Women’s Super League action was put on hiatus this weekend as the players shift their focus to the first international break of the 2024/25 campaign.
With some of our favorite players embarking on a series of friendlies around the world, we’ve had the chance to reflect on how the season has progressed so far.
As it stands, Manchester City sit at the top of the table with no team able to break their winning streak, closely followed by Chelsea and Manchester United.
However, it is important to note that the Cityzens have a clear advantage. They have had the luxury of playing one more game than Chelsea and United, after a scheduling conflict involving the Uefa Women’s Champions League saw their clash postponed and yet to be rearranged.
One thing that is clear, however, is the massive rise in standard across the board this season. We’ve seen some clubs take advantage of this in the first few weeks, while others have struggled to keep up.
here they are 90 minutes five apprenticeships so far.
Dario Vidosic punched his ticket to England’s south coast in the summer, appointed as Brighton & Hove Albion’s new head coach after a tumultuous couple of years. Bringing your favorite possession-based style from the city of Melbourne to the WSL it was always going to be a challenge.
Vidosic was created to be a small fish in a big pond, just entering the profession in 2022 when he hung up his own boots. But after a difficult 9th place finish in the WSL and a managerial mix-up midway through last season, it’s safe to say Vidosic has discovered a new Seagulls team.
Brighton came into the transfer window with clear intent, signing established veterans such as Fran Kirby and Nikita Parris. But the Seagulls also welcomed Barcelona prodigy Bruna Vilamala and Arsenal star Michelle Agyemang on loan deals.
Since then, the Seagulls have stormed out of the gates, wrapping up the top league block in fourth place. Vidosic’s side buried Everton 4-0 on the opening day, before scoring another four goals against Aston Villa in a 4-2 thriller. A narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City, along with a well-managed 1-1 draw against Manchester United, are other positive indicators of what lies ahead for supporters.
Vidosic is not backing down from the challenge as his Seagulls continue to test their possession-based style against the league’s most formidable opponents. It’s a great time to be a Brighton fan under Vidosic’s new management style.
The signs were mostly positive for Arsenal after a 2-2 draw with Manchester City on matchday one saw the Gunners avoid defeat with a late equalizer at the Emirates Stadium. However, the trajectory that followed was quite the opposite.
arsenal grabbed a point from a 0-0 stalemate against Everton, before a lowly evening against Bayern Munich in the Women’s Champions League in which the Gunners were thrashed 5-2 in Germany. The problems only got worse from there, after Chelsea ran away with bragging rights from London in their first win at the Emirates Stadium.
If the Gunners weren’t already in a state of ambiguity, Sudden resignation of Jonas Eidevall as Arsenal were due to meet Valerenga was no help. Interim head coach Renee Slegers managed to lead the team to back-to-back victories. beating Valerenga and West Ham 4-1 and 2-0, respectively.
Arsenal must now chase a four-point deficit between themselves and Chelsea in the league table, with the Blues still having an extra game in hand. If it looks serious on paper, it certainly looks the same on the pitch.
Alessia Russo has not scored a WSL goal this season. Stina Blackstenius has not found the back of the net for the Gunners since Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Manchester City on May 5, although his impact from the bench was crucial in beating the West Ham.
Lingering injury problems have seen both Leah Williamson and Lotte Wubben-Moy in and out of the starting XI, while Kim Little appears to lack her usual clinical edge.
Despite strengthening with summer signings, Arsenal have arguably been a ghost of their true potential in the WSL thus far.
Those were uncertain times for Chelsea fans following the departure of club legend Emma Hayes. Former Lyon coach Sonia Bompastor took over as manager. It has been a high-flying affair since then, with the Blues winning all six competitive games under Bompastor. The guiding light in Chelsea’s ship, however, is Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.
Arguably the most in-form player in the WSL at the moment, Rytting Kaneryd has already tallied three goals and two assists in just four league games so far. The most memorable perhaps came from a spectacular volley in Chelsea’s 5-2 defeat of Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday.
When he’s not terrorizing opposition defenses with the ball at his feet, Rytting Kaneryd provides his team-mates with golden service inside the box. As Chelsea look to extend their dominance in the WSL, Rytting Kaneryd will be central to the English champions’ reign.
Tottenham Hotspur reached new heights in the 2023/24 season, achieving their best number of points in the WSL (31). Spurs also secured their first North London derby win after a brilliantly worked end-to-end display that ended with Martha Thomas burying the winner in a 1-0 triumph over Arsenal.
The most monumental moment came when Robert Vilahamn reached the club’s first FA Cup final under the arch of Wembley Stadium. Despite Manchester United’s 4-0 triumph that day, Spurs fans were looking forward to the 2024/25 season.
The double loss of Grace Clinton, who was on loan, and Celin Bizet, was always going to be difficult for Tottenham to recover from and the pair have thrived in Manchester.
Gaps in the foundations of Robert Vilahamn’s attacking style of football have been opened up for exploitation, and Chelsea managed to turn up the heat in those areas in a 5-2 thrashing before the international break. Tottenham often appear one-dimensional, with the team often focusing on defense or attack, rarely both.
Despite kicking off the new campaign with an emphatic 4-0 thrashing of WSL newcomers Crystal Palace, Tottenham are still looking for a second win after five matches.
Challenges will always arise in a coach’s second season. Vilahamn’s style of play will require both time and investment to shine properly. However, the in-between is a frustrating space for fans at the moment.
After failing to recreate the historic 2022/23 season, Manchester United certainly had work to do heading into the new campaign.
A successful loan for Grace Clinton saw her welcomed back to Carrington with open arms, while impressive signings such as Dominique Janssen, Elisabeth Terland and Celin Bizet were reasons for United fans to get excited.
A statement 3-0 thrashing of West Ham United at Old Trafford on the opening day of the WSL set the tone for the Red Devils.
The unbeaten run continued as Marc Skinner’s side secured a 1-0 win on the road at Everton, before scoring three goals to see off Spurs at Leigh Sports Village. A trip to the AMEX Stadium had tipped United victorious, and a first-half finish from Clinton put them ahead at the break. Brighton came out strong after the interval, resulting in a 1-1 stalemate on the south coast.
united have started to work under the leadership of the new captain Maya Le Tissier, the perfect integration of Dominique Janssen in a screening midfielder has managed to strengthen the defensive lines. Terland opened his scoring account with a clinical brace against Tottenham, with the forward ready to live up to the expectations placed on him.
It seems as though all signs point to a repeat of the United machine we saw seasons ago. If the Red Devils continue their recent form, the WSL are guaranteed to fight for Champions League spots, and perhaps more, beyond the usual suspects.
But while it’s important to praise United’s form, we also need to look deeper into the results.
Two of the wins have come against the bottom two teams in the WSL league table and a questionable Spurs side who have yet to establish themselves as a genuine threat. Also, Dario Vidosic’s changes at half-time last Saturday put United on the back foot, unable to respond.
Score scraping remains a vital skill in the WSL. Arsenal have already shown that after dropping points to Everton at the Emirates Stadium. All eyes will be on United after the international break as the Red Devils fight to re-establish themselves in the title race conversation.
