Manchester City came very close to ending Chelsea’s dominance in the Women’s Super League last season.
After 18 wins from 22 games, they finished level with their rivals at the top of the table and only missed out on goal difference. Seven goals separated Gareth Taylor’s side Chelsea and the league title, and it was a cruel way to conclude what had largely been a positive campaign.
Taylor is now the division’s longest-serving manager after a flurry of changes in the league, including the departure of Emma Hayes from Chelsea. He took care of it city in 2020, and he has enough experience to know his team can’t let lingering frustration overshadow the remarkable progress shown last year.
“I think you have to be very careful with frustration because you can end up not doing anything about it,” Taylor said, speaking to the Barclays WSLon the 2024/25 season presentation media day earlier this month. “Of course what happened will live long in the memory, but I think we have to turn it into a positive in terms of the football we played and the games we won.
“I’d say we’ve probably created the most exciting WSL title race ever and who’s to say it won’t happen again, will it be this close again? For me it’s recognizing what we’ve done really well and how we can improve and this it’s been the real goal of the pre-season.”
One of the biggest “what ifs” of the season for City was a heartbreaking injury to star striker Khadija Shaw at the end of the campaign. The 27-year-old Jamaica international still finished as the league’s top scorer and Golden Boot winner, but her absence during the final stretch was sorely felt.
They’re all ifs, buts and maybes, but with his relentless goal scoring halted at such a crucial time, it’s hard not to wonder what would have been if he’d stayed fit. Although City have goals throughout the squad, Taylor recognized the need for another proven goalscorer and moved quickly to sign. Vivianne Miedema on a free transfer from Arsenal.
The Netherlands international is the current all-time leading goalscorer in the WSL and holds the joint record with Rachel Daly in a single season (22). Injuries have hampered his dominance in recent seasons, but Taylor believes Miedema’s best years are still ahead of him.
“I think we have signed Viv’s best talent,” expressed the manager. “He’s done a lot in the WSL so he’s a good signing for us and I think we just have to coax that talent and the early signs have been good.
“The way she has adapted, so you don’t forget that she is a player who has been at a club for a long time, so there will be a settling-in period. What he looks like during the season we will have to see because we have good competition up there, and we see that Viv is also capable of attacking midfield positions. I think her best years are ahead of (her).
The city’s recruitment strategy has also seen a change in recent transfer windows. While there is still room for experienced names, for example Miedema this summer and Jill Roord last year, more emphasis has been placed on signing younger prospects.
Japanese perspective Aoba Fujino he was one of the new recruits this summer, just like the central Naomi Layzelland both are only 20 years old. 21-year-old midfielder Laura Blindkilde Brown was also signed in January after Jill Roord’s ACL injury.
“I’ve spent most of my coaching career in City’s boys’ academy, working with young players, and I know what young players can bring,” explained Taylor. “We brought in Laura (Blindkilde Brown) last season, another young player who is now starting to step up.
“Of course, nothing against more experienced players. We have worked with many of them as well. But I think it just depends, first of all, on who is available and also if we can get their best years. I definitely think when the players are a little bit younger, they are more open to learning, especially our way, which is not an easy way to learn.
“Naomi, for example, was great for us because we felt like she was someone who caught our eye earlier and she’s an English player, which obviously we have to consider with the England quota as well. She was a player I heard very good things about regardless of what I saw. I also heard that she was very open to learning, improving and improving.”
A positive start to the season will be crucial if City are to fight for silverware again. But, as far as opening day tests go, it’s no harder than arsenal away in the Emirates.
Both league meetings with the Gunners ended in 2-1 defeats last term, a result Taylor and his team will be desperate to avoid this season. The manager insists there is not necessarily any pressure to deliver silverware this season, but in terms of ambition, the aim is always the same: to win the league.
“People can see trophies as the be-all and end-all and, don’t get me wrong, I’m here to win,” Taylor concluded. “Of course we want to be there, but I think the fact that we’re going deep in almost every competition is where we are.
“People tend to forget that there are four or five teams that are very close to winning at the beginning of the season, and there is only one team that can win, but that does not make the other four a failure. It’s very hard but the goal is to win. I’m not going to hide from this.
“I said last season our ambition was to win the WSL, we were very close. Nothing will change for this season and we will give our best.”
