This season’s Women’s Super League (WSL) has once again seen women’s football go from strength to strength with exciting encounters at both ends of the table.
Buoyed by the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 success, league attendances have doubled with Arsenal’s North London derby against Tottenham setting a new WSL record when 47,367 watched the Gunners run-out 4-0 winners at the Emirates back in September.
And with the campaign entering the final stages, the title race is too close to call with just six points separating the top four.
Leading the charge is Manchester United with Chelsea a point behind but with a game in hand while Manchester City are two points further away with Arsenal currently fourth, outside the Champions League places.
The WSL is set to return following the international break on Sunday, March 5th as Manchester United host Leicester City in the opening fixture of the run-in.
Ahead of it, Adriana Wehrens takes a closer look at all four London sides as they head to the business end of the season…
Arsenal
Current 2022/23 WSL Position: 4th
Key players: Leah Williamson, Frida Maanum
Serious Injuries: Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema (both ACL)
New signings: Victoria Pelova (Ajax Amsterdam), Kathrine Kuhl (Nordsjaelland), Sabrina D’Angelo (Vittsjo GIK), Gio Queiroz (back after Everton loan)
Next 3 WSL fixtures: Liverpool (Home, March 8th), Reading (Home, March 12th), Tottenham (Away, March 25th)
Tickets: https://www.arsenal.com/women/tickets
Aim for rest of the season: Champions League qualification
Jonas Eidevall’s Arsenal made a strong start to the campaign, going level with Chelsea at the top of the table before the winter break saw injuries take hold of the squad.
With key forwards Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema both sidelined with ACLs, Eidevall set about finding much-needed replacements during the January transfer window.
And while the likes of Victoria Pelova, Kathrine Kuhl and Sabrina D’Angelo can all be labelled as promising players, none are traditional out-and-out strikers.
The Gunners were also thwarted in their attempt to bring England’s Alessia Russo to the club, with a record bid for the Manchester United star rejected despite the forward being out of contract in the summer.
Without a reliable goalscorer Arsenal have only managed two goals in the last three WSL matches, finding themselves winless during that period (two draws and one defeat).
It means they may have to give up a title challenge with the best outcome being to claim a top-three finish and Champions League qualification.
Chelsea
Current 2022/23 WSL Position: 2nd
Key players: Sam Kerr, Lauren James
Serious Injuries: Pernille Harder (hamstring), Katerina Svitkova (knee)
New signings: None
Next 3 WSL fixtures: Brighton & Hove Albion (Home, March 8th), Manchester United (Home, March 12th), Manchester City (Away, March 26th)
Tickets: https://www.chelseafc.com/en/tickets/womens-tickets
Aim for rest of the season: Defend the title
After a surprise defeat in their opening match against Liverpool, Chelsea have recovered well and look on track to claim a fourth successive WSL title.
Despite being without Pernille Harder through injury since November, Emma Hayes’ side have been imperious at times with Sam Kerr and break-out star Lauren James particularly impressing.
Their summer signings, Kadeisha Buchanan and Eve Perisset, have also hit the ground running while the Blues also welcomed back German international Melanie Leupolz from pregnancy last month.
It means Chelsea went into the January transfer window in good health and with no urgency to strengthen an already stellar squad.
However, with the side still in the Champions League, FA Cup and Continental Cup final, the only thing that could derail their WSL title charge is the overload of games across four different fronts.
Tottenham Hotspur
Current 2022/23 WSL Position: 9th
Key players: Ashleigh Neville, Bethany England
Serious Injuries: Ria Percival, Kyah Simon (both ACL)
New signings: Bethany England (Chelsea), Mana Iwabuchi (Arsenal, loan)
Next 3 WSL fixtures: Manchester City (Away, March 5th), Liverpool (Away, March 12th), Leicester (Home, March 15th)
Tickets: https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/tickets/buy-tickets/women/
Aim for rest of the season: Strong end to the season
After finishing a club record fifth last season, Tottenham fans would have had high hopes going into this campaign.
However, seven consecutive WSL defeats have forced Spurs to look anxiously over their shoulders as they currently sit just three points ahead of bottom side Leicester City.
In an attempt to stop the rot, Tottenham recruited well during the January transfer window in a last ditch effort to get their season back on track.
Bethany England’s arrival from Chelsea has been a revelation with the striker scoring in every single one of her three WSL games so far while Arsenal midfielder Mana Iwabuchi has been brought in on loan to add much-needed calmness and creativity to the centre of the park.
Head coach Rehanne Skinner will be hoping the new arrivals are enough for her side to avoid a relegation dogfight with the game at home to Leicester on March 15th a mouth-watering proposition.
West Ham United
Current 2022/23 WSL Position: 7th
Key players: Dagny Brynjarsdottir, Hawa Cissoko
Serious Injuries: Jessica Ziu (ACL)
New signings: Shannon Cooke (LSU Tigers), Amalie Thestrup (PSV Eindhoven, loan), Amber Tysiak (KRC Genk), Anouk Denton (Louisville Cardinals)
Next 3 WSL fixtures: Reading (Away, March 5th), Aston Villa (Home, March 12th), Manchester United (Away, March 25th)
Tickets: https://www.whufc.com/tickets/womens-team-matches
Aim for rest of the season: Best of the Rest
West Ham currently sit one place behind last season’s sixth place finish and four points behind fifth-placed Aston Villa.
At the start of the campaign their objective would have been to finish as closely behind the ‘big four’ as possible with that target still very much achievable.
However, to do so they will need to score more goals – failing to score in all three of their previous three WSL games and only picking up one point so far in 2023.
With this in mind, manager Paul Konchesky has brought in Amalie Thestrup on loan from PSV Eindhoven – an experienced striker with four international appearances for Denmark.
At the other end, Shannon Cooke, Amber Tysiak and Anouk Denton have all joined to try to bring some more stability in the back four.