The 2024/25 Barclays Women's Super League (WSL) season kicks off this weekend in the UK, where 12 teams will launch campaigns to challenge seven-time league champions Chelsea for the season's title.
Adding to the excitement are major roster shakeups and big name signings entering the pitch for the WSL's 14th season.
Defending WSL champs Chelsea open post-Hayes era with a win
In front of a sold-out Kingsmeadow crowd on Friday, the Blues began their first campaign without now-USWNT boss Emma Hayes by defeating Aston Villa 1-0. Midfielder Johanna Rytting Kaneryd's first-half strike from distance secured Chelsea's season-opening win.
Helmed by head coach Sonia Bompastor, who previously led France's Lyon to three straight titles and a 2022 Champions League victory, Chelsea enters the season with a target on their backs after five straight years at the top of the WSL table.
With five members of the Blues staff following Hayes Stateside and multiple veteran players — like England national Fran Kirby — also departing the club, Bompastor is now tasked with building a new-look culture while maintaining the club's standard. Her job is that much more difficult given four athletes, including Australian star Sam Kerr and the USWNT's Mia Fishel, are still out rehabbing ACL injuries.
Though Chelsea added top players like the Lionesses' right-back Lucy Bronze, all eyes will be on the Blues to see if their dynasty continues this season.
Miedema's return headlines WSL opening weekend
The Blues aside, the highlight of the WSL's season-opening weekend is the blockbuster matchup between an Arsenal legend and her former club.
Dutch striker Vivianne Miedema will play her first regular-season WSL game with Manchester City on Sunday, when the ex-Gunner will face Arsenal in a highly anticipated Emirates Stadium showdown.
The two clubs — who both finished the 2023/34 WSL season just behind Chelsea in the standings — are coming off vastly different UWCL results this week, after Arsenal lost 1-0 to Häcken and Man City defeated Paris FC 5-0.
How to watch Arsenal Women vs. Manchester City this weekend
Arsenal WFC will take on Manchester City at 7:30 AM ET this Sunday, with live coverage on ESPN+.
The Barclays Women’s Super League officially kicks off its 2024-25 run the weekend of September 20th with six matchups across three days setting the stage for the much-anticipated WSL season.
The WSL is growing in more ways than one, and next year’s league title is very much anyone’s to grab.
Growing attendance spurs Arsenal move to Emirates
After drawing an average of 52,000 fans to each of their six Emirates-hosted games last season — including two complete sell-outs and three WSL attendance records — all 11 of Arsenal’s upcoming home matches will be played at Emirates Stadium. This makes the North London behemoth — home to Arsenal’s men’s Premier League team — the women’s team’s permanent 2024–25 season home.
Of the league’s 12 teams, only Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Leicester City will share gameday facilities with a top flight men’s division. The rest will play the majority of their matches at practice fields or smaller multi-use stadiums.
In addition to field conditions, access to training centers and equipment, and other on-pitch concerns, capacity is a central differentiating factor between men’s and women’s grounds. For example, Chelsea’s primary home of Kingsmeadow seats just 4,850 fans. Their Premier League counterpart's digs, Stamford Bridge — the 11th largest football stadium in all of England — can accommodate 40,343.
Arsenal’s move to Emirates was motivated in part by this divide, and after finishing the 2023-24 season in third place — nearly missing the cutoff for UEFA Champions League eligibility — the club is hoping this momentum will fuel their quest to lift the WSL trophy in 2025.
Offseason moves shake up WSL rosters
Arsenal isn’t the only WSL team on a mission to top the 2024-25 table, and teams around the league made serious waves in the offseason in a bid for this season's title.
Manchester City, 2024’s second-place club, bid adieu to Esme Morgan and Ellie Roebuck, but the club added a whole slate of stong footballers, highlighted by star striker Vivianne Miedema. Former West Ham full-back Risa Shimizu and Japan international Ayaka Yamashita are also joining a Blues roster that already boasts superstars like Khadija "Bunny" Shaw and Mary Fowler, among others.
As if losing Sam Kerr to an ACL tear last season wasn't enough, 2023-24 champs Chelsea have since seen Fran Kirby depart for Brighton, and defender Jess Carter and goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger flip to the NWSL’s Gotham FC. On the bright side, they snagged England mainstay Lucy Bronze from Barcelona, and Kerr should return to play this fall.
In Manchester United news, the Red Devils picked up Dutch defender Dominique Janssen but bid farewell to 2023 World Cup Golden Glove winner Mary Earps, who joined Paris Saint-Germain. Meanwhile, former captain Katie Zelem signed with ACFC this week.
With international club matchups filling the calendar before the NWSL regular season returns, US teams are getting the chance to test their talent against squads from across the world.
