We have already done our Lionesses to watch during the 22/23 Barclay's WSL season in a post which you can read here, so today's turn is the other players in the league that we are going to be keeping a close eye on this season. It is safe to say that the Barclay's WSL has a lot of talent in it and to be honest in my eyes it is one of the best leagues out there for the women just due to the standard of football being played week in week out. Once again this post was hard to narrow down to just 1 player per team as honestly at one point the contenders were 6/7 players from each squad however, we managed to get there and these are the players we will be keeping an eye on from each team in the Barclay's WSL this season...

Arsenal - Katie McCabe

Katie McCabe is a player we have kept an eye on for a while and who we think is massively under rated at Arsenal. Her crunching tackles definitely make a difference in games and her attacking ability is fantastic too. McCabe is definitely a player that makes a difference in the Arsenal squad and we can't wait to see her play again this season, she just gets better and better year after year. 

Aston Villa - Rachel Corsie

I used to love watching Corsie play over in the states so it is safe to say I am glad she is playing over here these days and fingers crossed I can actually see her play in a stadium this season rather than just on the TV. Corsie is simply one of those players that I will never get bored of watching and I think she is going to play big part in Villa's push up the table this season. 

Brighton - Veatriki Sarri

Sarri is a player that only came to my attention last season if I am honest however, she is another player that I really enjoy watching already. I think Sarri could play a big part for Brighton this season in them getting results and she could cause some problems for the opposition. Brighton are starting to build a strong squad and Sarri is the perfect edition. 

Chelsea - Guro Reiten 

I think we mentioned what kind of player Reiten was in our Euro ones to watch post. She is one of those players that often goes unnoticed however makes a big difference to Chelsea's game. Just because she isn't always on the score sheet it doesn't mean she isn't making an impact, often her runs drag out players to create space for teammates meaning Chelsea end up on the scoresheet. She is definitely one to start looking at this season just to see how much she does impact her team.

Everton - Hanna Bennison

Swedish international Bennison scored a fantastic goal for her country in the Euros this summer and if the team around her at Everton gel and make an improvement on last season I think we could see Bennison on the scoresheet a whole lot more and play a key part in getting Everton back up the table where they belong. 

Leicester - Natasha Flint

I think Flint is on this list as a bit of a sentimental reason. When I went to my first FAWNL game Flint was actually playing for Blackburn and her performance that day was absolutely fantastic. To see her playing in the top flight not too many seasons later is absolutely brilliant and shows just how much talent she has in my opinion. I am really looking forward to seeing what she can do with Leicester this season. 

Liverpool - Katie Stengel

I think we all saw a glimpse of what Stengel was capable of in the opening game of the season but honestly the best is yet to come from her. She is another player I enjoyed watching in the States who I am looking forward to seeing play here in the WSL as I think she could play a key part in Liverpool staying in the top flight where honestly they belong.

Manchester City - Khadija Bunny Shaw 

With the retirement of Ellen White it is time for Shaw to step up and show the Man City fans just what she is capable of and I am looking forward to seeing her grab herself plenty of goals in the process. There has been a lot of big changes at Man City this off season and players like Shaw are really going to be crucial if they want a top 3 finish this season. 

Manchester United - Ona Batlle

Since her arrival at Man Utd Batlle has been one of my favourite players at the club. Her ability at right back is absolutely fantastic and she helps get the team into some dangerous positions. She had a pretty good tournament for Spain in the Euros and I am sure her form will roll over into this new season and we will see her once again be a key part of the Man Utd team as they push for the top 3 spots.

Reading FC - Deanne Rose

I have been impressed with the Canadians that have come to play here in the WSL so far and Rose is one of those players. Coming straight from College in the States to the WSL could have been considered a big jump but she is finding her feet nicely in the League, and I am looking forward to seeing how she does this season for Reading. 

Tottenham - Shelina Zadorsky 

As I just said I have been impressed with the Canadians in the WSL and Zadorsky has been the perfect addition to the Spurs squad, and it is nice to see her as captain of the team. Zadorsky was one of my favourite Pride players during her time in Orlando and to be honest not much has changed since her move to Spurs I still enjoy watching her play as I think she is a brilliant defender with a lot of potential.

West Ham - Lisa Evans 

Lisa Evans was always one of my favourite players to watch at Arsenal and I felt she was often overshadowed there so I am looking forward to seeing her hopefully gain a lot more recognition from fans now she is a permanent West Ham player. With a lot of teams building to challenge for those top 3 spots I think Evans is going to be the perfect player for West Ham to be in contention for those higher positions in the table. 

