Looking at the bottom 3 teams in the WSL2 after 6 games.

 Looking at the bottom 3 teams in the WSL2 after 6 games.

Portsmouth:

Portsmouth have been suffering with an injury crisis so far. It got to such a point that they had to cancel their League Cup match against Charlton on the 19th of October, due to them only having 9 outfield players available to play. At the worst point of their injury crisis, which was the case against Southampton, they only had 4 players on the bench with one of those being their backup goalkeeper, Comfort Erharbor. It's a difficult task to really get any consistency when the team has been forced into so many different starting XI's this early into the season. 

Jay Sadler opted to switch from playing a 4231 starting lineup for the first 3 games, to a 532 to play with an extra CB to make use of the starters that are fit. They average the 2nd lowest possession % in the league through 6 games with 43%(despite the data being incomplete due to their game against Bristol not having any public data as the stream was riddled with visual issues). While it's not uncommon for teams in this league to play a lot of long passes, Pompey don't look after the ball especially well and do look to clear the ball long fairly often when they are able to win the ball back deep in their half.

In terms of their defensive woes, their total of 16 goals conceded, they're averaging over 2.7 goals shipped per game so far this season and, while 9 of those have come in the last 2 games. They have conceded 3 penalties already this season and, for their height at the back with Greta Humphries and Hannah Coan as their first choice centre-back pair, they don't defend set-pieces or open play crosses especially well, as was the case when they conceded twice from crosses in their 3-2 defeat against Ipswich (insert the goals). The team doesn't deal well with 2nd balls as the midfield can often get overrun by the opposition press and even when they do manage to hold onto the ball, they often look to play forward quickly which makes them have to run after the ball again as their long ball accuracy is lacking (again hard to get a proper read on the data due to the data for the game against Bristol not being released).

Their fullback/wing-backs have also not been consistently lining up together since their game against Ipswich. The switch to a 5 back system has given Jazz Bull (RWB) and Tia Primmer (LWB but she's a converted winger) more attacking responsibilities on their flanks as the 2 also have quite high starting positions off the ball in order to pressure the opposing wide players higher up the pitch. Bull has been targeted less frequently compared to the left flank (even before Primmer took over Izzy Collins role on the left) which was especially the case in their loss to Southampton where Isabel Watts and Abbie Ferguson were able to take on Primmer down that flank frequently. Deanne Rose did an excellent job of exploiting their left side in their 4-1 loss to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground by consistently getting into the spaces that were left by Primmer and Coan on that left side to create plenty of chances in the box.

Rose receives the ball by the touchline with Primmer near her.

Rose bursts into the space left in behind.

Freya Thomas gets on the end of Rose's cross to her for a shot.

Later, Rose looks like she's going to break towards the touchline.

She stops and is able to turn inside and burst towards the goal.

Rose is then able to play the ball in behind after facing up Hannah Coan.

The squad overall does have quite a lot of individual attacking talent that gives them some threat when they are able to get into the final 3rd and their focal point player this season has been Meg Hornby. Hornby tended to start as a RW last season, as she looks to cut inside on her left foot to shoot and get crosses in on her left foot curling inwards. This season she's been played on the left wing and as a number 9 due to an injury to starting number 9 Emma Jones which has kept her out since the 3rd match. Hornby's role as the 9 has often to be the player that Pompey look to on the break due to her willingness to play with her back to goal and she has often been willing to take the ball into the wide left channel to use the width and get the ball into the final 3rd to either cross the ball to the back post or cut the ball back to the top of the box for  an onrushing teammate to get on the end of. In Jessie Gale they have an energetic forward/attacking midfielder that can play on the left or as a 2nd striker that makes use of the space that Hornby leaves ahead of her. Gale's energy on and off the ball allows Pompey to have a presence on the right flank when they look to play the ball down the line and also means that she can be well positioned to counter-press when they do turn the ball over as the team turns the ball over at quite a high rate.

