Women’s Super League action has been put on pause this weekend as players shift their focus to the first international break of the 2024/25 campaign.
With some of our favourite players embarking on a series of friendlies across the world, we’ve been given the opportunity to reflect on how the season has unfolded so far.
As it stands, Manchester City sit top of the table with no team able to break their winning streak, closely followed by Chelsea and Manchester United.
However, it’s important to note that the Cityzens have a clear advantage. They’ve had the luxury of playing one more game than Chelsea and United, after a scheduling conflict relating to the Uefa Women’s Champions League saw their clash postponed and yet to be rearranged.
One thing that’s clear though, is the massive increase in standard across the board this season. We’ve witnessed some clubs capitalising on that in the first few weeks, while others have struggled to keep up.
Here are 90min’s five learnings so far.
Dario Vidosic secured his ticket to England’s south coast over the summer, appointed Brighton & Hove Albion’s newest head coach after a tumultuous couple of years. Bringing his favoured possession-based style from Melbourne City across to the WSL was always going to be a challenge.
Vidosic was set up to be a small fish in a big pond, having only just entered the profession in 2022 when he hung up his own boots. But, after a struggling 9th-place finish in the WSL and a midway managerial shuffle last season, it is safe to say that Vidosic has unwrapped a new-look Seagulls side.
Brighton arrived in the transfer window with clear intent, signing established veterans like Fran Kirby and Nikita Parris. But the Seagulls also welcomed Barcelona prodigy Bruna Vilamala and Arsenal academy starlet Michelle Agyemang on loan deals.
The Seagulls have since stormed out of the gates, wrapping up the first league block in fourth place. Vidosic’s side buried Everton 4-0 on the opening day, before putting another four goals past Aston Villa in a 4-2 thriller. A narrow 1-0 defeat by the hands of Manchester City, plus a well-managed 1-1 result against Manchester United are further positive indicators of what is in store for supporters.
Vidosic is not backing down from the challenge, as his Seagulls continue to test his possession-based style against the league’s most formidable opponents. It is a good time to be a Brighton fan under the new-look managerial style of Vidosic.
Signs were mostly positive for Arsenal after an opening day 2-2 draw with Manchester City saw the Gunners, avoiding defeat with a late equaliser at the Emirates Stadium. However, the trajectory that followed was quite the opposite.
Arsenal scraped a point from a 0-0 stalemate against Everton, before a humbling evening against Bayern Munich in the Women’s Champions League saw the Gunners thrashed 5-2 in Germany. Woes only became worse from there, after Chelsea ran away with the London bragging rights in their first ever win at Emirates Stadium.
If the Gunners weren’t already in a state of ambiguity, Jonas Eidevall’s sudden resignation as Arsenal were due to meet Valerenga was certainly no help. Interim head coach Renee Slegers managed to lead the team to consecutive victories, beating Valerenga and West Ham 4-1 and 2-0, respectively.
Arsenal must now chase down a four-point deficit between themselves and Chelsea in the league table, with the Blues still holding an extra game in hand. If it looks dire on paper, it certainly appears the same on the pitch.
Alessia Russo hasn’t scored a WSL goal this season. Stina Blackstenius hasn’t found the back of the net for the Gunners at all since Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City on 5 May, although her impact off the bench was crucial to beating West Ham.
Persistent injury woes have seen both Leah Williamson and Lotte Wubben-Moy in and out of the starting XI, whilst Kim Little has seemed to lack her usual clinical edge.
Despite strengthening with summer recruitment, it is safe to say that Arsenal have been a ghost of their true potential in the WSL so far.
It was uncertain times for Chelsea fans following the departure of club legend Emma Hayes. Former Lyon head coach Sonia Bompastor took up her post in the managerial seat. It has been a high-flying affair ever since, with the Blues winning all six competitive fixtures under Bompastor’s management. The guiding light on the Chelsea ship however, is Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.
Unarguably 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 rout over Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday.
When she isn’t terrorising opposition defences with the ball at her feet, Rytting Kaneryd is providing her teammates with gold-platter service inside of the box. As Chelsea search to extend their WSL dominance, Rytting Kaneryd will be integral to the reign of the English champions.
Tottenham Hotspur reached new heights in the 2023/24 season, achieving their best ever points tally in the WSL (31). Spurs also managed ther first ever north London derby winafter a brilliantly worked end-to-end display finished 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 ever FA Cup Final under the arch of Wembley Stadium. Despite Manchester United’s 4-0 triumph that day, there was plenty for Spurs fans to be excited about heading into the 2024/25 season.
The double loss of Grace Clinton, who was on on loan, and Celin Bizet was always going to be difficult for Tottenham to bounce back from and the pair have thrived in Manchester.
The gaps in the foundations of Robert Vilahamn’s attacking style of football have been opened for exploitation, and Chelsea managed to turn up the heat in those areas in a 5-2 thrashing prior to the international break. Tottenham often appear one-dimensional, with the side often placing their full focus on either defending or attacking, rarely both.
Despite commencing the new campaign with an emphatic 4-0 feat over WSL newcomers Crystal Palace, Tottenham are still searching for a second win, five games in.
Challenges are always going to arise in a manager’s second season. Vilahamn’s playing style will require both time and investment in order to properly shine. However, the betwixt and between is a frustrating space for fans to be in for the time being.
After failing to recreate the history-making season of 2022/23, Manchester United certainly had work to do approaching the new campaign.
A successful loan spell for Grace Clinton saw her welcomed back to Carrington with open arms, whilst impressive signings like Dominique Janssen, Elisabeth Terland and Celin Bizet were all reasons for United fans to be excited.
A statement 3-0 thrashing over West Ham United at Old Trafford on the WSL’s opening day set the tone going forward for the Red Devils.
The undefeated push continued as Marc Skinner’s side ground out a 1-0 victory on the road at Everton, before firing home three goals to see out Spurs at Leigh Sports Village. A trip to the AMEX Stadium had United predicted victors, and a first-half finish from Clinton put them ahead at half-time. Brighton came out strong after the interval, resulting in a 1-1 stalemate on the south coast.
United have begun to tick under the leadership of new captain Maya Le Tissier, Dominique Janssen’s seamless integration into a screening midfielder has managed to strengthen the defensive lines. Terland opened her scoring account with a clinical brace against Tottenham, with the striker already prepared to live up to the expectations set out for her.
It seems as if all signs point toward the reprise of the United machine we saw to seasons ago. If the Red Devils carry on their recent form, the WSL is guaranteed to have a battle for Champions League places – and maybe more – beyond just the usual suspects.
But while it is important to commend United’s form, we must also analyse the results further.
Two of the wins have come against the bottom two teams in the WSL league table, and a questionable Spurs side that are yet to establish themselves as a genuine threat. On top of this, Dario Vidosic’s half time alterations last Saturday put United on the back foot, unable to respond.
Scraping results is still a vital skill in the WSL. Arsenal have already shown this after dropping points to lowly Everton at the Emirates Stadium. All eyes will be on United following the international break, as the Red Devils fight to re-establish themselves in the title race conversation.
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