Champions Arsenal have strengthened again though Chelsea and Manchester City will challenge in a league made more competitive by the arrival of Spurs and Manchester United

Arsenal

The champions are back on their perch after a dominating run of nine consecutive league titles was ended by Liverpool in 2013. Arsenal had lost their way under Pedro Martínez Losa before the arrival of Joe Montemurro. Now, the team seem to have rediscovered their identity and they play with a purpose and swagger that is joyful to watch. A devastatingly long injury list threatened to derail last season’s campaign but those players are returning now and, as Arsenal have recruited well, they have to be favourites to retain their title.

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Coach Joe Montemurro. The Australian was recruited from Melbourne City towards the end of 2017 and has transformed the side. The key to his success is a laid back attitude, a vision for the way the team he supported growing up should play and the unerring trust of his players.

Major ins and outs The Euro 2017 winners Dominique Bloodworth and the goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal have both been moved on and given the latter’s World Cup heroics there may be some regret. In, though, comes their compatriot Jill Roord, who has been flying in pre-season, and her Bayern Munich teammates Manuela Zinsberger and Leonie Maier. Jen Beattie returns to the club from their title rivals Manchester City, with Janni Arnth switching to Fiorentina as a result.

Star player Vivianne Miedema. Arsenal have a number of world class players in their ranks but it is hard to look past last season’s top scorer, with 22 league goals. She has also become the Netherlands’ all-time top scorer with 63 goals while only 23 years old.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Arsenal’s Jill Roord during the pre-season friendly against Barcelona Femini at Meadow Park. Photograph: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

Birmingham

Following the departure of the much-liked Marc Skinner to Orlando Pride with a handful of games remaining, a fourth-place finish and the arrival of the new manager, Marta Tejedor, has not helped the club keep hold of their key players. Many of the club stalwarts had likely remained in the West Midlands out of loyalty to Skinner. The team has been overhauled and, following a batch of behind-closed-doors friendlies, there is little to indicate what we can expect when they step out against Everton on Sunday.

Coach Marta Tejedor. When Tejedor was announced as Skinner’s replacement no one knew quite what to expect. The former Chile and Peru manager, who also managed CD Tacón between 2016-18 (the team being taken over by Real Madrid), was an unknown. She hit the ground running with a thrilling 3-2 away win at Chelsea but then back-to-back losses meant she ended the season with five wins from seven in charge.

Major ins and outs The 10 departing players include some key first-team players. England’s hero in France, Ellen White, and newly called-up Aoife Mannion have both switched to Manchester City while Hayley Ladd has joined United. Brianna Visalli has arrived from West Ham, while three have been recruited from the US college system.

Star player Lucy Staniforth. The England midfielder is one player Birmingham have been able to cling on to, despite rumours she wanted out. With a contract in place and no club wanting to stump up cash to get her out of it, Staniforth stays and will be key to their season.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Birmingham City’s Lucy Staniforth trains with England in Bergen before the friendly against Norway. Photograph: Lynne Cameron for The FA/Shutterstock

Brighton

The Seagulls struggled in their maiden WSL season, recording four wins and four draws, and finished only four points above Everton but more comfortably above relegated Yeovil. With Manchester United and Tottenham coming up, the league will be much tighter and Brighton will be in danger of being squeezed out. With Hope Powell at the helm though they have a manager with bags of experience. Changes have been minimal with Powell trusting the majority of the existing squad to lead them into the new season.

Coach Hope Powell. The 52-year-old has a first domestic season of management under her belt and there can be little doubt that she will have soaked up plenty about what is needed to survive in the top flight. A self-proclaimed “builder”, she is entering season two of her project but only time will tell on whether improvements in her team will be enough to counteract a more competitive league.

Major ins and outs Brighton have kept hold of the majority of their squad including key players such as Ellie Brazil and Ini-Abasi Umotong. Powell has added Yeovil’s superb goalkeeper Megan Walsh and the experienced former Paris Saint-Germain player Léa Le Garrec from Guingamp as well as Danique Kerkdijk from Bristol City.

