FA Women's Super League: Top things to know for the 2022/23 season in England

The English Women’s Super League is nearing its return, and could be in for its biggest season of top-flight football yet.

Fans around England rallied around the Lionesses, spurring them to victory at the women’s European Championships in 2022 - and there is hope that the momentum will continue through to the domestic league.

Chelsea, Manchester City, and Arsenal have long been the impenetrable top three, but a handful of teams could be finally ready to threaten that status and blow the race for the title - and European Champions League football - wide open.

From expectations of the upcoming season to how to watch the WSL, here are the top things you need to know ahead of the 22/23 campaign.

The Women's Super League: What happened last season?

In 2022, Chelsea were crowned WSL champions for a third consecutive season.

Emma Hayes’ side pipped Arsenal to the top of the table by just a point, with their fate coming down to the final day of the season.

A resilient performance from the Blues saw them call on their fire power upfront to come from behind to beat Manchester United and seal the title.

Since the re-shuffle of the UEFA Women’s Champions League format, three - instead of two - of the top teams from the league qualify for the elite continental competition, meaning far more is at stake.

Last season saw a battle between Manchester rivals United and City, with the latter ultimately gaining UCL qualification.

At the bottom of the league, Birmingham City relegated by an agonising two points with newcomers Leicester narrowly staying up.

For the upcoming season, the WSL will welcome Liverpool back to top flight football since 2020 when they were relegated on a points-per-game basis after Covid-19 hit.

What can we expect from the 22/23 campaign?

Last season’s WSL campaign was one of the most exciting yet.

The race for the title down to the last game, and that last Champions League spot only being settled in the final stretch.

For teams at the top, it is now about how they can move forward, or in the case of Chelsea, how they can maintain their place at the top.

They’ve already strengthened their defence with the high-profile signing of Kadeisha Buchanan from UCL winners Lyon.

The 26-year-old has already shown her qualities in the pre-season, and will no doubt step it up once the league season kicks off.

After narrowly missing out on the title last time, Arsenal will be determined to step up their game.

Perhaps the most important bit of transfer business was keeping hold of striker Vivianne Miedema and renewing her contract amid speculation of her leaving.

They have also added depth up top with the signing of Swedish forward Lina Hurtig.

It could be a key difference in overturning draws into wins, which could have been crucial looking back to last season.

Moving to midtable, Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed an impressive rise under manager Rehanne Skinner.

Their steady incline has seen more wins under their belt, and they could now look to start pushing the likes of Manchester United for a Champions League spot.

Everton, meanwhile, had an almighty fall between the start of 2020 and then 2022.

Despite heavy recruitment and investment, things just did not fall into place for them and they have since gone through multiple managers.

With Brian Sorensen at the helm, they could finally tap into the boasting potential offers and climb the table this season.

League returnees Liverpool could be ones to watch, with former West Ham manager Matt Beard pulling the strings.

Both Beard and plenty of their side has a host of experience in the league - and they have brought onboard Euro 2017 winner Shanice van de Sanden to help them make their mark.

New signings to look out for in the WSL in 2022/23

It has been a summer of incomings and outgoings aplenty in the Women’s Super League.

Every club has taken to strengthening their team in a way in which they believe will help them into the top three - and potentially even a fight for the league title.

Here are three players who could have a dramatic impact on what happens come the end of season.

Rachel Daly - Aston Villa

Rachel Daly brings some much needed experience to the Aston Villa squad.

Fresh from winning the women’s Euros with England this summer, Daly is a versatile addition.

The 30-year-old flourished at right-back for the Lionesses, but for previous club Houston Dash she was leading the line from the front.

Carla Ward's side finished middle of the pack last season, but the addition of Daly among their other new signings could help them climb up the table.

Kadeisha Buchanan - Chelsea

Over the years, Chelsea has developed into an attack-heavy team.

But this English summer, Hayes focused on bringing in first-team defensive signings, one of which is Kadeisha Buchanan.

Signed from Lyon, Buchanan is an Olympic gold medallist after her triumphant outing at Tokyo 2020 with Canada last year.

She played every minute go that golden run, in which the Canadians conceded just three goals from open play - one of which was an own goal.

Buchanan is a leader on and off the pitch,

She is also well-versed in what it means to win the Champions League - something the Blues are eager to do themselves.

Maya Le Tissier - Manchester United

Manchester United came agonisingly close to securing passage into the first round of the UEFA Champions League last season - only for rivals Man City to leapfrog them in the final weeks.

While Marc Skinner has opted for a plethora of attacking signings this summer, their most impactful newcomer could well be in the form of defender Maya Le Tissier.

Despite losing less games than third-placed City, it was draws that stifled their season, racking up the joint-most across 21/22 (6).

And that was in part due to being unable to see out their games effectively enough between midfield and defence. 

She may only be 20, but Le Tissier brings a wealth of WSL experience, as well as the versatility of being able to play anywhere along the backline. 

Exceptional positional awareness and the ability to build from the back, she could become a real anchor in the spine of Skinner’s side regardless of where she plays.

Opening weekend schedule

Last season’s fourth and fifth placed teams - Spurs and Man United - will kick-off the WSL action on Saturday 10 September. 

The remaining five fixtures will take place on Sunday 11 September, with reigning champions Chelsea taking on West Ham in the early kick-off. 

Closing the opening weekend is one of the biggest games of the season: Man City versus Arsenal.

_Saturday 10 September: _

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United, 12:30 BST kick-off

_Sunday 11 September: _

Chelsea v West Ham, 12:30 BST kick-off

Everton v Leicester, 13:00 BST kick-off

Brighton & Hove Albion v Aston Villa, 14:00 BST kick-off

Reading v Liverpool, 14:00 BST kick-off

Manchester City v Arsenal, 19:00 BST kick-off

How to watch the WSL across the 22/23 season

Prior to the 21/22 campaign, a landmark deal was announced for the FA WSL to be broadcast across the world.

For fans in the UK, both Sky Sports and the BBC will host a select number of games across the season; with the FA Player airing those not selected for live coverage.

The FA Player is also available for international fans outside of the UK.

A partnership was also established with Atalanta Media to broadcast games across NBC Sports and DAZN in the United States, Germany, and Italy.

More information on where to stream can be found here.