.
Chelsea has been dominant under former manager Emma Hayes, winning five consecutive WSL titles before her departure. She leaves behind a strong squad that will be aiming to continue their success under new management.
this promises to be an exciting season with fierce competition among clubs vying for positions at both ends of the table.Sonia Bompastor, a former Lyon player and coach, has taken charge of the Chelsea squad for the upcoming season. Under her leadership, Chelsea has had a successful pre-season with wins over Arsenal and NJ/NY Gotham. Bompastor has already made her mark on the team by influencing Lucy Bronze’s decision to join. However, there have been significant changes to the squad with the departure of Fran Kirby, Jess Carter, Melanie Leupolz, Maren Mjelde, and Jelena Cankovic. Despite these changes, Chelsea remains a target for other teams in the Women’s Super League (WSL) due to their previous success.
Crystal Palace’s objective for this season is simply to survive in the WSL after earning promotion from the Women’s Championship last season. The team recognizes that they are playing catch-up as every other team in the league has been established as a professional outfit for longer than they have.
Everton faces challenges due to injury crises and financial limitations. The team has sold key players Gabby George and Nathlie Bjorn without replacing them, leaving their defense thin. Scoring goals was also an issue for Everton last season.
Leicester City shows potential but struggles with consistency. After starting strong last season with two wins from two matches, their form declined throughout the rest of the campaign.
Liverpool made significant improvements last season but faces difficulties staying at that level in a competitive league like WSL.
These teams will need new signings and strong performances from existing players to achieve their goals this season.Manchester City Women have undergone significant changes in a short period of time. In 2022, their entire starting midfield left during the transfer window, leading to a summer of player turnover. The following season was a transition period and proved to be their worst since joining the Women’s Super League (WSL) in 2014, which frustrated fans and raised questions about manager Gareth Taylor.
However, patience paid off for Manchester City. With the new recruits from 2022 settled in, they made only one signing last summer – Jill Roord – before splashing out on Laura Blindkilde in January. This strengthened their squad and took them to the final day of the 2023/24 title race.
Last season, Manchester City had the best defense in the WSL thanks to goalkeeper Khiara Keating. They also boasted one of the world’s best strikers in Khadija Shaw. However, their downfall was failing to match Chelsea’s goalscoring record and drawing a blank against Brighton in November.
To address this issue, Manchester City has now added Vivianne Miedema, who holds the all-time WSL record for goals scored.
Despite being runners-up seven times out of ten seasons since winning it once back in 2016, there is reason for optimism among Manchester United fans as they enter a new chapter. After some tumultuous departures over the summer and questions about direction from Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comments, new sporting director Dan Ashworth has brought stability and made impressive signings.
Tottenham Hotspur had an up-and-down season last year but managed to break through with over 30 points for the first time while also reaching their first-ever FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium under Robert Vilahamn’s leadership.
West Ham United cracked into the top half of WSL standings two seasons ago but saw progressively worse finishes each year since then. However, with Rehanne Skinner at helm as manager and targeted recruitment efforts focused on upgrading defense and attack positions including Manuela Pavi from Colombia and Kristie Mewis returning from injury after wrecking her first half-season due to long-term injury are reasons for excitement among West Ham fans.
