WSL Previews: Could a new club qualify for the Champions League?

The Barclays Women’s Super League ‘big three’ of Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester City have had an iron grip on the Champions League spots for a decade now. Manchester United briefly broke that grip two years ago, but their rivals (who restored normality by restoring the usual top three this season) are still a level above the competition and are repeatedly England’s representatives in Europe. 

But as the league has grown, there’s been more parity across the table as the gap between them and the rest continues to shrink. With only the top three rewarded with a prestigious European place, should we expect the familiar names to run away with it again – or will we see a shake-up to the status quo? 

The favourites 

The only team who seem locked in for a Champions League place this season is Manchester City. Last season saw them come heartbreakingly close to the title and miss out to Chelsea on the final day on goal difference, leaving a sour taste for City fans.

That final day heartbreak only seems to have motivated the club to push harder and they’ve kept the core of that team together while making some shrewd acquisitions – most notably, WSL legend Vivianne Miedema joining on a free transfer after her Arsenal contract expired. The combination of their new signings and the key players they have retained mark them out as possible favourites for the title this season – they will be aiming higher than just finishing in the top three. 

Arsenal also sit in this group, having made some impressive signings that look to plug the gaps they’ve been desperately missing. Last season’s shock European exit at the hands of Paris FC felt like a wakeup call for the only English club to have lifted the prestigious trophy, and they’ve acted swiftly this summer. Not only have they brought in three-time Champions League winner Mariona Caldentey, but the signings of Rosa Kafaji and Daphne van Domselaar make this Arsenal squad an exciting force. 

On the other hand, Jonas Eidevall’s reign has never felt steady. It’s had some dizzying highs, but alongside the feeling that the wheels may fall off at any point. Some suspect this season could be Eidevall’s last with the Gunners if he fails to impress, but it would be remiss not to include them in the favourites considering the quality of their squad.

That leaves just Chelsea of the typical WSL top three, and they are by far the most interesting team here. With Sonia Bompastor leading the first Hayes-less season for almost a decade, we’re entering unknown waters. A slew of key players followed Hayes out of the door such as Fran Kirby, Jess Carter, and Jelena Čanković, making their future even harder to predict. Long-term managers leaving clubs usually precedes a downturn in form and with the amount of change in West London, it’s not unthinkable that Chelsea may drop out of the top three for the first time since 2013. 

However, this is Chelsea we’re talking about. They’ve not stood still in the market, grabbing headlines by bringing Lucy Bronze back to England and signing forward Sandy Baltimore from PSG to bolster their already stacked frontline. Most importantly though, they still have the strongest squad in the league with world-class players in multiple positions. Bompastor is inheriting one of the deepest squads in Europe that has won five league titles in a row – but she has possibly the toughest job in the league this season in maintaining the sky-high standards at Kingsmeadow. 

Manchester United

Manchester United sit in their own category because of the Jekyll and Hyde summer they’ve had. Things have been messy off the pitch, as new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has seemed apathetic towards the women’s side. This has led to a sense of disrespect and contempt for the fanbase, something unforgivable considering they’re coming off a maiden FA Cup win. 

That’s the issue with trying to predict their season: this toxic environment has overshadowed an incredibly smart summer in the transfer market. Making the loan move of Melvine Malard permanent was a must, a decision that’s been supplemented with the experienced Dominique Janssen to shore up the defence, and two WSL-proven young attackers in Elisabeth Terland and Celine Bizet. This isn’t even mentioning reigning PFA Young Player of the Year Grace Clinton returning from a magical season at Tottenham where she broke out as perhaps the most exciting English prospect. The anger towards the apathetic ownership will only grow and doubts over manager Marc Skinner will likely remain, but if one of the big three suffers a shock Manchester United are primed to take up that spot. 

Dark horses

It’s been ten years since a team not yet mentioned has made the top three of the WSL (Liverpool and Birmingham City in 2014 for those interested) and it will take a lot for that streak to end. Of all the clubs trying to make that leap, Liverpool are the closest. Coming off a fourth-placed finish, their growth has been steady and organic since their WSL return. They’ve made some interesting moves to strengthen their first team, with exciting Canadian prospect Olivia Smith adding an X-factor to their attack and Gemma Evans from rivals Manchester United bolstering the defence.

The club has focused on quality over quantity in their transfer activity and that consistency within the squad may help them build on what they achieved last season. There are a group of WSL clubs who dream of being the one to break up the stranglehold on the Champions League places, but with Tottenham losing key players over the summer and Aston Villa also facing a lot of change, Merseyside will be the place to look for an underdog story this season. 

You’ll be able to follow all the action from this year’s WSL, and the progress of last season’s top three in the current Champions League, here on FromTheSpot.