Star player Ellie Brazil. She has represented England at every youth level and joined Brighton after a year with Fiorentina, having moved to Italy as one of England’s brightest young prospects. She finished as the team’s top scorer last season with four league goals – not a figure that will set the world on fire but a solid contribution in a tough first professional season for the team.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Brighton’s Ellie Brazil is challenged by Danielle Van de Donk of Arsenal during last season’s league match in Brighton. Photograph: Simon Dael/BPI/Rex/Shutterstock

Bristol City

A mid table finish felt fitting of their hit and miss campaign last season. From December they went on a five-game unbeaten run in the league but then picked up three points in their next six games. Two draws against title-chasing Manchester City and a 0-0 with Chelsea showed that Tanya Oxtoby’s side can trouble the best teams, despite a significantly smaller budget, and they finished two places and nine points higher than they did the preceding season under Willie Kirk. Consistency will be key and Bristol City are one of the three women’s teams still flying the flag in a division higher than their male counterparts.

Coach Tanya Oxtoby. The Australian, who has a psychology degree, led Bristol City to their best ever points total in her first season in charge. That a poor finish left them frustrated is a testament to how Oxtoby quietly steadied the ship after Willie Kirk left for Manchester United last summer.

Major ins and outs Pouncing on the chaos at Birmingham, Oxtoby has recruited the defender Meaghan Sargeant and the forward Charlie Wellings from the WSL club. Ebony Salmon, who performed well on loan with Sheffield United from Manchester United, has also come in. Their biggest loss is the Scottish midfielder Lucy Graham, who has joined up with former manager Willie Kirk at Everton.

Star player Sophie Baggaley. The 22-year-old goalkeeper had a superb 2018-19 and many thought the uncapped player deserved a World Cup spot. Named in the PFA team of the year and the FA’s Players’ Player of the Year.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Bristol City goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley takes control of the ball against Birmingham last season. Photograph: PetaPix/Alamy Stock Photo

Chelsea

It would be fair to describe Chelsea’s 2018-19 as an anomaly season. Emma Hayes has said grappling with the grief of losing a child and becoming a first-time mum to son Harry affected Chelsea’s pre-season last summer and played a role in their rocky start. That was added to by the departure of a host of experienced players, such as Claire Rafferty and Katie Chapman, and the need for a rebuild. That their domestic campaign was over by Christmas was countered by a strong Champions League run that saw Chelsea narrowly defeated by Lyon in the semi-finals. Despite an underwhelming pre-season it is unlikely that they will be as slow off the mark as they were last term. Not having Champions League football will be a frustration, but will also ensure they can focus on domestic success.

Coach Emma Hayes. It is no accident that when Maurizio Sarri left Chelsea, Hayes was a name touted as a replacement for the Italian. That is how highly respected she is. In her seventh year at Chelsea, with two league titles and two FA Cups, the Champions League is the golden egg. Expect them to go hard for qualification for next year’s competition.

Major ins and outs The exciting Norwegian Guro Reiten is Hayes’s only summer recruit. She has 51 goals in 53 appearances for the Norwegian champions LSK Kvinner. As expected, the out-of-favour Hedvig Lindahl has exited, moving to Wolfsburg after a stunning World Cup.

Star player Ji So-yun. The magical midfielder makes the Chelsea attack tick. Few have her vision and, alongside Beth England, she was one of the few players (ahead of the sturdy defence) to shine while the Blues struggled.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Chelsea’s Guro Reiten is challenged by Nerilia Mondesir of Montpellier during a pre-season friendly. Photograph: Harriet Lander/Chelsea FC via Getty Images





Everton

With Yeovil deducted 10 points for entering administration, Everton’s future in the top division was ensured in March. The recruitment of Willie Kirk in December following the sacking of Andy Spence saw the team record their first win in February, satisfyingly against Liverpool. Their struggles continued though and the team picked up only two further wins. Kirk, however, had yet to have a window to recruit in and his own set of players to shape. With their facilities at Finch Farm getting a revamp, a new home ground on the horizon and Kirk’s first batch of players to come in Everton will hope for a more competitive campaign.

Coach Willie Kirk. It was a shock when he swapped Manchester for Everton after only six months as Casey Stoney’s No 2 at United. Kirk has a reputation for bringing through young players, which chimed with Everton when they were looking for a fresh face. This will be his first full season at the club and therefore the first real test of his time on Merseyside.

Major ins and outs With five in and five out, there have not been major changes at Everton. Kika van Es from Ajax is exciting, as is Kirk reuniting with Lucy Graham.

