WSL 2023-24 season review: our writers’ best and worst | OneFootball

Best player

It has to be Khadija Shaw. Bunny’s output speaks for itself with 21 goals in 18 games, including a run of three hat-tricks in four games at the turn of the year. For a moment it seemed as though Lauren James would match Shaw’s goal tally but the Manchester City striker’s commanding presence has set her apart from anyone else in the WSL this season. Xaymaca Awoyungbo

What is there left to say about Khadija Shaw? The Manchester City striker is the major cog in the success of Gareth Taylor’s team. She was pipped to the Golden Boot last season despite scoring 20 league goals but was not to be outdone this year. It is not just about her goals – her off-the-ball work is just as crucial as her in-possession abilities. Shaw’s absence after suffering a season-ending foot injury against West Ham has only further illustrated her importance. Sophie Downey

Khadija Shaw. If not for an ill-timed injury, she would have probably smashed the record for most goals scored in a single WSL campaign (22), set by Vivianne Miedema in 2019. As it was, the striker enjoyed another incredible season for City and her presence up front was crucial in the club’s title attempt. Emillia Hawkins

Khadija Shaw averaged a goal every 66 minutes. It is not only her finishing ability that has made her the best player in the league this campaign, but also her control, positioning and cohesion with her teammates. Sarah Rendell

Lotte Wubben-Moy. Shaw will sweep up the awards this year and after her goal scoring heroics that is entirely justified. She has scored more than a third of City’s total goals scored, while missing a chunk of the season through injury. However, I want to take time to recognise the incredible season Wubben-Moy has had for Arsenal. Stepping in when injury struck last season and performing brilliantly, the defender has gone from being third or fourth choice centre-back to being integral to Arsenal. Defenders rarely collect end of season awards and I would argue her rise has been the most impressive. Suzanne Wrack

Best manager

Matt Beard is my choice. He has led Liverpool to their best league place in seven years and has done well to build upon their seventh-place finish last season. His team are still a way off the title-winning Liverpool sides he managed in 2013 and 2014, but wins over the top clubs are signs that they’re heading in the right direction. XA

Just two years after winning the Championship and securing promotion to the WSL, Matt Beard has guided his Liverpool team to a fourth-place finish. One of the most experienced managers in the league, the 46-year-old has built a well-blended squad that play in a different style to the rest. Beard has overseen his side beating Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United (twice), all eye-catching victories alongside multiple other strong performances. SD

Matt Beard. When you look at Liverpool right now, it is easy to forget that they achieved promotion back to the WSL only two years ago. Under the guidance of Beard, the Reds have leapfrogged rivals Manchester United to a top-four finish. EH

The Liverpool manager Matt Beard has steered the club to their best WSL finish since the 2016-17 season. As well as finishing fourth, Liverpool have taken a combined 12 points off of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United in the league. SR

Having taken charge of Liverpool after their relegation to the Championship, Matt Beard guided them back into the WSL and then to a seventh-place finish. With more shrewd recruitment, they have stepped up another gear this season and a fourth-place finish ahead of Manchester United is reward for their efforts. Special mention too for Tottenham’s Robert Vilahamn, who took charge of a team that narrowly avoided relegation last season and led them to a sixth-place finish and an FA Cup final. SW

Best goal

Dan Turner v Manchester City was a thing of beauty. Simone Magill set the ball back for Kenza Dali to whip in a delicious cross from the right hand side into the path of Turner. The Aston Villa defender did the rest as she met the ball on the full and hooked her shot into the bottom left corner past a helpless Khiara Keating. Lauren James scored a similar goal against Brighton later in the season, but the fact that Turner’s goal was a no-look finish makes it all the more impressive. XA

Cloé Lacasse v Manchester United. With her Arsenal team heading for their second defeat in their first two matches, the summer signing popped up with a 93rd-minute wonder goal to save the day. From the turn to the shift away from the defender to the spectacular curling finish that nestled in the top corner past a helpless Mary Earps, it was a goal that gave Arsenal a platform to build on after a tough start. SD