Ella Rutherford, like Gale, hasn't been a permanent starter but has made a real impact off the bench in her 82 minutes of league action as she really suits the central role that she has been given as an attacking midfielder/number 8 with her willingness to play line-breaking passes and operate in between the lines as a presence that Pompey lack when she's not on the field. One of their first signings over the summer was Rugby Borough winger/attacking midfielder, Angelina Nixon who has made a big impact in her limited minutes. Her goal off the bench against Ipswich was an excellently hit shot from 30+ yards out and, for as good as it was, it did somewhat highlight a big problem with Portsmouth's attack in that they struggle to create consistent chances in the box. That said, Nixon is, like Rutherford, a very creative player that is confident when she's on the ball out wide or when she gets the ball centrally as she will take on her opponents to drive the ball forwards which is an aspect of Portsmouth's play where she has the biggest impact of any of her teammates.

While she has been played in between as a number 8 and a number 6 this season, Jemima Dahou still looks like she has plenty of room to improve in this team as she has been played as a 6 in her last 2 starts in a 3 player midfield. Dahou is a very talented player on the ball that has previously shown a decent ability to progress the ball out from midfield and offer some press resistance with her ball carrying in tighter spaces. Ideally her defensive contributions will continue to tick up as that side of her game still needs development although she does look like she has already improved this season compared to her last season at Blackburn.

Portsmouth really struggled for most of last season before a late season purple patch saw them survive narrowly after being rock bottom for a sizeable chunk of the season. Their recruitment of younger players that aren't in their primes yet has found them plenty of solid talents, but mixed with their injury crisis and the high turnover of players in the summer, it could be another struggle for them to stay up this season based on how they have been playing so far. 

Ipswich:

Ipswich have adapted to life in the 2nd tier surprisingly well and the best example of this was their 0-0 draw away against promotion challengers Charlton Athletic in week 2. Manager Joe Sheehan has opted to line his team up in a 4231 for each game this season which allows their shape to quickly recover when they lose the ball in the opposition's half as Jenna Dear can easily move alongside Rianna Dean in the press. They have also experimnted with a back 3 in their build-up to push their LB higher up the pitch and using more of the width while allowing Sophie Peskett more freedom on the right flank. Dear, along with summer signing Rianna Dean, form a very narrow front 2 out of possession that has made it difficult at times for opposition defences to play the ball through the middle and their wingers are very quick to push up when the ball goes wide. The shape can also look like a back 5 at times off the ball when they're being pushed back or when they need extra help dealing with wide threats. 

They've been able to put out a fairly consistent starting XI in the league so far before Bethan Roe picked up a pretty ridiculous red card for hitting out at Sheffield United's Tilly Bristow after a foul. The former Charlton player had been playing between LB and number 8 before her red card and she had been fairly consistent as she was able to find spaces in midfield as an 8 or she could push inside from the left when she was starting as a LB. Similarly to Portsmouth, they average around 45% possession and don't protect the ball especially well as (this is also the case league wide) they can look to clear the ball long quite often. 

Arguably their star players have been 2 of their attack-minded players. In Sophie Peskett they have one of the most exciting right-sided wingers in the league who currently is the joint leader in assists tied with Annabel Blanchard and Jess Simpson of Crystal Palace and Southampton respectively. Peskett did finish last season as the WNL South top scorer with 23 goals, and her 8 assists put her 1 behind teammates Lucy O'Brien & Kyra Robertson at the top of the assist leaderboards. She is yet to score yet this season, but she's a player that loves to go 1v1 with her fullback opponent down the line. Most of Ipswich's best attacks do come down her side - partially because they currently don't have any naturally left-footed players on their left side - as she's developed chemistry with Jenna Dear in the 10 and Grace Neville at RB where they all can either push all the way to the touchline or make use of the inside right channels. She's not opposed to cutting inside from the right flank to look to play in central areas to look to play the ball into the box from dangerous areas while facing up the back 4.

Peskett faces up with the space seemingly ahead of her.

She takes her time and then shapes to carry inside.

Peskett managed to get the ball into the centre before playing the ball into the box for Rianna Dean.

Against Southampton, she's moved inside near Lucy O'Brien to burst into the space that is in behind Southampton's midfield line.

Her acceleration is able to push her closer to the centre and gradually creates even more space.

Peskett now has a completely free space to carry the ball into in Southampton's half.

She then releases the ball back to Lucy O'Brien who carried on her run to provide an extra option.

