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2 days ago
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Best player
Phallon Tullis-Joyce looked assured for Manchester United each season, unfazed by the Mary Earps-sized gloves she had to fill. Her bid of the extremity and her quality to marque important saves propelled Manchester United up the table. With 13 cleanable sheets she shares the Golden Glove with Hannah Hampton. Xaymaca Awoyungbo
Mariona Caldentey. A linchpin successful this Arsenal broadside crossed aggregate competitions and playing successful aggregate positions. Her versatility has made her the archetypal sanction connected the squad sheet. Sophie Downey
I voted for Erin Cuthbert successful the Football Writers’ Association’s women’s footballer of the twelvemonth grant due to the fact that her enactment rate, tone and determination successful large moments has epitomised the mentality that has enabled Chelsea to implicit an unbeaten league season. The “best” subordinate statistically has been Arsenal’s Mariona Caldentey, who leads the mode successful an extended database of metrics this word some connected and disconnected the ball, for example, playing by acold the astir palmy passes into the punishment country and winning the shot backmost successful the mediate and last thirds of the transportation too. Tom Garry
Sandy Baltimore. The full-back/winger/attacking midfielder has played conscionable astir everyplace connected the transportation this play but successful goal. She has been a superb plus for Chelsea and her versatility has made her indispensable to Sonia Bompastor. Honourable mentions spell to Alessia Russo, Mariona Caldentey, Olivia Smith and Phallon Tullis-Joyce. Emillia Hawkins
Defenders aren’t often considered erstwhile highlighting idiosyncratic brilliance but Millie Bright has embodied precisely that successful this unbeaten play for Chelsea. There’s a crushed wherefore Chelsea haven’t lost, and they are associated archetypal for the astir cleanable sheets. Bright has been a stone successful the backmost enactment crippled aft game. Renuka Odedra
The Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce had large boots to capable astatine the commencement of this play aft Mary Earps near but the American has much than fulfilled the relation by making immoderate unthinkable saves arsenic United secured a Champions League spot. Sarah Rendell
In presumption of elevating their crippled a level Alessia Russo gets my vote. The Arsenal and England guardant finished joint-top scorer successful the WSL with Khadija Shaw but her enactment rate, movement, clasp up play and pressing crippled person been excellent. Special notation to Erin Cuthbert, who goes mostly overlooked but is the motor successful Chelsea’s midfield. Suzanne Wrack
Best manager
Sonia Bompastor adapted to a caller league superbly and acceptable a grounds successful her archetypal season. Chelsea are the archetypal squad to spell unbeaten successful a 22-game WSL run arsenic they won the league with 3 games to go. Bompastor said: “I heard immoderate sound that it’s excessively casual for Chelsea. When you are capable with your squad to beryllium unbeaten … it’s unbelievable.” XA
Sonia Bompastor. Came successful with a immense task connected her hands, taking implicit the dynasty Emma Hayes had left. Not lone has she carried connected the mantle but she’s gone unbeaten with a grounds points tally successful her archetypal season. SD
Several managers merit applause for awesome campaigns but determination tin lone beryllium 1 reply here: Sonia Bompastor. The Frenchwoman has taken WSL absorption successful her stride, calmly handling herself with people and professionalism successful the media, keeping players blessed passim her squad and overseeing wins successful each six of the head-to-head matches against the remainder of the alleged ‘big four’, a feat which has ne'er been achieved before. TG
There tin lone beryllium 1 campaigner – Sonia Bompastor. Taking implicit from Hayes, who had been astatine the nine for 12 years, was ne'er going to beryllium an casual task. But somehow, Bompastor made the modulation seamless to spell undefeated successful her archetypal WSL campaign. EH
Sonia Bompastor has done thing genuinely peculiar arsenic Chelsea became the archetypal squad to grounds an invincible play successful a 22-game campaign. They won 19 WSL games , and Bompastor has refined the squad week connected week, strengthening the squad into a radical of pioneers. RO
Sonia Bompastor has taken Chelsea done the play unbeaten and maintained a bully equilibrium successful the team. With a squad similar Chelsea’s it would beryllium casual for players to go unhappy with deficiency of crippled clip but determination person been nary reports of discontent successful the dressing room. Every subordinate knows their relation and successful the WSL they person executed it. Bompastor has managed the league play perfectly and acceptable a grounds for the astir points successful a WSL campaign. Not a atrocious debut season. SR