Khadija Shaw v Liverpool. The touch, the flick, the shot – everything about this goal was superb. After receiving the ball from Laura Coombs, Shaw took it down before moving past Gemma Bonner and unleashing a sweet strike directly into the top-right corner from about 30 yards out. Honourable mention goes to Lauren Hemp’s improvised shot against Leicester in February. EH

Lauren James v Manchester United The Chelsea forward scored a hat-trick against her former club at Stamford Bridge in January. However, there was one particular goal that stood out. A long pass came in from Nathalie Björn and James timed her run perfectly. She let the ball bounce twice and then struck a powerful shot past Earps. A clinical and well-worked goal in a crucial game. SR

Dan Turner v Manchester City. It has been a tough season for Aston Villa. Last season’s fifth-place finish set the bar high and a torrid start to their campaign put them on the back foot. They have climbed the table since then but with the manager, Carla Ward, leaving at the end of the season they face a tough time. Turner’s goal to open proceedings in a 2-1 loss to Manchester City was a highlight though. The cross is slightly behind her and the first-time finish is stunning. SW

Best match

Liverpool 4-3 Chelsea was the most dramatic game I saw all season. Chelsea, chasing a title after bowing out of the League Cup, FA Cup and Champions League, trailed Liverpool 2-1 in the 79th minute of a must-win game of football. But a minute later, it turned into a game of basketball as Chelsea equalised then went behind, then equalised again only to fall behind again thanks to an injury time header from Bonner. XA

Liverpool 4-3 Chelsea. There are so many that stand out throughout the campaign but I cannot really look past the drama that played out between Liverpool and Chelsea just a couple of weeks ago. It was a WSL classic – one that saw four goals in 12 minutes and a 92nd-minute winner from Bonner that appeared [for about 96 hours at least] to put an end to Chelsea’s title hopes. SD

Liverpool 4-3 Chelsea. Chaos. Drama. This match had it ALL. Emma Hayes all but surrendered the WSL title at full-time, only to sensationally claim “it’s not fucking over” just a few days later. EH

Chelsea 0-1 Manchester City. City ended Chelsea’s 22-game home winning streak in a stunning game. Shaw scored in the first half and Chelsea piled on the pressure trying to find an equaliser. They came close but Keating put in a phenomenal performance to keep the Blues out. Edge of your seat football throughout. SR

Liverpool 4-3 Chelsea. There are a few contenders here, but none will stick in the memory quite as much as Liverpool’s thrilling 4-3 defeat of Chelsea to hand Manchester City the advantage in the title race. The less said about the defending the better, with Chelsea conceding three from corners, but the three goals in three minutes to tie things up before Bonner’s winner: delicious. SW

Best signing

She wasn’t exactly a new signing but Jess Park definitely seemed like one as she was welcomed back to the Manchester City team after a loan period at Everton. She has been a revelation in the middle of the park and shone in City’s 3-1 Manchester derby victory. But if we are only considering actual new signings, Yuka Momiki is a great shout. The Leicester midfielder is so composed on the ball and keeps things ticking in the middle of the park. XA

When Liverpool signed the Austrian international Marie Höbinger last summer, fans will have known that Beard had brought in a bright young talent. Few, however, will have expected her to have quite the impact that she has. The 22-year-old has fitted seamlessly into a midfield area that is so crucial to the brand of football they play. Her five goals have been important while her deliveries, left and right footed, cause constant consternation for any opposition defence. SD

Grace Clinton has been one of the breakout stars this season. She struggled to establish her spot in Marc Skinner’s squad before joining Tottenham on loan for the season, but her outstanding 2023-24 campaign will have certainly given the manager food for thought. If Spurs are to go all-out in this summer’s transfer window, Clinton should be at the top of Vilahamn’s wishlist. As for permanent signings, Sjoeke Nüsken has been a game changer for Chelsea. Her versatility has been crucial considering the club’s injury problems. EH

Grace Clinton has had a hugely impactful season at Tottenham on loan from Manchester United. She has been nominated for the WSL Player of the Season and it is clear to see why. The midfielder has had eight goal involvements, she has played every league game bar those against her parent club and her form won her first senior call-up for England. SR