2 of Peskett's 3 assists have come from her precise crosses against Portsmouth. In that game she was also unlucky not to get a 3rd assist in that game as another one of her crosses found Rianna Dean in space in the box from just outside of the box. She's also a very smart presser off the ball which allows her to create turnovers high up the pitch and that's also how she got her 3rd assist of the season vs Sheffield United on a poor back pass.

Rianna Dean arrived in the summer after her last season with Southampton was cut short due to a lengthy injury to her knee after scoring 5 goals in 8 appearances (5 starts). So far this season she's been excellent in the air and has been the focal point for Ipswich players to look for in central areas. Partly due to her hold-up play with her back to goal and her aerial ability has contributed to her 3 goals this season. She's still getting to grips with having the presence of Jenna Dear next to her as Dear tends to be the player that will run beyond her when Ipswich are able to hold the ball up and face the defence. Dean herself is able to make good runs off the ball as well off the shoulder of the centre-backs to stretch the back line with her pace. Overall she's played a big part in Ipswich's attack so far this season with her skillset being so well-rounded for a number 9.

One of the biggest sources of their goals conceded has been from corners, due to their difficulty clearing the ball in the 2nd phase (if the ball hasn't already gone into the back of the net). In their first game this season against Southampton they conceded from 3 corners and one of their 4 goals against Birmingham before the international break was a poorly dealt with in the 2nd phase. One consistent theme has been that the goalscorer has ended up with far too much room around them to get their shot/header off as they've not been tracked to a good enough extent or the defender has been slow to react to the initial cross in during the 2nd phase. 

Mary Bashford is near Negri in the 6 yard box before she peels off to attack the ball.

Unchallenged, Bashford heads in at the near post.

After initially clearing Birmingham's corner, Ji spots Quinn in space on the right wing.

Quinn is able to get her cross off in time.

Chelsea Cornet has space to head the cross into the far corner after not being closed.

Sheffield United:

This Sheffield United team is somewhat fortunate to still be in the division as Blackburn's failure to support their women's team saw them re-form their team in the 5th tier, allowing Sheffield back into the 2nd tier after they finished last in the WSL2 last season. Sheffield deserve credit however, as they recruited smartly this summer as their two star players in Amy Andrews and Charlie Devlin both arrived as free agents from fellow WSL2 teams Newcastle United and Birmingham City respectively. This team is arguably a bit unlucky to be 10th in the league, as they've been very competitive in their first 6 games, and they've already faced promotion hopefuls Birmingham, which they narrowly lost in the final minutes. Their 352 setup looks much more solid off the ball, and when they need to line up in a deep block against tough opposition they're able to really clog the spaces between the lines to make it harder for teams to play through them.

Charlie Devlin, as mentioned earlier, has been a huge addition to the club after arriving as a free agent in the summer after leaving Birmingham City in the summer. She operates mainly as a 2nd striker/number 10 that has licence to move quite freely when Sheffield have the ball.

Devlin's heatmap for this season.

She's currently 7th in the league for the most successful dribbles with 21 total successful dribbles which works out at 3.2 per game at a 70% success rate and is a massive help as she can win fouls to relieve the pressure when they have the ball in and around the final 3rd. Devlin has also played the 3rd most key passes in the league with 11 so far which isn't a surprise as she is Sheffield's main creative source. Sheffield's on ball play can look a bit heliocentric (which, debatably, is neither good or bad) around Devlin and her average of 57 touches per 90 is quite impressive in a fairly small sample size and she takes a good amount of their set-pieces,

Sheffield's other attacking star this season is Amy Andrews. Similarly to Devlin, Andrews arrived in the summer seeking starting minutes after being used as a subsitute for most of her solitary season with Newcastle. She's a very pacey forward that can also act like a winger to take on the fullback on the left side. That role last year was often occupied by Maria Farrugia, who is now a Bristol City player, and the part of Farrugia's game that was quite weak was her ability in the 1v1 on the wings which didn't allow her to get the ball as her best attritbute was her ball striking when she had space ahead of her. This season she's often found herself around the inside left channel in the final 3rd to get on the end of balls upfield towards her where she can look to run at defences or hold the ball up and wait for overlaps. It's not all togethere a new trend but her tendency to hang around in the inside channels does mean that Sheffield can lack the central 9 presence that could win them more games. There is hope amongst Sheffield United fans that Joy Ralph can eventually be that presence that can play off of Devlin and Andrews.