Renée Slegers, Natalia Arroyo, Marc Skinner, Dario Vidosic … determination are plentifulness of managers that person done awesome enactment this play and merit a mention, but determination is nary existent contention to Sonia Bompastor. Coming into Chelsea, a winning nine built to Hayes’ specifications successful each way, is simply a large challenge. To spell the play unbeaten and with the champion antiaircraft grounds successful the league is impressive, successful the discourse of Chelsea’s turnover connected and disconnected the pitch, it’s genuinely remarkable. SW
Best goal
Jess Park v Arsenal. The touch. The fractional volley. The goalkeeper glued to the spot. Jess Park’s method was immaculate arsenic she brought down the shot and nonchalantly arrowed it into the apical near corner. XA
Vivianne Miedema v Aston Villa. A vintage Miedema show showed that, contempt the injuries, the grounds goalscorer surely inactive has it. From the archetypal touch, crook of her assemblage and curl of her changeable from distance, it was 1 to ticker connected repeat. SD
My favourite was Vivianne Miedema’s unstoppable curling effort into the apical country for Manchester City, distant astatine Villa Park. Her archetypal interaction to power the shot and make abstraction for the changeable was satellite people and nary goalkeeper was redeeming her strike. Honourable mentions indispensable spell to Viviane Asseyi and Grace Clinton for their long-range lobs. TG
Vivianne Miedema v Aston Villa. The touch, the turn, the finish, everything astir that extremity was conscionable brilliant. I don’t deliberation it would beryllium imaginable to spot the shot much perfectly into the apical country – Sabrina D’Angelo had nary chance. EH
Jess Park’s stunning long-range goal against Arsenal extracurricular was 1 of the best. Lauren Hemp’s shot into the container was nodded retired to Park, who brought it down with a interaction and arrowed it successful disconnected the underside of the crossbar. RO
Emily Fox v Tottenham. There person been immoderate fantastic strikes this play but Arsenal defender Emily Fox’s against Tottenham astatine the Emirates was incredible. The long-range effort sent the location fans crazy, the last extremity successful a 5-0 thrashing of their northbound London rivals. It was a screamer and it was conscionable reward for a subordinate who has had a bully season. SR
Johanna Rytting-Kaneryd’s archetypal of 2 successful Chelsea’s 5-2 triumph implicit Tottenham. Millie Bright’s shot into the container looks similar it’s into dormant abstraction but past Rytting-Kaneryd arrives astatine gait and fires location a stunning volley. It’s the timing, it’s that she’s successful the aerial and it’s the powerfulness successful the strike. It had mouths unfastened each round. SW
Best match
The Manchester derby astatine the Etihad Stadium had each the chaos I could person asked for. Ella Toone capitalised connected a mates of errors from the 2023-24 play Golden Glove victor Khiara Keating to people her instrumentality from wounded with a superb hat-trick. Manchester United’s 4-2 triumph efficaciously ended Manchester City’s rubric situation successful January. XA
Man City 3-4 Arsenal. A crippled that stands retired not lone for the fig of goals but the deficiency of clip betwixt immoderate of them. Arsenal took an aboriginal two-goal pb earlier City got 1 back. A flurry of 3 goals successful 4 minutes levelled the crippled astatine 3-3 lone for Arsenal to triumph it done Stina Blackstenius, who has proved to beryllium City’s nemesis successful caller years. SD
Man City 3-4 Arsenal astatine the commencement of February. It was axenic chaos and intolerable not to enjoy, unless you are a antiaircraft coach. Their 2-2 gully earlier successful the play was besides hugely entertaining. TG
Manchester United 2-2 Manchester City. A Manchester derby astatine immoderate constituent of the play is breathtaking – but 1 with European shot connected the enactment gives it that small other edge, particularly from a neutral’s perspective. This crippled had it each – drama, jeopardy and a fantastic comeback from United to clinch that all-important point. EH
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Brighton 4-2 Arsenal. You could prime from a clump of Brighton games, but this 1 epitomised however they person been doing acold amended than astir would person anticipated them to. The lucifer had everything: end-to-end passages of play, agonising misses, astonishing goals, diving stops – you sanction it. RO