Arguably the biggest names in club play are arriving in Washington, DC, this week, as Arsenal faces the Washington Spirit on August 18th followed by WSL foe Chelsea on August 25th.
Arsenal debuts new players in US friendlies
This isn’t the first time Arsenal competed in a friendly in the US, having played the Seattle Reign to a 1-1 draw back in 2016. That said, the DC-bound group has a very different makeup than past teams.
Arsenal’s largest offseason roster shakeup saw star striker Vivianne Miedema depart the Gunners for Manchester City, ushering in a new era via key pickups Mariona Caldentey from Barcelona and Dutch goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar.
The changes haven’t stopped there: Just this week, the club announced the signing of Sweden international Rosa Kafaji, while departing Canada international Cloé Lacasse signed with the Utah Royals.
On Thursday, Arsenal announced their 29-player tour squad, set to land in Washington, DC that afternoon.
Friendlies key to Arsenal's WSL preseason prep
The two friendlies will provide Arsenal a chance to prep for the upcoming WSL season while also extending the club’s footprint in the US, where increased access to live match coverage has given way to a large and devoted fanbase.
"We know from our recent trip to Australia that the interest and love for Arsenal Women stretches far and wide," said Arsenal managing director Richard Garlick in a statement. "We want to build on that and bring our US supporters closer to the club."
The Gunners finished the 2023/24 WSL season third in the standings, falling just short of the final title race between Chelsea and Manchester City. They also nearly missed the cutoff for UEFA Champions League eligibility — all motivating factors to get as much out of their preseason as possible.
Tough NWSL opponents await Arsenal stateside
The London club will get their first US test against the Spirit, who are coming out of the NWSL regular season break sitting third in the league table. The Spirit also showed out on the international stage this summer, with Trinity Rodman and Croix Bethune both contributing to the USWNT’s Olympic gold win alongside alternate Hal Hershfelt.
"We always want to create the best conditions for our teams to prepare and perform at their best in pre-season," added Arsenal sporting director Edu Gaspar. "This gives our players an opportunity to play and train in a new environment, in front of our supporters around the world."
As for Arsenal's second preseason opponent Chelsea, the Blues are dealing with changes of their own, with former Lyon manager Sonia Bompastor taking the reins from Emma Hayes, who moved on to coach the USWNT.
How to watch Arsenal's US tour in Washington, DC
The match kicks off at 2 PM ET on Sunday. Get your tickets to see Arsenal take Audi Field online or tune in to the match via DAZN.
Chelsea began Sunday with their WSL title hopes a distant dream... before closing out the weekend right back in the thick of the title chase.
The Blues made a last-ditch effort to claim their fifth consecutive Barclays WSL title on Sunday with an 8-0 win over relegation-bound Bristol City. The victory came after a visiting Arsenal upset current table-toppers Manchester City at Joie Stadium, besting the home side 2-1 on back-to-back goals from Stina Blackstenius. With the win, the third-place Gunners re-opened the door for Chelsea to finish level at the top of the table on points.
Chelsea remains second in the standing, with 49 points to Manchester City's 52. But the barrage of goalscoring over the weekend could be enough to overtake City's potential tiebreak advantage in goal differential, leaving even coach Emma Hayes in awe.
Chelsea holds a game in hand, but the Blues will need to win their May 15th match against Tottenham to give them a shot at the title. Should they take all three points, the title race will come down to the final weekend, when Chelsea squares off with Manchester United while City faces Aston Villa on Saturday, May 18th.
Set to take over the USWNT in June, Hayes acknowledged the likelihood of finishing out her time at Chelsea with zero trophies, after losing in both the Conti Cup final and UWCL semifinal last month. But for now, her initial pessimism has subsided.
"Let me be clear, it's not f*****g over," Hayes said after coaching her last home match with Chelsea on Sunday. "There's no time for sentimentality, all work drinks are canceled. There's a title to be won.
"This group of players taught me something so special this week — that you never ever give up."
On Tuesday, FIFPRO announced the launch of Project ACL, a three-year research initiative designed to address a steep uptick in ACL injuries across women's professional football.
Project ACL is a joint venture between FIFPRO, England’s Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), Nike, and Leeds Beckett University. While the central case study will focus on England’s top-flight Women's Super League, the findings will be distributed around the world.
ACL tears are between two- and six-times more likely to occur in women footballers than men, according to The Guardian. And with both domestic and international programming on the rise for the women’s game, we’ve seen some of the sport's biggest names moved to the season-ending injury list with ACL-related knocks.