Star player Gabby George. The highly regarded defender is, at 22, the base of Everton’s spine. She has not been able to move beyond her two senior England caps but, in a struggling team, she has been consistent at the back.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Simone Magill, Gabby George and Dan Turner during Everton’s pre-season trip to Nairobi. Photograph: Tony McArdle/Everton FC/Getty Images

Liverpool

Vicky Jepson was handed a big task when she was appointed manager of Liverpool in October after Neil Redfearn’s resignation just one game into the WSL season, which pointed to discontent at the relationship between the women’s team and the club. It was a low for the team who were back-to-back WSL champions in 2013 and 2014. Now though, signs of the team being taken seriously are evident, the joint pre-season tour with the men’s team one hint. They finished eighth last term, two places down on the preceding season, but that is set against the backdrop of the chaotic start. Now the manager has had her first pre-season in charge and her first summer transfer window.

Coach Vicky Jepson. Jepson was taken on as caretaker with Chris Kirkland as her assistant following Redfearn’s shock exit. She has worked at Liverpool for 10 years, with coaching the development squad among her roles. With Kirkland now having moved on, Jepson has been trusted with the challenge of making Liverpool competitive again.

Major ins and outs There have not been big changes. Seven have been shipped out but only three recruited. They include Manchester City’s Mel Lawley and Chelsea’s Jade Bailey. Both have a point to prove having fallen out of favour at their respective clubs.

Star player Courtney Sweetman-Kirk. Nabbed from city rivals Everton, Sweetman-Kirk scored 10 goals to finish the seventh highest goalscorer in the WSL last season.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Courtney Sweetman-Kirk during the pre-season match against the Metropolitan All Stars at Jordan Field in Boston. Photograph: Omar Rawlings/Liverpool FC/Getty Images

Manchester City

Won a domestic cup double but still finished last season with a tinge of disappointment. The team’s unbeaten run was ended on the final day of the season, against champions Arsenal, with their five draws costing them dearly. Meanwhile, their Champions League campaign fell at the first hurdle, in a round of 32 defeat to Atlético Madrid. These are the two competitions that will dominate their focus this time round. Solid defensively, they struggled to spread the goal load beyond Nikita Parris and Georgia Stanway. The recruitment of the out-and-out No 9 Ellen White should give them a potent figurehead to alleviate the loss of the departing Parris. However, surgery on an injury, which rules her out for the foreseeable, could prove costly and others will need to step up.

Coach Nick Cushing. After a trophyless 2017-18, Cushing led City to FA Cup and Continental League Cup titles and his side were one game from an unbeaten season. The football City play isn’t always pretty but it is effective and Cushing’s talent for trusting young players in his title-contending side is admirable. With a much kinder last-32 draw, against Swiss side Lugano, there will be hopes of a strong Champions League campaign. Cushing needs his team to show greater signs of progress to silence doubters.

Major ins and outs Alongside White, the excellent centre-back Aoife Mannion joins from Birmingham – to replace the Arsenal-bound Jen Beattie. The South Korea captain, Lee Geum-min, also joins the forward line while Cushing continues to talent-spot youngsters with the 18-year-old Irish midfielder Tyler Toland also arriving.

Star player Kiera Walsh. Shielding the defence and conducting the attack, few have an eye for a pass like Walsh. After a disappointing World Cup, but a stand-out performance against the USA, the 22-year-old will be looking to pick up on the fine form she showed last season that made her a rumoured target of numerous European clubs.

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Manchester United

The club’s Championship-winning campaign served a purpose; to prepare the new side for the top tier. Now that preparation will be put to the test. The defence in particular, which cruised to 11 clean sheets, will come up against the might of the WSL’s finest. When they met WSL level opposition in cup competitions last team, they credibly won three and lost two – to Arsenal in the Continental Cup and narrowly to Reading in the FA Cup. Stoney has added experience to balance the team, not being held back by loyalty to her “history-making” youngsters. But whether they gel quickly enough, and how they cope with not being the dominant league force will be the Stoney’s biggest test.

Coach Casey Stoney. Has her first season in management under her belt and the seriousness and professionalism of the former England international matched the attitude she was known for on the pitch. Now though, is the next phase of project United and a more comprehensive look at Stoney’s ability to coach through the ups and downs of a competitive league.

Major ins and outs The recruitment of the Dutch midfielder Jackie Groenen is United’s biggest coup. While the additions of Birmingham’s Hayley Ladd, the experienced forward Jane Ross from West Ham, Lotta Ökvist from Hammarby and Abbie McManus, who has crossed from the blue half of Manchester, show a serious effort has been made to add grit and experience.

