Epic title fun

Fancy the fixture computer blessing us with a title crunch match in week one. Lucky devils. Chelsea vs Manchester City feels like the perfect icebreaker, doesn’t it?

The six-time reigning champions, who have not lost in the league since May 2024, get their first chance to throw down the gauntlet, while new Man City boss Andree Jeglertz gets a proper introduction to the league from the best in the business.

Chelsea’s rivals, direct and indirect, have spent all summer plotting their takedown. Perhaps that happens during every off-season, but this feels different.

Such a prolonged period of domestic dominance has made them both the envy and enemy of the entire WSL. Clubs have strengthened in the market like never before, spending larger sums than usual as they try to get the jump on Sonia Bompastor’s Blues.

Arsenal have gone so far as to spend a million quid on one player. Dramatic. But should add a new level of spice and unpredictability to big games.

Expect the openness of this year’s title chase to be evident as early as Friday night.

The Europe effect

2025 will long be remembered as the year England conquered Europe.

Arsenal beat Barcelona to become Champions League winners for the second time in their history, before the Lionesses reigned supreme at this summer’s Euros to claim back-to-back titles.

We make that England 2-0 Spain.

Of that Euros-winning team, nearly all play in the WSL. Chelsea boast six Lionesses, Arsenal have five (with Michelle Agyemang on loan at Brighton), Man City brag four, while Man Utd own three.

The domino effect on club rivalries following such a monumental summer should be fascinating. And if you need convincing further, the WSL’s talent ranks are even deeper than ever before.

Of the 30 Women’s Ballon d’Or nominees for 2025, over a third play in the English top-flight – meaning the WSL is the best-represented division of any to feature on the shortlist.

Gladiators, ready…

Bunny Shaw? Alessia Russo? Elizabeth Terland? Sam Kerr? Maybe even Michelle Agyemang?

The WSL has some of the best attacking talent on the planet. These players are gladiators.

Russo is coming off the best season of her career, Shaw and Kerr are raring to go after respective injury hits and people sleep on Terland’s tireless consistency.

Agyemang burst onto the scene at the Euros – is she ready to take the WSL by storm?

The bookies favourite for the Golden Boot is Man City’s Shaw but, honestly, the field is wide open.

And if you fancy an outside shot, Rachel Daly and Izzy Goodwin could be in the mix too.

Kerr is still a BIG deal

Obviously Sam Kerr needs no introduction. So, we won’t attempt to give her one, short of marking her injury return as one of the most highly-anticipated moments of the new season.

Kerr has been missing since suffering an ACL rupture back in January 2024 and oh how the league has missed her goals.

Chelsea’s social team teased us last week with a picture of their prized striker on Instagram, with a caption reading ‘one week to go’, and it sent fans into a frenzy.

She will be keen to make up for lost time and we’re thrilled by the prospect of it.

The million pound question

Olivia Smith was, for a few weeks at least, the most expensive player on the planet and the first to smash through the £1m barrier.

If there’s ever anyone to take that kind of hype in their stride it’s Arsenal’s new winger.

She’s been in the spotlight since she was 15, which is when she made her debut for Canada.

The fearless forward got better by the week during her time at Liverpool – seeing how she develops at a title contender surrounded by better players could be electrifying.

Hey, big spender

Lots of attention has been placed on London City Lionesses’ aggressive recruitment drive this summer – and rightly so.

Other teams have been making bold moves too, though, and it’s only fair we shine a spotlight on some of what we consider to be the smartest business.

Everton are rebuilding and have spent big on holding midfielder Ruby Mace, signalling their intention to move up the league.

Brighton’s capture of Arsenal loanees Rosa Kafaji and Michelle Agyemang could add firepower to a team already on the rise.

Aston Villa bringing Ellie Roebuck back to the UK after a stint in Spain is also a noteworthy signing in Natalia Arroyo’s first full season in charge – as is exciting young Japan forward Maya Hijikata.

Under new management

Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham all go into the season under new management.

Jeglertz is one of the more interesting hires in recent years, promising to empower City’s players as he attempts to end their decade-long title drought.

Martin Ho had success in Norway after stepping out of Marc Skinner’s shadow but his first job is to get his Tottenham squad believing again.

Gareth Taylor’s bringing his passing style to Liverpool, who have lost not only Smith but captain Taylor Hinds too.

As for Leicester, whoever replaces Amandine Miquel – word on the street is Matt Beard – after her surprise sacking has a tough task ahead after plenty of player departures this summer.

London City lure

London City Lionesses are this year’s debutants.

The club are a complete anomaly, but nonetheless intriguing – owned by Michele Kang as part of a multi-club model that also includes French club Lyon and US side Washington Spirit.

They have plenty of pedigree, with the squad almost unrecognisable from the one that was promoted from the Championship in May.

Danielle van de Donk, Nikita Parris and Katie Zelem are among the biggest names to be convinced by the project. Twelve new signings have joined in total this summer.

Jocelyn Precheur has got his work cut out to assemble a team ready to compete with the best.

Finish last and stay up?

The WSL is expanding – a big moment – but to allow the competition to open its doors to 14 clubs from next season, one must be lost.

Hang on, there’s a catch. Plot twist!

At the end of this year, the team finishing bottom of the WSL will face the third-placed side from WSL2 in an epic winner-takes-all tie.

Critics are annoyed relegation for the worst team in the WSL isn’t automatic but who doesn’t love a play-off?

It’ll be England’s cruellest game for the eventual loser but packed with entertainment value for us observers.

‘Once in a lifetime’

Bompastor said it herself. To go a full 22-game campaign unbeaten is a “once in a lifetime” achievement.

Chelsea broke all sorts of records last season, amassing the most points (60) of any team ever – they had won the title by April, the earliest point it had been claimed for years.

But lightening is unlikely to strike twice.

Bompastor will have to find new ways to fend off teams intent on their undoing in year two, which will offer a real examination of the Frenchwoman’s tactical discretion.

She has made no secret of her desire to get Chelsea playing a prettier style of football – the question is, can they do both?