Soccer superstars like Vivianne Miedema, Beth Mead, Catarina Macario, Marta, and England captain Leah Williamson have all struggled with their ACLs in recent years, though all have since returned to the field. In January, Chelsea and Australia forward Sam Kerr was herself sidelined with the injury, kicking off a year of similar cases across women’s professional leagues. And just yesterday, the Spirit announced defender Anna Heilferty would miss the rest of the NWSL season with a torn ACL. The news comes less than two weeks after Bay FC captain Alex Loera went down with the same injury.
Project ACL will closely study players in the WSL, monitoring travel, training, and recovery practices to look for trends that could be used to prevent the injury in the future. Availability of sports science and medical resources within individual clubs will be taken into account throughout the process.
ACL injuries in women's football have long outpaced the same injury in the men's game, but resources for specialized prevention and treatment still lag behind. Investment in achieving a deeper, more specialized understanding of the problem should hopefully alleviate the issue both on and off the field.
U.S. women’s national team midfielder Kristie Mewis is officially headed to East London to play for West Ham.
Mewis and Gotham FC mutually agreed to part ways on Dec. 22, per a statement from the NWSL club.
“Gotham has been the most rewarding community to be a part of for the last two years and will always hold a special place in my heart,” Mewis said in the press release. “I’m full of gratitude knowing the future is bright and I was able to be part of it. And most importantly, I’ll never forget our first championship, together.”
Mewis joined Gotham in 2021 and she appeared in 39 games for the team, netting four goals in her two seasons.
Mewis’ move comes after her engagement to Chelsea star Sam Kerr. In the USWNT’s new Netflix documentary, “Under Pressure,” Mewis and Kerr discussed their long-distance relationship and how the wished they lived closer to each other. Now, with both stars in London, they can.
West Ham released a statement pertaining to Mewis’ signing on Dec. 22. Mewis stated it was a “dream come true” for her to play in the Women’s Super League.
“When I visited London for the first time, I went to my first football match at Upton Park. The culture and energy of West Ham captivated me straight away and nothing has ever lived up to that moment – it was one of the happiest days of my life,” Mewis said in the release.
“It feels like I have come full circle from that moment and it’s incredible to now be officially part of the West Ham family. I will work hard, try to lead by example and give everything for this badge.”
Kristie Mewis is headed to England.
As first reported by Meg Linehan and Charlotte Harpur of The Athletic, Mewis will join Women’s Super League club West Ham when the January transfer window opens. The move for the 32-year-old U.S. women’s national team midfielder is set to be officially announced later this week.
Mewis has spent most of her career in the NWSL, including time with FC Kansas City, the Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars and Houston Dash before she landed at Gotham FC in 2022. She won an NWSL title with the club in 2023.
This will be her second stint in Europe, as she spent a year on loan at Bayern Munich in 2015-16. She’s also made 53 international appearances with the USWNT, including making her first World Cup roster this summer.
Mewis’ move from the NWSL to the WSL frees up roster space for Gotham, and it also moves her to London, where her fiancée Sam Kerr plays for Chelsea. Mewis has spoken previously about not wanting to do long distance with Kerr, including in the new USWNT documentary “Under Pressure.” West Ham sit second from the bottom in the WSL table in the 2023-24 season.
A number of USWNT stars have been linked to Gotham FC in free agency, including midfielders Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett and Crystal Dunn and defender Tierna Davidson.
Phallon Tullis-Joyce has been hard at work with Manchester United after making the move to the English club earlier this year.
Tullis-Joyce started 2023 as the starting goalkeeper for OL Reign before making the move to the Women’s Super League. Now she’s the backup for England starter Mary Earps, who was named the best goalkeeper at the 2023 World Cup in August. Earps, though, could be on the move at conclusion of the 2023-24 WSL season, which would put Tullis-Joyce in line for the starting spot.
As Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner told Chris Brookes, he’s been happy with how the 27-year-old American (and U.S. women’s national team prospect) has adapted since her move from the NWSL.
“She’s having to adapt to shorter passes, medium, and obviously some longer-range to make sure we mix up the opponent – but I think it’s about the speed in which she does that,” Skinner said, noting the increased ball possession in the English compared to the U.S. league.
Skinner is no stranger to the NWSL, having coached the Orlando Pride from 2019 to 2021.
“I’ve been to the NWSL and there’s a lot of quality there, a lot of individual dribbling quality, a lot of high-speed energy,” he continued, noting that the WSL is “a little bit more tactically designed,” which Tullis-Joyce is learning.
Even still, it isn’t taking much for her to adjust. Skinner likened the process to “sharpening her tools.”
“I’ll be very clear: she has all of the foundations,” Skinner said. “I’ve never seen a goalkeeper make the saves that she makes, honestly. … She’s so athletic. I think it’s just making sure she can make those in big moments.
“She’s such an astute learner, she literally takes a notepad into everywhere she goes. So, you’re going to see a real character that, I think after this season once she’s had these kind of games, I think you’re going to see a world-class goalkeeper. I really do. She’s got all of the qualities she needs.”
