Women's Super League 2022-23: How did each club do this season?

1 year ago 49

Chelsea wrapped up an astonishing 4th successive Women's Super League rubric and fought disconnected caller contention arsenic Reading's eight-year enactment successful the league came to a disappointing end.

The 2022-23 play produced drama, broke records and had twists and turns astatine some ends of the array passim a thrilling campaign.

So however did each WSL nine bash and however did I fare with my pre-season predictions?

Position	Club
1	Chelsea
2	Arsenal
3	Manchester United
4	Manchester City
5	Tottenham
6	Everton
7	Reading
8	Liverpool
9	Aston Villa
10	Brighton
11	West Ham
12	Leicester City

Chelsea - 1st

It was arguably the toughest play Chelsea person had successful the WSL, with their contention improving. They recovered a mode to triumph adjacent erstwhile not astatine their champion and proved themselves again arsenic 1 of the champion clubs successful Europe, reaching the Champions League semi-finals. Injuries to cardinal players including Pernille Harder and Millie Bright demanded much from the squad but Emma Hayes' broadside stepped up and recovered the answers portion nether unit from challengers. A 4th successive rubric is an astonishing accomplishment and they volition spell down arsenic 1 of the top squads successful English shot history.

My pre-season prediction: 1st

Manchester United - 2nd

Hayley Ladd celebrates triumph implicit Manchester City

United's improvement this play has been fantabulous fixed they had finished 4th successful the 3 erstwhile campaigns. They became the archetypal broadside since 2014 to interruption into the WSL's apical three, portion besides creating past for the nine by reaching their archetypal large final, losing to Chelsea successful the FA Cup. In some competitions they were beaten by a much experienced and developed squad - but United's shot nether Marc Skinner has been progressive, breathtaking and creative. They person beardown foundations connected which to amended and volition beryllium tested successful the Champions League adjacent season. With a beardown transportation window, they tin decidedly person adjacent season's WSL rubric wrong their sights.

My pre-season prediction: 3rd

Arsenal - 3rd

Given Arsenal were looking to spell 1 measurement further and triumph the WSL rubric this season, it whitethorn beryllium considered a disappointment to decorativeness third. But they person experienced an unprecedented wounded crisis, losing 4 players to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, arsenic good arsenic missing skipper Kim Little and cardinal guardant Caitlin Foord for respective games. Therefore, qualifying for adjacent season's Champions League, reaching the semi-finals successful Europe this twelvemonth and winning the League Cup is simply a precise beardown extremity to the campaign.

My pre-season prediction: 2nd

Manchester City - 4th

It has been a disappointing play for Manchester City, who were successful modulation this run having mislaid a ample fig of cardinal players successful the summer. They needed clip to make a younger squad but that has proved costly arsenic they missed retired connected Champions League qualification connected extremity difference. That mightiness marque it harder for them to vie successful the transportation marketplace this summer. City's mediocre commencement to the run yet wounded them, though they did nutrient immoderate beardown performances successful the caller year. However, ending the play successful 4th - their worst presumption since 2014 - and without immoderate silverware, represents a diminution for a nine that should beryllium challenging for the rubric and person been bypassed by their metropolis neighbours.

My pre-season prediction: 4th

Aston Villa - 5th

Without a uncertainty my squad of the season. Aston Villa were warring disconnected relegation successful the past run but their progression has been hugely awesome successful the past 12 months. Carla Ward's broadside person played charismatic shot and pushed the champion teams successful the league, comfortably confirming their presumption arsenic the 'best of the rest' extracurricular the accepted large four. The accomplishment of attacking trio Kirsty Hanson, Kenza Dali and Rachel Daly successful the summertime proved instrumental, portion centre-back duo Anna Patten and Danielle Turner person been peculiar impressive. Villa's achievements this play - besides reaching the FA Cup semi-finals - should beryllium wide celebrated. Now, they indispensable proceed to build.

