The 2022/23 WSL campaign kicks off on Saturday, with women’s football in England riding the crest of a wave following the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 victory in July.
Chelsea are vying to be crowned WSL champions for an unprecedented fourth season, Manchester United are aiming to break into the top three for the first time, and Liverpool are back.
Could the 2022/23 season by the WSL’s most exciting yet? Here’s everything to look forward to ahead of the new campaign.
The post-Euro 2022 wave of momentum
Euro 2022 sent records tumbling on and off the pitch, with over 500,000 supporters attending across the tournament, and a crowd of 87,192 pouring in to Wembley for the final. England secured their maiden piece of silverware in front of a raucous home crowd and swept the nation along with them on their journey, while the tournament hit an all-time high in terms of drama, quality and goalkeeping standards.
Speaking ahead of the Euro 2022 final, England captain Leah Williamson branded the fixture “not the end of a journey but the start of one”.
It will be interesting to witness how the momentum generated by the tournament seeps into the WSL, and whether this can be sustained over the course of the season.
Manchester City and Reading are expecting to break various club and stadium attendance records on the opening day of the season, while Arsenal have sold over 40,000 tickets for September’s north London derby. The Gunners, City and Chelsea have all announced a selection of fixtures to be played at their club’s main stadiums throughout the season.
After previous major tournaments, there has previously been a month of increased interest followed by a fizzle. It feels different this time around – can the momentum be sustained?
The world-class summer arrivals
It’s always exciting to welcome fresh faces into the WSL, and the 2022/23 campaign is no different. Chelsea have made six summer signings in their first transfer window under the new ownership of Todd Boehly, with the addition of Canadian centre-back Kadeisha Buchanan from Lyon and exciting Swedish forward Johanna Rytting Kaneryd from BK Hacken particularly eye-catching.
Following a number of high-profile exits, Manchester City have rebuilt with a selection of exciting young signings. Nineteen-year-old forward Mary Fowler has signed from Montpellier, 21-year-old Laia Aleixandri and 23-year-old Deyna Castellanos have joined from Atletico Madrid and 21-year-old Kerstin Casparij has made the…
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