Chelsea
Last year’s WSL champions and the recent Community Shield winners will be looking for another strong showing this season. Led by Emma Hayes, Chelsea will challenge for the top two viewing Manchester City and Arsenal as their toughest competition.
The Blues were crowned WSL champions last season after the early termination due to the coronavirus pandemic. Although in controversial circumstances having been second in the standings, they were unbeaten in the league with 12 wins and 3 draws. A game in hand over Manchester City ultimately sent them top on the PPG system.
There were several stand out stars last season as Beth England led the league’s goalscoring charts. She was in fine form as she netted 14 league goals to share the golden boot with Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema. Midfielder Guro Reiten shone in her debut WSL season, scoring five goals and leading the assist charts with seven.
Chelsea scored the most goals in the league season and that was without Australian super star Sam Kerr and England’s Fran Kirby for most of the campaign. Kirby has returned from a long-term illness and will come out fighting to secure a place back in the side. Meanwhile Kerr had a ‘nightmare’ performance in the Community Shield but will be eager to impress with a strong response on the opening day.
A summer of transfers included the arrival of German midfielder, Melanie Leupolz, Canadian international Jessie Fleming and young forward Niamh Charles with more rumoured to be on their way. Out went Ramona Bachmann, Adelina Engman, Anita Asante and Deanna Cooper.
Chelsea start their title defence with an away trip to Manchester United before hosting Bristol City at Kingsmeadow in Kingston, a tie they won 6-1 last season.
Below we take a look at three players that will be fighting to prove their worth this season:
Star of the Show: Beth England – FW – £70,000 – 228 points during 2019/20 WSL campaign
The ShePlays top scorer for the 2019/20 season, managers will hope Beth England can reproduce this season. She has faced a £40,000 price hike however coming in at £70,000. England is still £10,000 cheaper than fellow joint top-goal scorer last year in Miedema. After coming off the bench for the Community Shield on her return from a slight training injury, England is likely to lead the line for the opening fixture against Manchester United.
Learn more about England’s career so far here
New Arrival: Melanie Leupolz – MF – £50,000
German international midfielder, Melanie Leupolz announced back in January that she would be moving to Chelsea ahead of the 2020/21 campaign. A regular on the international scene, Leupolz will look to cement a place in the centre of midfield in the WSL. With Maren Mjelde seemingly moving to defence, the chance for Leupolz has opened up. She started the Community Shield and lasted 90 minutes alongside Sophie Ingle in the centre of the park. At £50,000, managers may be tempted by the German international.
Kid on the Block: Niamh Charles – FW – £20,000 – 21 years old
The youngest player in the Chelsea squad for the Community Shield, the 21-year-old forward featured off the bench as the third substitute on Saturday to make her Chelsea debut. Chelsea acted fast at the start of the summer to bring Charles to London after her contract expiration at Liverpool and she will be hoping to challenge for minutes this season. With one game for her new club and one trophy, the move has already been beneficial. She scored an impressive 85 ShePlays points last season as Liverpool faced the drop into the Championship. At £20,000, it could be a good investment for managers on a budget, wanting a player at a side challenging for the top, although Charles does face a host of competition for attacking places in the team. Other youngsters featured for the Blues during last season including Emily Murphy and Charlotte Fleming both valued at £15,000 but neither were included in the Community Shield squad.
Follow @etiawneb on Twitter to keep up with updates throughout the season.
The graphic featured is an opinion only of a likely lineup and does not reflect the likelihood of this being correct