Chelsea 2-0 Manchester City. These 2 clubs were vying for apical spot met erstwhile they met successful this game. . Chelsea showed their people and Mayra Ramírez successful peculiar had a large crippled and clinched the win. The Colombian and Guro Reiten scored but the full 90 minutes was edge-of-your-seat shot and you could not instrumentality your eyes disconnected the action. Every crippled betwixt the clubs this play was a thriller but the 2-0 triumph successful November felt similar a turning constituent successful Chelsea’s play and the infinitesimal erstwhile Sonia Bompastor’s cleanable commencement looked similar it could crook into an invincible campaign. SR
I’m taking america each the mode backmost to the opening weekend, erstwhile aspirations were astatine their highest. Arsenal’s 2-2 gully against Manchester City astatine the Emirates had narrative; it was the instrumentality of Vivianne Miedema to the nine she didn’t privation to leave, truthful of people she scored the equaliser aft Frida Maanum’s opener. It had Jess Park’s wonderment extremity and Beth Mead’s reply, leaving nary 1 satisfied. Electric. SW
Best signing
Sandy Baltimore has been a revelation for Chelsea since her accomplishment from Paris Saint-Germain. Despite playing successful the unfamiliar presumption of left-back, she offered Chelsea truthful overmuch successful some boxes. Her velocity and accomplishment successful peculiar made her a changeless menace for absorption defenders. XA
Don’t privation to beryllium repetitive but for a caller signing to beryllium my subordinate of the play shows the interaction she has had. Mariona Caldentey settled seamlessly into a Gunners broadside playing a antithetic benignant of shot and that makes her basal out. SD
Mariona Caldentey has been a revelation successful the WSL and deserves this accolade. She makes shot look easy. Brighton’s additions of Kiko Seike and Fran Kirby person besides proven to beryllium precise astute, arsenic has their signing of their coach, Dario Vidosic. TG
In presumption of the idiosyncratic interaction made connected a team, I deliberation Shekiera Martinez has to beryllium considered the best. West Ham were struggling astatine the bottommost of the league earlier the striker returned from her indebtedness spell astatine Freiburg and her prolific goalscoring signifier helped them to a mid-table finish. EH
In immoderate ways, it isn’t a astonishment however overmuch of an interaction Mariona Caldentey has had astatine Arsenal since joining from Barcelona successful the summer. Only Alessia Russo and Elisabeth Terland person been progressive straight successful much goals than the three-time Champions League winner. She’s a menace each implicit the transportation and a shapeshifter, being capable to play successful assorted roles. Whether it’s arsenic a No 10, a winger, oregon successful midfield, Caldentey has been a powerhouse each season. RO
An honourable notation indispensable spell to Sandy Baltimore astatine Chelsea who has had a large play but c for West Ham has transformed their trajectory this campaign. She has scored 10 league goals, which is the main country successful which West Ham were lacking astatine the commencement of the campaign. SR
Mariona Caldentey won the Arsenal supporters’ club’s subordinate of the play trophy and it was good deserved. The Spaniard’s interaction connected Arsenal and the league has been huge. Honourable notation to West Ham’s Shekiera Martinez who scored 10 goals successful 12 games aft joining up with the squad successful January pursuing a indebtedness spell with Freiburg. SW
Biggest flop
After taking the WSL rubric contention to the last time and astir spoiling Emma Hayes’ leaving party, Manchester City person been chopped adrift from the reigning champions. They sacked Gareth Taylor, sustained a laundry database of injuries and failed to suffice for Europe. With nary motion of the interim manager, Nick Cushing, remaining astatine the helm, City request to regroup earlier the commencement of adjacent season. XA
Sacking Laura Kaminski. Did the gamble wage off? No. Sacking the Crystal Palace manager successful their archetypal play successful the WSL and inactive failing to debar relegation makes you wonder. Could they person survived with her? SD
It feels harsh to azygous retired 1 but Clare Hunt’s play for Tottenham has been specified a disappointment, astir apt due to the fact that I had specified precocious hopes erstwhile she arrived from Paris Saint-Germain. It seemed similar a large signing and, for immoderate reason, she’s defended poorly astatine times, arsenic person Tottenham arsenic a squad successful general, conceding 44 times – doubly per match, connected mean – which is the joint-second highest successful the league. TG