It really is getting harder and harder each year to do these posts as the talent in the league is just getting better and better with no sign of slowing down anytime soon. These players that made the cut though are certainly who we are looking forward to seeing the most this season and it is going to be interesting to see what impact they have on their team this time around. 

Who are some of your ones to watch this season?

Arsenal vs Brighton

Arsenal and Brighton kicked off the new season on Friday evening in a brilliant game. Brighton were down to 10 in the early stages of the game and Arsenal took full advantage of that never once dropping the pressure of their attacks. Beth Mead carried on her fine from the Euros with two goals and showed us that her form from the summer is not slowing down anytime soon and she is once again going to play a key part in Arsenals season. It was nice to see Jordan Nobbs back on the pitch too after suffering an injury that kept her from being a part of the Lionesses Euro success, when she did enter the field it was like she never left and I think it is safe to say if she stays fit she is going to play a big part of Arsenals push for the top spot this season. 

Manchester United vs Reading

Saturday's only game also ended 4-0 with Manchester United getting their campaign off to a winning start. Reading just didn't seem to get going during the game and only had 2 shots in the 90 minutes compared to Man Utd's 24 which 4 ended up being goals. Of course Russo got herself on the score sheet as did captain Katie Zelem, who marked her 100th appearance for the club with a goal from the penalty spot. the best performance of the day though definitely came from debutant Maya Le Tissier who grabbed herself two goals from some great corners, I think it is safe to say it isn't a bad debut for someone playing as a central defender. 

Aston Villa vs Manchester City

Manchester City were looking to start their campaign with a victory, something which hasn't happened for numerous years but Aston Villa were not going to let that happen. Man City thought back from losing 2-0 to bring the game to 2-3 in the 55th minute but Villa pushed and pushed and walked away 4-3 winners taking all 3 points. With City losing a lot of key players in the summer it was always going to be an interesting opening game and Villa took the opportunity to show everyone they weren't to be written off this season. Rachel Daly marked her permanent return to the WSL with two goals on her debut showing us why she isn't a defender (still believe she needs to be played up front for both club and country) and she opened her Villa account in stunning fashion with a brilliant strike into the top corner. This Villa side are definitely capable of pulling off some surprise results this season and I am looking forward to seeing more of them. 

Leicester City vs Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur got off to a winning start with a 2-1 victory away at Leicester City. The hosts put up a fight but it wasn't enough to stop Tottenham taking away all 3 points. Ash Neville scored an absolutely fantastic goal to open her account for the season and poor Drew Spence scored for both teams. It is going to be interesting to see how both these teams do throughout this season. 

West Ham vs Everton

Everton were looking to get their season off to a great start after last seasons poor performances and they definitely stepped it up a gear by dominating most of the game against West Ham however, it was West Ham who took away all 3 points thanks to a Lisa Evans goal in the 45th minute. I am looking forward to seeing how Everton actually do this season as surely it has to be better than last time around. As for West Ham I think they could provide us with a few upsets and I can see Lisa Evans been a key player all season. 

Liverpool vs Chelsea

I think a lot of people will agree when we say newly promoted Liverpool provided us with the shock of the opening week as they beat reigning champions Chelsea 2-1 in front of a record crowd at Prenton Park. I don't think anyone predicted the game to go the way it did when Chelsea were awarded a penalty in the first minute however, two second half penalties for Liverpool saw them taking all 3 points away from the champions. Liverpool have shown us all just what they are capable of in the opening game as they kept pushing and pushing the full 97 minutes and dealt with the pressure from Chelsea well. It is great to see them back in the top flight and I am looking forward to seeing how they do this season. 

The opening weekend has definitely been a great one and coming off the back of an amazing summer of football it has hopefully helped keep up the momentum of the games growth and shown fans just what they can expect over the course of the season. Our performance of the week definitely has to go to Liverpool for their fantastic performance against Chelsea. 

What was your favourite game of the week? 

Here at Edge of the Area it took us a while to sit and do our WSL predictions post as when you look at the teams on paper this time around and their pre-season performances the league can easily go to anyone. We are hoping for a few surprises but here is how we think the league is going to look at the end of the season.

