The 2023-24 campaign kicks-off on Sunday, October 1, and there are plenty of big storylines to follow in the English top-flight
The Women's Super League is back. Just over four months since Chelsea lifted a record fourth successive WSL title, the 2023-24 campaign for the top flight in English women's football will get underway on Sunday, the Blues starting their title defence at Stamford Bridge in a London derby against Tottenham. Will they make it five in a row? That's one of the biggest questions heading into the new season.
Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City will be out to make sure they don't, with the battle for the Women's Champions League places – given to the top three finishers in the division – to be as tough as ever, too.
Those are not the only races to keep an eye on, though. In a league that boasts names like Sam Kerr, Rachel Daly, Bunny Shaw, Alessia Russo and so many more, the Golden Boot is sure to be hotly contested once again, and let's not forget about the scrap to stay in the division, too, which was captivating last time.
So, without further ado, GOAL has picked out 10 things to keep an eye on in the upcoming WSL season, with it sure to be an absolute thriller…
Getty ImagesWorld Cup stars arrive
After the 2023 Women's World Cup captured attention across the whole globe throughout July and August, it's been no surprise to see many of those talents who lit up Australia and New Zealand land in the WSL ahead of the new season.
Jill Roord had already put pen to paper on a deal at Manchester City before she flew out to the tournament, but her form with the Netherlands will have certainly excited fans of her new club, the midfielder netting four goals in five games for the Oranje.
Japan, meanwhile, were one of the surprise packages of the tournament, with their 4-0 defeat of eventual champions Spain in the group stages certainly catching the eye. Hinata Miyazawa would end up winning the Golden Boot despite the Nadeshiko's quarter-final exit, and she's secured a huge transfer to Manchester United off the back of that achievement, while team-mate Riko Ueki – who topped the scoring charts in Japan's WE League last season – has signed for West Ham.
Another surprise package was Colombia, the South American nation reaching a first ever quarter-final, and Brighton have picked up centre-back Jocelyn Carabali, who put in some extremely solid displays en route.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have picked up a world champion in Spain centre-back Laia Codina; one of the tournament's breakout stars in Kyra Cooney-Cross, the Australia midfielder finally getting her headline-grabbing move after showing great potential for many years; and they also signed Amanda Ilestedt before the tournament, the Sweden star who went on to score four goals from defence.
These huge tournaments are always a great shop window for players and that's been the case again this year.
AdvertisementGettyKerr's goals
Last season was not Sam Kerr's most prolific. The Australian superstar's return of 12 league goals was significantly down from the 20 and 21 she had managed in the two previous campaigns for Chelsea – but that stat alone doesn't tell the full story.
With Fran Kirby and Pernille Harder both spending most of the season on the sidelines, Kerr's role in the Blues' attack had to change dramatically, and the combination play she so often enjoyed with that pair was rarely seen. Yet, she still managed to come up big time and time again – most notably in the Women's FA Cup final.
This time around, things should be different. Harder has left for Bayern Munich but Kirby is back, and the supporting cast around Kerr has grown, too.
Mia Fishel, the forward who made her United States women's national team debut in September, has arrived after racking up impressive numbers in Mexico; young Maika Hamano has returned to Chelsea after a productive first half of the year on loan with Hammarby in Sweden; and Catarina Macario, another USWNT star, is expected to be back from her ACL injury soon after joining the club earlier this summer.
With Guro Reiten's consistency on the left wing unlikely to dwindle, Kerr should have plenty of service, plenty of support and score plenty of goals yet again. Watch out, WSL defenders!
GettyMiedema, Mead and the ACL returnees
Macario's return to the field is another thing to get excited about, with her (now) one of several WSL stars who have been sidelined with an ACL injury for far too long.
The American suffered the devastating injury in the final game of the 2021-22 season, while she was playing for Lyon. She was unable to get back on the pitch last term and had to miss the World Cup as a result. But the world-class playmaker should be in action again soon enough for her new club, which is not only exciting for Chelsea fans but the whole league – and the whole sport, frankly.
It's one of the Blues' London rivals that will be boosted the most by ACL returnees, though. Last season, Arsenal saw four players – Ballon d'Or runner-up Beth Mead, WSL all-time top-scorer Vivianne Miedema, England captain Leah Williamson and Austria international Laura Wienroither – struck down by an injury that is far too common in the women's game.
The former two were sidelined before Christmas and so they should be back sooner rather than later. What a boost it will be for the Gunners to get two of the best forwards in the world back in the coming months.
GettyChelsea going for history
Since the Women's National League was established as the top-flight in women's football in 1991, only Arsenal have been crowned the champions of England five times in a row. Chelsea have a chance to match that feat this season.
The Blues have become the dominant force in the country over the last few years and nothing about their summer transfer window suggests that they are going to be easy to topple this time, either. Yes, they lost captain Magdalena Eriksson and star forward Harder to Bayern Munich, but they've brought in heaps of top talent to reinforce what is already a squad of champions.
Fishel, Macario and the returning Hamano bolster the attack; Hannah Hampton is another top goalkeeper coming into a very competitive group; Ashley Lawrence, one of the best in the world in her position, arrives to address a serious lack of full-back options; and Sjoeke Nusken is an exciting addition to the spine of the team.
Of course, Chelsea have a massive target on their backs. Their rivals for the title have got stronger and they could all be without the demands of European football, too, unless United cause an upset against Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League qualifier.
But the Blues are used to the pressure that comes with being top dog now. Can they make history again?