In Abbie Lafayette and Jess Reavill they now have 2 wide CB's that can operate high and wide on the ball allowing Leanne Cowan and Sophie O'Rourke to operate high themselves as the wing-backs. Cowan especially is keen on playing high to provide the option of going out to the wide right where she can combine with Devlin to find space in behind the opposing fullback or take them on off the dribble. The best example of this was against Ipswich when she was able to find a huge amount of space ahead of her on a fast break where Devlin was able to draw in the Ipswich defenders to her on the left flank, allowing Cowan to sprint into the vacated space to shoot 1v1.

Defensively, their biggest struggle - which they've since improved on and similarly to Ipswich - has been crosses into the box, as this was something that Sunderland were able to exploit in their 4-0 opening day loss at home. Katy Watson was able to create plenty of dangerous opportunities down Sheffield's left flank with her 5 crosses and her 6 successful dribbles out of her 7 attempts and the first one she was part of created space for Marissa Sheva to curl the ball towards Emily Scarr in the middle of the goal (11:15). The 1st goal of the game (40:00) came from a transition situation where Watson was again able to run down the line before getting her own cross into the back post for Izzy Atkinson to volley the ball into the back of the net. The final example is from the corner that made it 2-0 to Sunderland as Natasha Fenton's lofted ball to the back post found Rhiannon Roberts who managed to create a massive amount of space, in part due to Tammi George losing concentration for a split second and then Marissa Sheva smartly screened George to give Roberts the extra time to have a completely uncontested header.

Katy Watson ran the ball down the line before finding Sheva behind her in space to cross for Scarr.

Scarr misses the cross but the ball went into a very dangerous area.

For the first goal, Watson has the space ahead of her to carry the ball into.

Watson gets her cross into the box and Reavill doesn't pick up/notice Atkinson behind her.

Atkinson fires the ball low and beyond Parker-Smith.

Roberts at the top of the box finds space to run into from the corner.

She breaks away from George to attack the back post.

Her looping header makes it 2-0 to Sunderland.

Why Birmingham have the best wide players in the WSL2

Why Birmingham have the best wide players in the WSL2

Birmingham missed out on promotion by 2 points on the final game of the 2024/25 Women's Championship (now WSL2) and one of the key areas they looked to strengthen over the summer was their wide depth. The Blues allowed Choe Yu_Ri to leave in the summer, and Lucy Quinn missed a large part of last season due to injury. Lee Geum-Min has been moved to the bench after playing a big portion of last season on the left flank.  With new signings Lily Crosthwaite and Veatriki Sarri coming straight in to the starting lineup, the Blues are now enabled to more effectively use the wide areas and have more direct threats on their wings. 

 

Rebecca McKenna & Rebecca Holloway have fairly similar roles within the team to provide width in the build-up stages & occupy the spaces that open up when the ball goes out to the wingers. Because of Birmingham's high defensive line, they're both able to break up the pitch quickly when the ball turns over in the defensive or middle 3rds. It seems so basic - because it is - but Birmingham have been able to constantly have their wingers stay wide in the middle 3rd or when they're nearing the final 3rd for the fullbacks to underlap them to exploit the spaces opened up by the opposing defences not picking them up when the play slows down.

 

Rebecca McKenna has been a constant source of energy on the right flank for Birmingham so far and, although she has not directly contributed to a goal, she's been cleverly picking up spaces on the inside right channel to create space for her to carry into the box and fire in crosses to the back post where her teammates have been in position for any rebounds that have come back out to them. Against Bristol, she was able to pick up space as the midfield line hadn't recovered, so she was a short option for Simone Magill who had peeled into the wide right channel. Her eventual deflected cross forced a save out of Fran Bentley in goal. Similarly, against Newcastle this weekend, she was a big part of the Blues' 2nd goal as she had rotated ahead of Crosthwaite on the right flank to move into the space vacated by Demi Stokes closing down the English winger. Crosthwaite's ball in behind allowed McKenna to get into the box which panicked the Newcastle defence into a botched clearance, and made it 2-0.

Magill with the ball on the right and McKenna has space ahead of her.