Chelsea

Arsenal

Manchester United

Manchester City

Aston Villa

Tottenham

West Ham

Brighton & Hove Albion

Liverpool

Reading

Everton

Leicester City

After recent years performances it is just so hard to pick anyone other than Chelsea winning the league, yes they have lost a few players this time around, but they have brought in some very strong players too and on paper the team just looks amazing. I can really see Arsenal making a big push for the top spot once again but again I can see them just falling short of this. Arsenal have definitely improved in recent years, and I think this season we are going to see the best out of them yet. As for that final Champions League spot I really do think Man Utd have it this season. They are just constantly improving and showing us how much of a threat they can be, they are another team who have improved on their squad's strength this off season and I think they will take some beating this time around. As for Man City it pains me to say this but I can't see them getting in the Champions League spots come the end of this season and I think they are going to struggle in those bigger games, there seems to be something going on at the club, they don't perform as well as they used to and where other teams have strengthened their squads Man City have lost a lot of key players all in one go. As for the bottom of the table I can see Leicester City being the team relegated at the end of the season, I just think the rest of the league will prove a bit too much for them. I can see Everton being down there with them though fighting for survival but I think they will just do enough to guarantee their spot in the WSL in the 23/24 season.

So there you have it that is how we think the table will look come the end of the season. As I said earlier in the post I think we are in for an interesting season which honestly could go either way. This was definitely the hardest predictions post we have done recently as year after year it is getting more and more difficult to work out just which team has the strongest squad, I guess that just goes to show how much the women's game is constantly improving. 

Who do you think will finish in the top 3 of the league this time around?

Following on from our part 1 post we have the second half of this seasons WSL table. These teams are definitely teams with a lot of potential but are they going to reach it this season or are we going to see some upsets? The teams in part 2 of this post are teams that definitely have a lot of potential to really push for improvements on last seasons finishing position but will things go to plan for these teams or are they going to struggle? So here is the breakdown of the teams in the second half of the table...

Liverpool 

It is so good to see Liverpool back in the top flight this season as I really don't believe they should have been relegated in the first place, with the players they had if they had some more backing they would have definitely remained in the top flight rather than heading down to the championship. They are looking like a really good side on paper and I am hoping to see some big performances from them this season as I believe they have the potential to pull off some big upsets if the team settles into the league quickly. I never thought I would say this but... I am looking forward to watching Liverpool play this season.

Manchester City

I have always been hopeful about Man City's chances going into the new season, until this season. I don't know why but I just can't see them do as well as they have in the past. They have lost a lot of key players that really help the team out last season when they were struggling, yes they have brought some great players in but those leaving are leaving big holes in positions they solidified as their own. They are going to have to keep those key players injury free all season as the teams around them are looking stronger than ever. I think it is going to be an interesting season to be a Man City fan.

Manchester United

Manchester United to me are looking like a dangerous side heading into the new season. They have shown some great performances in the off season and they have some of the Euro standout players in their squad whilst adding even more depth to positions where they already look threatening. I think we could easily see Man Utd having their best season in the top flight & see them cause some upsets against those big teams. We have season tickets to the club now and I have to say I am really looking forward to going to as many games as possible as I think we are going to see some brilliant games from them. 

Reading

Reading are a team that always look to have a lot of potential but never seem to get the results. I didn't get to see much of them last season but fingers crossed I can see much more of them this time around and let's hope we see some big performances from them with players really stepping up and making a name for themselves. Reading finished 8th last season and I am sure we will see them pushing to improve on that position this time around but with some big challenges in the opening weeks they are going to have to gel quickly & hit the ground running. 

Tottenham

Tottenham were a bit of a surprise team last season and we saw them finishing in the top half of the table, something that honestly I didn't expect to see. Can they build on last season though and create some big upsets and improve on last seasons positioning? It is definitely going to be interesting to watch them this time around and I am hoping to watch a lot more of their games than I did last season. They are definitely a dark horse in the league at the moment and it just makes you wonder how much of a push they can make to finish in the top 3.

West Ham

Strangely West Ham are a team we have watched live a lot of times in the past and we have actually enjoyed watching them play, this season is no different. We saw them finish last season in 6th place and they definitely have the potential to push for a higher finish this time around. They have had a fair few departures but at the same time we have seen them make some great signings and contract extensions. I am looking forward to seeing how Lisa Evans settles in for her first season as a permanent West Ham player as I can see her having a big impact on performances. 

As I said earlier each of these teams holds a lot of potential to cause upsets and improve on last years positioning. I am really looking forward to seeing how Liverpool do on their return to the top flight as on paper they have some fantastic players who can really make a difference. As for the rest of these teams I think we are in for an interesting season which is hopefully as competitive as last season was rather than us seeing one team running away with the league leaving everyone else behind. 

Bring on the start of the season.