My pre-season prediction: 9th

Everton - 6th

There were promising signs successful pre-season for Everton and they had precocious hopes of finishing mid-table - which they person managed to achieve. Under caller absorption successful Dane Brian Sorensen, Everton person developed a wide individuality and enactment successful immoderate beardown displays passim the season. Their signifier dipped successful the last fewer months and they inactive deficiency consistency but fixed they were warring relegation past year, this tin beryllium viewed arsenic a precise palmy run and they person coagulated foundations to physique on.

My pre-season prediction: 6th

Liverpool - 7th

Liverpool observe triumph implicit Manchester City

Having gained promotion to the WSL aft their Championship rubric win, the extremity was wide for Liverpool - debar relegation. They did that comfortably contempt suffering large injuries to cardinal players passim the season. Although they person country for betterment successful presumption of performances, Liverpool showed glimpses of what they are susceptible of successful beardown victories implicit Chelsea and Manchester City. Finishing seventh connected their instrumentality to the WSL is nary mean feat either and with concern and a afloat acceptable squad available, they should consciousness assured of maturation adjacent season.

My pre-season prediction: 8th

West Ham - 8th

West Ham started the play well, winning 3 of their opening 5 matches, and looked similar a pugnacious squad to bushed with skipper Dagny Brynjarsdottir successful terrific form. They made strides against teams astir them successful the array and enactment themselves successful a beardown position. I predicted they would beryllium successful relegation occupation travel May, but they were ne'er successful danger. However, they person had a dismal 2023, winning conscionable 1 WSL lucifer since December and ended the play looking precise disjointed. They person immoderate prime but volition request concern and a wide individuality if they privation to vie comfortably adjacent season.

My pre-season prediction: 11th

Tottenham - 9th

It's been a precise disappointing play for Tottenham aft they finished 5th past twelvemonth and were hoping to adjacent the spread connected the apical four. They spent important wealth successful some transportation windows too. They had built beardown foundations nether manager Rehanne Skinner but a nine-game losing streak was hard to disregard and led to her departure. They remained successful a relegation conflict until the penultimate play and person not shown galore signs of betterment since Skinner's departure. Given the prime successful their squad, they should beryllium doing amended - though Bethany England's goalscoring signifier successful the 2nd fractional of the run provides anticipation for the future.

My pre-season prediction: 5th

Leicester City - 10th

Willie Kirk and the Leicester players aft triumph implicit Liverpool

It has been a play of 2 halves for Leicester, who were favourites to spell down aft conscionable surviving past year. They started the play successful relegation signifier with nary points from their opening six matches, starring to the departure of manager Lydia Bedford. But aft Willie Kirk took over, they climbed up the array and began picking up points, putting successful beardown displays against Everton and Brighton, arsenic good arsenic earning successive important wins implicit Reading and Liverpool successful April. Their endurance is simply a large accomplishment fixed the presumption they were successful erstwhile Kirk took over.

My pre-season prediction: 12th

Brighton - 11th

Brighton's play has been a rollercoaster. They person gone done 4 managers, including 2 interim spells nether Amy Merricks, and that has shown successful their inconsistent performances. Faced with a existent menace of relegation, Melissa Phillips took over successful a bold and ambitious determination by the nine successful April and it paid disconnected hugely. Performances improved dramatically and they got the points they needed to enactment up. After a topsy-turvy year, they request to footwear connected and marque the astir of their fantabulous resources and infrastructure the nine has invested successful heavily.

My pre-season prediction: 10th

Reading - 12th

Reading person defied the likelihood for respective years, ever overachieving and proving they were a squad not to beryllium written off. But having the lowest fund successful the WSL yet caught up with them and they conscionable did not person the prime to vie with the teams astir them. While Tottenham and Leicester were capable to fortify successful the transportation marketplace to debar relegation, Reading could not. They were the lone WSL nine not affiliated with a men's Premier League broadside truthful my pre-season prediction was ever precise ambitious. Ultimately, they were not capable to nutrient different miracle.

My pre-season prediction: 7th

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