Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton finished 9th last season and manager Hope Powell will be aiming to better that this season. The Seagulls have been busy in the transfer market over the summer welcoming five players to the club so far. Midfielders Nora Heroum and Inessa Kaagman, strikers Katie Robinson and Lee Guem-Min and goalkeeper Katie Startup have all arrived on the South Coast.
Aileen Whelan was the top scorer for Brighton last season with five league goals, only Kayleigh Green (2), Megan Connolly and Danique Kerkdijk (both one) registered in the WSL last season. Hope Powell will therefore be relying on her new arrivals to make the step up quickly. Heroum is the only signing who has not previously played in England.
Playing their home games in Crawley, Brighton will welcome Birmingham City on the opening day, a tie they won 3-0 last year meanwhile on the second weekend they face a tough trip to Manchester City with striker Lee Guem-Min unlikely to be available.
For the opening game they are likely to be without a trio of players. Danique Kerkdijk still has a one game suspension to serve carried over from last season (according to the FA website) while Ellie Brazil and Jodie Brett are still to return from long-term injuries. They will be boosted however by the return of defender Laura Rafferty from a substantial period away with an ACL injury.
Below we take a look at three players that could prove vital in Brighton’s WSL challenge:
Star of the Show: Aileen Whelan – FW – £30,000 – 114 points during 2019/20 WSL campaign
The forward was the highest scoring Brighton player in the 2019/20 ShePlays Fantasy League. The 29-year-old will look to replicate her form this season. She started all 16 WSL games last season scoring five goals in the process. Brighton have an overload of forward players in their squad, but Whelan is likely to be the mainstay with manager Hope Powell hoping she can form a lethal partnership with new arrival Lee Guem-Min. At £30,000, Whelan is an investment that would need a solid return, but with history of a plus 100-point haul last year, could prove worthwhile.
New Arrival: Lee Guem-Min – FW – £30,000
South Korean forward Lee joined Brighton in the summer on a season-long loan from fellow WSL side, Manchester City. The 26-year-old struggled to adapt to the WSL in her debut season only featuring three times in the competition. She managed to net one goal in the WSL last season however, against Birmingham City, the side that Brighton face on the opening weekend this time around. Away from the pressure of a club challenging for the top two, Lee may well prove a useful addition at the Seagulls. Handed the number nine shirt by her new club, Lee could prove a worthy investment for ShePlays managers.
Kid on the Block: Maya Le Tissier – DF – £17,500 – 18 years old
At 18, Le Tissier broke into the Brighton senior side last season. She featured 12 times for the Seagulls including seven league starts scoring 52 ShePlays points. Brighton have not added any defensive signings so Le Tissier will have the chance to claim a weekly starting spot in the back line. At £17,500, the Guernsey born defender is a player to keep eyes on and should be one considered for managers looking to save on some budget at the back.