🏆 OneFootball’s WSL Season Awards 2022/23 | OneFootball

Manchester United took them all the way to the final day but it was Chelsea who lifted the Women’s Super League title for the fourth consecutive season on Saturday.

And now it’s time for our awards.

Player of the Season 👏

It has to be Chelsea’s Sam Kerr.

Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw and Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly may have outscored Kerr this season but the Chelsea striker does everything you could ask from a centre-forward.

The Australian is a threat in behind. She holds the ball up and combined with others. She is exceptional in the air and with both feet.

And this season, rather than having a consistent strike partner, Kerr has largely had to shoulder the burden alone, with Fran Kirby and Pernille Harder managing just nine starts between them and Bethany England (two starts for Chelsea) sold to Tottenham in January.

Whatever you need from a centre-forward, Kerr can deliver it.

Young Player of the Season 👶

In the absence of Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead, Arsenal have needed someone to step up. Frida Maanum was not fazed at all.

The all-action midfielder actually briefly took Miedema’s starting spot before the Dutch superstar was injured and she deserved it.

Still just 23, Maanum has been pushed further forward this season and delivered nine goals and four assists for the Gunners, hitting top form once in the autumn and once again down the final stretch of the season. A special, special talent.

Surprise of the Season 🤯

Who had a four-way title race? OK, Arsenal fell away thanks to injuries and Manchester City’s slow start cost them, but both Manchester clubs took great leaps forward this season.

The real surprise, though, may be just how poor Tottenham looked throughout the campaign. That old goalscoring problem reared its head again but they were also no long the solid outfit of previous seasons. There is a lot of work ahead for them.

Signing of the Season 🤑

It is undoubtedly Rachel Daly on her return to English football. Signed by Aston Villa after helping England win the Euros as a left-back, Daly came into the WSL and was put in her natural position as a striker.

Now, 22 appearances and 22 goals later, it’s clearer than ever she belongs up front.

Daly has not just been prolific but also consistent, netting three goals in September, one in October, four in November, one in January, one in February, three in March, four in April and finally five in May.

Clinical all season long.

Managerial Change of the Season 🔄

This has to go to Leicester, who looked certain to go down pushed the button and replaced Lydia Bedford with Willie Kirk.

When Kirk took over, Leicester had played six games and lost them all, scoring twice and keeping no clean sheets.

In the 16 games since, they’ve picked up 16 points (including five wins) and scored 13 goals. It’s not been world-beating form but nobody thought even this level of improvement was possible back in November.

Biggest Improvement of the Season 📈

Leicester for the reasons listed above, Willie Kirk came in and they had a great January transfer window. So let’s leave them out of it.

The answer is the standing of the league. The average attendance at WSL games this was season was almost 5,000, way up from just under 2,000 last season.

Arsenal alone had an average attendance of around 15,000 and will play five games at the Emirates Stadium next season having played three there in 2022/23. Things are only going to get bigger and better.

Goal of the Season 😍

Does that really need explaining?