The teams in the WSL kick off their season this weekend which has been a long time coming for a lot of us fans. We have been spoilt with a fantastic summer of football as the Euros exceeded a lot of peoples expectations, alongside capturing a whole host of new fans ready to watch the new season of top flight English football. We have seen ticket sales rise and a whole host of brilliant transfers across the league so we are sure to be in for a great season all round with a whole host of teams challenging for that top spot and those Champions League spots. There has been plenty of change across the league with players coming and going which going to hopefully make for a very competitive season. So here is a breakdown of the first half of the teams in the league...

Arsenal 

Arsenal are a team with a whole lot of potential, they are a team filled with some quality players and I really do think that this season we could see them really push in the title race. They have European champions in their team who are in fantastic form and they have kept hold of Miedema and signed Swedish international Hurtig which just strengthens their attacking options. With Nobbs returning from injury too if she can stay injury free I am hoping we see a very promising season from her. I am genuinely looking forward to watching Arsenal play this season. 

Aston Villa

In my opinion Villa don't seem to have messed around this off season, yes they have had a fair few departures but at the same time they have brought in some great players who can really boost their push to improve on last seasons finishing. Littlejohn has signed a new contract extension but the biggest one for me is them bringing Rachel Daly home permanently, I certainly wasn't expecting to see her leave Houston but I think she is going to prove a great threat for them and if she settles in quickly I think we could see some great performances coming from Villa with her in the squad.

Brighton & Hove Albion 

We saw Brighton finish 7th last season and I can only see Hope Powell wanting to really improve on this during the 22/23 season. They have lost a big player with Le Tissier going to Manchester United but with Powell's coaching ability I think we could really see them put up a fight and possibly cause an upset or two in the league. Will they get above that 7th place? Who knows but I would like to think that we wouldn't see them in those bottom 3 spots in the league come the end of the season. Brighton are definitely a team I want to watch more of this season as I feel I haven't seen much of them in recent years.

Chelsea

There have been a fair few departures from Chelsea this off season and the scary part is they already have the backups for those players leaving and they also look as dangerous as the departures. Which ever way you look at it Chelsea are a very scary looking team attacking, defensive and even on the bench the quality available to Hayes week in week out is unreal, add in the new signings such as French International Perisset they just look better and better. They were nearly caught out by Arsenal last year though and I can see it being a close call with them two teams once again but Hayes starts the season with a plan and the victories always seem to follow. 

Everton

I think it is safe to say Everton really struggled last season, we saw them finishing 10th out of the 12 teams in the league and they just never looked up to scratch. With only 5 wins all season I don't think any of us fans of the league expected it especially with the players capability on paper. They have had a lot of departures before the start of the season and they definitely need to rebuild and reset for the start of the season as those teams around them have built up some strong squads and if Everton continue where they left off I think they could find themselves in trouble this time around. It is time for those players to really step it up.

Leicester

Leicester are another team that really struggled last season and we saw them battling to avoid relegation with Birmingham, luckily for Leicester they just about survived and will be in the WSL once again this season. It is bound to be a trying one for them though, they are another team who have had a fair few departures this off season and with how those around them last season have built on their squads I think we could see them having to put up another big fight to avoid relegation this season and honestly I am not sure if they can survive this season. I really do hope they surprise me and I am also hoping to watch a whole lot of their games this season so let's hope I get a nice surprise.

So that is the first half of the league covered check back tomorrow for part 2 covering the remainder of the league. It is safe to say we are excited for the league to restart on the 10th September and this is just the beginning of our WSL content this season, we have plenty more ideas in the pipeline and we are looking forward to seeing how this season plays out.

The Euros this summer have inspired so many people in different ways and here at Edge of the Area we have also been inspired by the brilliant football we have seen and that is why this season you will be seeing some changes from us on the website and social media. The summer left us questioning the direction we wanted to take the site in and we have settled on the fact that we want to solely focus on the women's game from now on, there might be the odd shirt post on social media but the women's game is where it is at now and we are looking forward to making this our main focus. This means a bit of a change around on the site will be happening in the next few weeks to with the main pages changing and a few new additions.

When the site started back in 2019 we seemed to focus on the FAWNL and we started to neglect the FAWSL which is the league that we were previously loving attending so we are going to be changing that this season. We will still be having the FAWNL as we will be at Bradford City doing match reports etc, but from now on we will also be adding a lot more FAWSL content as it has become much more accessible to us with more games on the TV and our internet actually allowing us to play the FA Player without buffering every two seconds.

