Following the Women’s Game: England’s Time to Shine

It’s an exciting time for women’s football in England. The English women’s team won the 2022 Euros for the first time (it came home!) and attendance at the final match set a record for a men or women’s Euro final. The Women’s Super League (WSL) kicks off in a months’ time, with the Foxes set to take on Everton for the first match of the season on September 11^th.

As we embark on the 2022/2023 season let’s get to know our Lady Foxes and the WSL. The 2021/2022 season was the first season in the women’s top tier for Leicester City. I doubt any of us know as much about the Lady Foxes as we’d like (I surely do not), so here’s our chance to rectify that. I’ll be following them this season and hope you’ll come along for the ride.

First, there are a few differences to note between the WSL and the Premier League. There are only 12 teams in the WSL. Chelsea are the current champions (as well as the 20/21 and 19/20 champs and so on. There are more seasons they were champs, but my pride keeps me from cataloging any more). They’re also the likely favorites to win this upcoming season, with one of the best players in the world still on their roster in Sam Kerr. Perhaps you’ve heard of her before.

Runners up from last season, Arsenal are the club most likely to challenge for the title. To those of you who don’t live under a rock, you’ll notice familiar faces on their roster (Euro’s Player of the Tournament, Beth Mead to name one). Rounding off the top three of the table is Manchester City. Euro’s final hero Chloe Kelly will hope to carry over her good fortune into the season and help the Citizens challenge for the top of the table.

This brings us to an important point in the table for the WSL. Unlike the men’s league, the Champions League is the only European competition for the women at the moment. So only the top three teams progress to play in Europe, with all three moving to the group stage of the Champions League.

Outside of the European spots, many of the clubs will be familiar faces from the men’s league: Manchester United, Tottenham, West Ham, Brighton, Aston Villa, and Everton. Reading has been a mainstay in the women’s top tier since 2016, while the men’s team hasn’t been seen in the top tier since 2013. They finished 8^th last season, and it seems likely this streak will continue.

Rounding out the bottom, are Leicester City who finished 11^th in a relegation scrap with Birmingham City. The Foxes prevailed with Birmingham dropping down to the Women’s Championship. Newly promoted Liverpool will take the 12^th spot for the 2022/2023 season. The sole club that finishes in last place on the table drops to the league below. The margins are slim at the bottom and the top of the table, with relegation or Europe in the balance. How will the Foxes fare this season?