Tobin Heath and Christen Press became the latest to praise the U.S. women’s national team for its impending hire of Emma Hayes.
While Hayes’ role as the next USWNT coach is not yet official, her departure from Chelsea is, with the Women’s Super League club announcing that she will exit at the end of the 2023-24 season. U.S. Soccer’s board of directors also has reportedly approved the hire, with contract details still being worked out.
On Friday, Hayes said in a news conference that the “time is right” to leave Chelsea. She is in her 12th season, and she has led the club to six league titles.
“I’ve been in the post for 12 years, and I’ve dedicated my life to this place,” Hayes said. “I drive four hours to this place six days a week for 12 years. I have a 5-year-old that needs more of his mummy, for sure. That’s important. Family matters. I think I’ve dedicated as much as I possibly can to this football club. I’ve loved every minute of it.”
But she wouldn’t comment on the reports linking her to the USWNT.
“I’ve got a team to focus on,” she said. “I’ve got games to win.”
On the latest episode of “The RE-CAP Show,” though, USWNT forwards Press and Heath had no qualms about discussing the expected hire. Heath called the USWNT’s choice of the Chelsea manager a “no-brainer.”
“When I saw this announcement I thought to myself, ‘Great choice. No-brainer,’” she said. “Did I think she was available? No. So then I instantly kind of became a little confused as to the timing of when she would come. But when I think about Emma Hayes and the impact she’s had on the women’s game, and the success that she’s had at Chelsea, she’s a winner.”
In her 12 years at Chelsea, Hayes developed a “winning culture,” according to Heath, bringing in players that fit her system. Her tenure includes six Women’s Super League titles, including the most recent one in May of this year, which capped off a run of four straight. She also has led the team to five FA Cup titles, including a third straight in 2023.
Heath, who has played in the WSL for Manchester United and Arsenal, has heard from other players that Hayes is “a real coach that advocates for her players, advocates for the game.”
“She is unashamed to want to be the best coach in the world. Coach the best team in the world,” Heath continued. “She thinks she’s up for the job. She’s not afraid of the task. We know what the task is of the U.S. women’s national team. We know what the expectation is. And I think having a coach that’s coming in that already you get the sense has the confidence to take this team where it is and put it back where the team belongs.”
Press also pointed out that Hayes is “used to that pressure,” which is important given the immense pressure placed upon the USWNT head coach. But the co-hosts also questioned whether the hire will affect the USWNT’s Olympic aspirations, as Hayes will remain with Chelsea through May 2024.
“I think, ultimately, we’re going to be sacrificing an Olympics,” Heath said. “Let’s just assume it’s a wash, no Olympics for this team, and we’re going to be setting our sights on the next World Cup.
“And that’s really hard, I think, for any U.S. women’s national team fan or even player to grapple with, is this idea that this is a long-term play. Because that’s what it looks like. She doesn’t have the time to go into an Olympics and win.
“Could the U.S. women’s national team still win an Olympics with absolutely no coaching? Yeah, Of course. And also the Olympics isn’t as big of a deal as the World Cup. It’s not as strong of a competition for a lot of reasons. But ultimately, it’s not a good signal for the short-term development of course correcting what I think is a team that is really lost right now.”
Press agreed with Heath’s assessment, even as she struggled to wrap her head around it.
“I can’t wrap my mind around us going into an Olympics not to win,” Press said. “And to just say that’s a wash, like, I have a really hard time with that. I think it goes against the culture of the U.S. women’s national team. And I think it’s very confusing as a player to imagine a world where U.S. Soccer is thinking [that].”
Mia Fishel’s first game with Chelsea got off to an impactful start.
Fishel, who signed with the legendary English club in August from Liga MX, made her debut — in the starting lineup — for Sunday’s match against Tottenham. Then, in the 28th minute, she made her presence felt.
Opening up her #BarclaysWSL goal account, @miafishel10 has arrived! 🔥@ChelseaFCW pic.twitter.com/tCeG0RREXn
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) October 1, 2023
The forward headed in a cross from about 10 yards out, giving Chelsea the opening goal in the Women’s Super League contest on the opening day of competition for the 2023-24 season.
Fishel screamed in celebration and was mobbed by her teammates as the Chelsea fans erupted. Chelsea went on to take a 2-1 victory.
Fishel, 22, signed with Chelsea after a successful run with Tigres UANL of Liga MX Femenil, the highest division of women’s soccer in Mexico.
She had long been a mainstay on the U.S. youth national team and made her debut for the senior team during the Sept. 24 friendly match against South Africa. Fishel entered in the 65th minute of what turned into a 2-0 victory for the USWNT.