WSL Ready to Excel - 2022/23 Season Preview
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Opening fixtures, star players and records ready to be broken - what can we expect from the new WSL season?
Since its rebranding in 2011, the highest tier of women’s football in England has evolved from its placid place in the English sporting scene, into one of the fastest growing competitions in the country.
With Chelsea winning six out of the last eight WSL titles, as well as showing that they can compete at the highest level in the UEFA Women's Champions League, the question ahead of the new season is who can challenge Emma Hayes' team.
Following the success of the 2022 UEFA Women's European Championships, teams across the league will be looking to push for new heights with the boost of more fans in the stadium and new-found national heroes in their line-ups.
The 2022/23 Women’s Super League (WSL) season looks set to rewrite records once again - as we look ahead to what the season has in store.
Dominic Mills
Published on September 8th, 2022
In this Insight:
Opening Fixtures
With all of the WSL matches for the upcoming season being broadcasted across Sky, BBC and the FA Player there’s plenty of exhilarating football on offer. The season kicks off on the 10th of September as Spurs host Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, before last season’s runners up Arsenal travel to Manchester City, who finished third.
Newly promoted Liverpool are a team to look out for this season as they look to emulate Leicester City’s successes last season in beating the drop. The reds kick-off their season against a Reading side which struggled for form at the end of last season, before the champions Chelsea visit Merseyside.
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Golden Superstars
With previous winners Ada Hegerberg, Alexia Putellas and Megan Rapinoe all playing their football in leagues across France, Spain and the US, this year's nominees have seen strong candidates from the WSL.
In 2018 the sporting magazine France Football, notorious for presenting the Ballon D’or award to the best male association football player, introduced its first award for the best female association football player in the world.
Beth Mead and Millie Bright followed up their impressive WSL seasons with outstanding displays in the European Championships, with Mead finishing as player of the tournament and golden boot winner. Vivianne Miedema and Samanth Kerr were both stand-out players in the WSL last season, as Kerr won the golden boot, followed closely by Miedema. The quartet are sure to add a sprinkle of gold dust to this season.
WSL Ballon D’or Nominees: Beth Mead, Millie Bright, Samantha Kerr and Vivianne Miedema
Record Attendances
The European Championships in the summer saw outstanding attendances as the all-time record for the competition was smashed at 575,000 spectators. This has seen England already sell over 20,000 tickets for their FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying fixture against Luxembourg in September.
With the WSL setting a target for an average attendance of 6,000 spectators at each game by 2024 and the national team working as a boost for the national sport, there is strong optimism this will carry into the WSL for the 2022/23 season.