 Pre-pandemic & starting the site we would venture over to Manchester quite a bit to go watch Man City play however, with the site taking up a fair bit of time we ended up just staying closer to home but it is safe to say that is changing this season. We already have a few Man City games booked in with the aim of booking even more but we also have season tickets for Man Utd this season. Liam has decided that he is a supporter of Man Utd and with season tickets being just £39 each we couldn't resist and we are really looking forward to heading to those games where they don't clash with anything else we have planned. If we aren't at a game though you bet we will be watching whatever game is available on the TV that day or whatever is been shown on the FA Player. 

So what can you expect with us adding more FAWSL content to the site? Well there will be some match reports going up for some of the games we watch, we have found since starting the site match reports are some of our favourite pieces of content to create so if we can get more of these done weekly that will be great. We are also toying with the idea of adding more match previews for the league along with possibly some player profiles over the course of the season, the big thing we want to do those is player interviews with players across all the women's league, this is definitely aiming high but lets hope that as the site grows we can get a few interviews posted. We will also be live tweeting a few games that we are watching from home, this might be one or two a day but we will see how things go as it is still new to us, it is something we are looking forward to doing though and there will be polls to see which games people would like to see us cover.

We are definitely planning on stepping things up a gear this season and we are looking forward to adding even more content to the site each week with a mix of the leagues whilst focusing on the women's game. The countdown to the start of the FAWSL is on and we couldn't be anymore excited for the opening weekend. This season should be a very good one.

If there is any specific FAWSL content you would like to see on the site let us know. 

Exactly one month on from that fantastic Euros win we were sat in yet another stadium watching another very interesting game of football. This time we were watching local team Bradford City Women take on Barnsley Women, with City searching for their first points of the season it was always bound to be a good game as the team gave it their all to get those points but unfortunately at the full time whistle it was Barnsley who walked away will all 3 points and a 0-1 victory. 

The game was mostly well contested in the middle of the park with both teams midfields and defences working really well to put their opponents under pressure and try create a chance for their team. The middle of the field definitely saw a lot of action but unfortunately did the goal City were defending with 'keeper Kirkham having to pull some fantastic saves off in each half with some of the more spectacular ones taking place in the first half to keep the score line 0-0 going into half time.

City had a fair few chances of their own during the game and although they were moving the ball really well around the field, linking up to create some dangerous looking attacks they just couldn't seem to find a shot that really challenged the Barnsley 'keeper. Throughout the full 90 minutes though they were doing well at putting Barnsley under pressure and had them scrambling at the back at times. Barnsley were definitely in front when it came to shots on goal though and it didn't take long after half time for them to a brilliant goal, a lob over the City 'keeper, which would be the goal that sealed the victory for them. 

The officials for this game didn't really help the game as at times things started to get a bit heated both on the touchline and on the pitch with a few clear card opportunities not taken with silly little challenges then going on to be punished. Lengthy injury delays, one for a head injury to City's Stuart & a Barnsley defender and then a challenge where 'keeper Kirkham got injured making a challenge for which she saw a yellow card plus the delays for talking to players to explain decisions seemed to have players stood around for a very long time yet there didn't seem to be much time added on to either half which left us fans in the stand a little confused and I am sure with the momentum City had in the final 5 minutes of the game any extra time would have been greatly appreciated. 

Even after going 0-1 though City kept up the pressure and again were really chasing for that equaliser that unfortunately never came, they never looked like dropping their heads though and after 3 tough results in the league now their attitude and determination doesn't seem to have dropped one bit and you can see they are hungry to get some points on the table and hit the ground running in the league. All the team had a great game really with Woodcock & Stuart seeming to have picked off where they left off last season and Stube & Norde putting in a great performance in midfield if they can just get that final product sorted out the team could really be a threat in the league. Watkins came on in the second half and she has impressed me this season with her speed, chasing the ball down and really putting the pressure on the defenders which came in handy against Barnsley and I am sure it is going to be an advantage to City during the season. O'Hanlon also had a good game making some great runs, reading the game well and holding up the ball ready to pass it off to another City player, as the season progresses and that link up with O'Hanlon and the City midfield settles down and gels a bit more I think we could see a lot of dangerous plays go through those players.

Our player of the match though has to go to Jakeman, City's right back for the evening. Throughout the game Jakeman was standing out to us with some great tracking back and winning the ball back in dangerous positions, keeping the ball in play to keep momentum going and also creating some great passages of play to get City moving forward. Her link up play on the right hand side was great, to say when we first started watching City Jakeman was in a midfield role she seems to be taking to the right back role really well and I am looking forward to seeing how she progresses throughout this season.

The wait for points this season continues for City but will they pick some up in their next game when they are on the road for a game against Stockport County, a team who have picked up 1 point this season so far. Let's hope results start going in City's favour soon.