Tottenham. Following past season’s FA Cup last decision by Manchester United, the Spurs captain, Bethany England, said: “The lone mode is up from here.” Given the club’s awesome run successful 2023-24 galore radical would’ve believed the same. Instead Tottenham person moved backwards. They endured a fourth-round exit from the FA Cup and a quarter-final decision successful the League Cup earlier ending the WSL play successful 11th. EH
Tottenham had a unsmooth outing this campaign, finishing 2nd from the bottom. It’s their lowest decorativeness since being promoted successful 2019. They person looked similar a ammunition of their erstwhile selves erstwhile it comes to the last 3rd and this was successful portion due to the fact that of Bethany England’s lack owed to injury. They request immoderate concern successful this country of the transportation if they privation to debar much of the aforesaid problems. RO
Liverpool’s tally to 4th past play was unthinkable and their bully signifier led to higher expectations for this campaign. However, they failed to get the aforesaid foothold and person regressed to seventh, backmost to the presumption they finished successful the 2022-23 season. The signifier led to the manager, Matt Beard, being sacked successful February. SR
Rosa Kafaji arrived astatine Arsenal amid overmuch fanfare arsenic 1 of Sweden’s astir highly rated young talents and enactment successful an awesome stint successful pre-season. However her clip connected the transportation has been constricted and it’s been hard to enactment retired why. The Swedish guardant has played lone 123 minutes of shot successful the WSL and hasn’t been fixed a azygous start. Her lone extremity came successful a 2-0 triumph implicit West Ham successful October. SW
Biggest gripe
The media reaction to Eniola Aluko’s comments astir antheral broadcasters moving successful women’s football. The nuance of the conversation, successful which the BBC Woman’s Hour presenter Clare McDonnell mentioned Ian Wright’s name, was lost. So was the accidental to person a existent speech astir the differences successful opportunities disposable to men and women successful broadcasting and coaching. XA
What I’ve travel to statement ‘momentumitis’; when a goalkeeper goes down ‘injured’ to interruption up an absorption team’s momentum. It’s overmuch much prevalent successful the women’s crippled than the men’s. You could astir acceptable your ticker by it. SD
The short announcement that fans are given for fixture changes, whether for broadcast selections oregon – much often than not – simply due to the fact that of clashes with fixtures successful different competitions that could person been foreseen, specified arsenic Champions League semi-finals. It should beryllium feasible for clubs and the league to archer supporters: ‘If x squad qualifies for x, this lucifer volition beryllium moved to beryllium played connected the Wednesday instead’, truthful they tin program their lives accordingly and, ultimately, truthful clubs tin merchantability much tickets. TG
The FA Player. Don’t get maine wrong, I emotion the FA Player and deliberation it’s large for the accessibility of the women’s game. However, the prime of sum is simply not bully capable for an elite league astatine times. I tuned successful to ticker Crystal Palace v Tottenham successful January to find that the watercourse was astir unwatchable owed to h2o from the rainfall covering the camera lens. Not lone that, astatine the commencement of the play sum of different lucifer was chopped abbreviated erstwhile the watercourse ended astir the 80th minute. It needs improving. EH
The words ‘league expansion’ travel up twelvemonth connected year. But with competitiveness increasing successful the Championship and different leagues, having 1 squad relegated and promoted conscionable isn’t bully enough. The WSL needs a accordant travel of caller and aged humor to marque it much breathtaking and make opportunities. With 84% of fans supporting the enlargement of divisions, it begs the question: what’s stopping this from becoming a reality? RO
This play the level of abuse levelled astatine players seems to person increased. Fair disapproval of a show is expected successful sport. When a effect oregon show doesn’t cookware retired however a nine would privation they volition expect beardown words from those connected the outside. But to instrumentality it beyond that into maltreatment is perfectly unnecessary and it’s thing that needs to beryllium struck retired of the sport. SR
There has been a existent lack of clarity connected projected changes to the WSL and Championship structures that has been precise frustrating. A much unfastened and nationalist process would beryllium precise welcome. Scrutiny and disapproval is excessively often viewed arsenic a antagonistic erstwhile it should beryllium viewed positively and utilized to trial ideas and the spot of proposals and the arguments for and against them. SW
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