Star player Jackie Groenen. The new recruit, a World Cup finalist with the Netherlands, is expected to be the figurehead of Stoney’s side following the departure of captain Alex Greenwood.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Manchester United line up for the pre-season friendly against Valerenga in Oslo with new signings Hayley Ladd and Jane Ross. Photograph: Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images

Reading

They finished last season in fifth, one down on the previous campaign but were a dispiriting 13 points off fourth place. There haven’t been major changes to the squad for the new season with Wales’s Angharad James the most notable recruit, joined by two Danish youngsters as well as Maxime Bennink from the Dutch side PEC Zwolle. As for all the mid-table teams, the arrival of Manchester United and Tottenham threaten to rock the boat.

Coach Kelly Chambers. The Reading manager took over from the former Arsenal midfielder Jayne Ludlow in 2014 when the latter became Wales manager. Since then Chambers has taken the team from part-time to full and, though they are not title contenders, built a side that can trouble the top.

Major ins and outs Angharad James has joined from Everton to bring the Welsh contingent to three while the experienced Gemma Davison has left for Tottenham.

Star player Reading may have the Wales captain, Natasha Harding, and England’s Jade Moore in their ranks, but it is the elder Lionesses, Fara Williams, who still provides one of the biggest threats in the Reading attack. With 12 goals last year she finished the third highest goal scorer in the WSL.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reading’s Fara Williams wins a header against West Ham during last season’s FA Cup semi-final at Adams Park. Photograph: James Chance/Getty Images

Tottenham

Spurs have overhauled the team before their first season in the top flight. Seven of their nine recruits are from WSL sides with the manager looking to add professional level experience to her ranks. With the team more firmly under the wing of the men’s club, a showpiece north London Derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November illustrating as much, there is a feeling that Spurs are ready to push on a level. Last year wins against Brighton and Yeovil in the Continental Cup showed they can compete against WSL opposition, but a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City once they had escaped the group and a 5-0 thumping by Chelsea in the FA Cup showed they have a way to go before they disrupt things further up the food chain. With a trip to Stamford Bridge on the opening weekend, how much they’ve been able to do to bridge the gap will be there for all to see.

Coach Karen Hills. In Hills and the first-team coach, Juan Amoros, Tottenham have a duo who have worked together at the club since 2011. Under Hills, who joined in 2007, the team have climbed from the London and South East Regional Premier division to the Women’s Super League.

Major ins and outs The recruitment list is long and includes the goalkeeper Becky Spencer and the defender Ria Percival (both West Ham) as well as the Dutch defender Siri Worm (Everton), Gemma Davison (Reading) while the two forwards Lucy Quinn (Birmingham) and Kit Graham (Charlton) add to the attack.

Star player With the likes of Gemma Davison coming in it would be easy to name a new recruit as the star player. But in Ashleigh Neville, Tottenham have a player with pace and skill from left-back to influence games and who was a key part of their drive to promotion.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tottenham’s Gemma Davison on the ball during the Ramon de Carranza trophy match against Athletic Bilbao in Cadiz. Photograph: Tottenham Hotspur FC/Getty Images



West Ham United

Their first season in the top flight ended with the team a respectable seventh and an unexpected FA Cup final. Despite a frustrating defeat to Manchester City, after a strong first-half performance, that Matt Beard’s side reached the Wembley final at the first time of asking (as a top-tier outfit) is incredibly impressive. After putting the team together in eight weeks, he has now had his first chance to give them a big overhaul. West Ham are a team with major ambitions, they want to be competing at the top and climbing the table will be seen as a must.

Coach Matt Beard. Few have the WSL credentials of Beard. The two-time WSL winner unseated Arsenal with Liverpool in 2013 and 2014 before moving to the US. On his return, the fiery Cockney led West Ham to an FA Cup final in his maiden season.

Major ins and outs Seven in, eight out. Matt Beard has an uncanny ability to pluck gems from the unknown and this season will likely see the same with the likes of Martha Thomas and Courtney Brosnan from Le Havre brought in. Jacynta Galabadaarachchi joins from Perth Glory to test headline writers but Claire Rafferty’s retirement and Jane Ross’s switch to Manchester United means some experience has been lost.

Star player Alisha Lehmann. The Swiss forward was nominated for the PFA’s Young Player of the Year award in her first season in English football and her nine goals were a big reason for that.