Grace Clinton. The England youth international was a shrewd loan signing and she elevated Spurs’ midfield. Vilahamn will hope the club’s environment and ambitions can prise her away from Manchester permanently. SW

Worst flop

Aston Villa have looked a shadow of the team that finished fifth in the table last season. In all fairness, results have improved after their terrible start to the campaign. Perhaps their performance last season was the exception rather than the rule. Ward can leave the club proud of how she developed the squad over the past three seasons. XA

Vivianne Miedema’s departure. There was heartbreak for Arsenal fans last week when it was announced that the all-time WSL top scorer, Miedema, would be leaving Arsenal after seven seasons at the club. Widely regarded as a generational talent, the 27-year-old Dutch international arguably has so much more to give but it has been widely reported that it was Arsenal’s decision not to give her a new contract. Instead, she will leave on a free transfer, potentially to a main rival, which shows a worrying lack of acumen from a coaching and business point of view. SD

Everyone had high hopes for Aston Villa at the start of the season given the club’s resounding end to the 2022-23 campaign. However Ward’s side failed to deliver. Injuries to the likes of Lucy Staniforth, Daphne van Domselaar and Lucy Parker have played a part, but no one will be happy finishing 13 points worse off than last season. Also, the infamous Continental Cup incident involving Noelle Maritz in January has to be one of the most bizarre mistakes I have ever seen made in football. EH

Manchester United manager Marc Skinner had fans calling for his sacking because of their disappointing league campaign. And the last-day defeat to Chelsea will not have helped. Two losses to Liverpool and draws to the likes of West Ham saw them record their worst-ever WSL finishing position. He has signed a new deal with the club but another disappointing league season and he may not keep his job. SR

There was a lot of excitement when the Brazilian forward Geyse arrived from Barcelona with a big price tag and reputation, but she failed to impose herself on the WSL. Many of Skinner’s signings have struggled for minutes with a preferred starting XI allowing for little rotation, but Geyse has had time to shine and … not done it. With 18 appearances in the league, including 13 starts, the forward has only one goal to her name and questions have been asked about her decision making in the final third. SW

Biggest gripe

The FA Player. Watching the shaky camerawork during the Chelsea v Brighton game early in the season was the first warning sign. Being logged out of the platform for 45 minutes of Leicester’s game against West Ham emphasised the app’s flaws. XA

Lack of league expansion. With every season that passes, the need to expand the WSL and Championship to 14 or 16 teams grows stronger with little movement in that direction. There is increased interest from clubs to fund a women’s side and there is a bottleneck further down the pyramid, which means there is now little reward to do so. There is also a big disparity in the number of games played, even by teams in the WSL, and a larger league would arguably provide stronger competition and incentive for those in the second half of the table. NewCo will take over the top two tiers of English football in the summer and expansion must be at the top of the list. SD

‘Can I have your shirt’ signs. They’re at every match. The growth of women’s football, especially over the past two years, has been incredible. But players are no longer able to interact with fans in the ways they perhaps used to. It i is not a meet and greet, it is not a giveaway, it is a football match. EH

The standard of the FA Player has not improved this season and there was one game where the camera angle was making viewers nauseous. Chelsea’s 4-2 win over Brighton in October looked as though the camera was not on a tripod and erratic movement prompted complaints from many supporters. The FA Player is essential for fans as all the games are not currently on TV but the games must be shown in the quality they deserve. SR

Arsenal have led the way, pushing the attendance record higher and higher, selling out the Emirates Stadium for a league fixture this year and committing to eight WSL games at the ground next season. There also has to be praise reserved for teams such as Bristol City and Leicester City, who also play at their club’s main stadiums, the former also recording hugely impressive attendances. However, the lack of commitment from many other teams to playing in their main stadiums is hugely disappointing. That West Ham haven’t played at the London Stadium once is appalling and the minimal commitment from side’s such as Liverpool, Everton, Manchester United and Manchester City is concerning. One or two games a season is not enough. Why should you value your women’s team and treat it the same if your club doesn’t believe in putting them on show in their most prominent arena? SW

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