McKenna gets on the ball near the box.

 

She gets into the box to get her cross off. The cross forces Bentley into a good save.

 

 

 

Rebecca Holloway was part of 2 almost identical goals in the first game of the season against Bristol City as she was able to pick the ball up in space against a fairly settled Bristol back line where she, in the case of the first goal, laid the ball off outside to Sarri while continuing her run inside the Greek winger to square the ball across the box for Magill to backheel in. The 2nd saw Sarri holding the width again on the left before slipping Holloway through to fire another low cross towards the 6 yard box for Magill to finish past Bentley again. 

 

Holloway lays the ball wide to Sarri.

Sarri returns the ball to Holloway.

 

Holloway gets her cross in. Magill backheels it in.

Similar to the first goal, Holloway is on the inside of Sarri looking to run into the space. She gets another low cross off. Magill is able to score under Bentley

 

On the right wing new signing, Lily Crosthwaite has been a big upgrade to start the season as they finally have a definitive starting player there compared to last season where they rotated - in part due to injuries - between Cho Yu-Ri, Lucy Quinn & Ava Baker. Her hot start has seen her bag 2 goals & 1 assist in her opening 3 games off the right which has been due to her excellent spatial recognition on & off the ball, her ability to beat her opposing fullback off the dribble - which is something she looks more comfortable doing compared to last season when she was at Durham - and her crossing which is now at a respectable 33% (Sofascore) success rate. Similar to McKenna behind her, Crosthwaite likes to stay wider to hold width down the right flank. As alluded to earlier, their dynamic often sees Crosthwaite get on the ball out wide at a fairly early stage of possession, where she can hold the ball up & face up her opposing fullback to allow time for McKenna to underlap her into the space created by the fullback pushing out to mark the English winger or any gaps that can appear nearer to the inside-right near the opposing midfield line.

Crosthwaite's speed off the ball does make her a target for balls in behind which can play into when they look to play more direct as they possess good long ball players in Lucy Thomas & Shannon Cooke who can find her from deep positions. There have been times when she has pushed inside off the ball by staying narrow and either positioning herself between left-centre-back and left-back to receive through balls to attack the goal or she can carry into the box and look to cross from close range on her right foot where she can even use the outside of her right foot to curve the ball like a left footer would in that position.

 

Lily Crosthwaite picks up the ball on the right flank.

She gets by her 2 defenders and into the box.

 

Once she's in the box, she spots the run at the back post & attempts to cross on the outside of her right foot.
Holloway narrowly misses the cross at the back post.

 

The other new signing on the wing for Birmingham was Veatriki Sarri, who joined after leaving Everton on a free to rejoin the Blues after leaving in 2022 after 1 season in the top tier. Whereas Crosthwaite is really only comfortable playing on her right foot, the Greek winger is much more comfortable playing with both feet as she can carry, shoot & pass the ball on the left flank. This versatility allows her to cut inside on her right foot or to go down the line where she can play the ball into the box on her left foot. This was best showcased by her goal against Sunderland where she received the ball from Simone Magill on the left wing before facing up Jess Brown who kept backing off, allowing her to move the ball towards the penalty spot while wrong-footing Brown before curling the ball into the far side of the goal. 

Sarri on the ball cutting inside.

She faces up Brown on the ball.

 

She chooses to cut towards the middle of the goal.

 

Her shot flies by Brown.

And into the far corner.

 

  

WSL2 ones to watch 2025/26

WSL2 ones to watch 2025/26

We're only a short time away from the start of the new WSL2 season for 2025/26. So I wanted to present 2 players per team that will be worth keeping an eye on for next season. They're not necessarily the best players for each of their teams, they're just the players who I, and the people that I've asked, think could have big seasons ahead of them.

Birmingham City FC

Lucy Thomas

Lucy Thomas was one of the best keepers in the division last season and ended with the 2nd most clean sheets (6), despite missing the last 7 games due to injury. A willing sweeper keeper who was not afraid of leaving her penalty area. Thomas also boasted an 82% save rate on decent volume of 3 saves per 90. She played the most accurate passes per 90 among goalkeepers (28) on good efficiency (88%). The overall quality around the league looks like it's continuing to improve, so Thomas will still have a massive role to play in Birmingham's push for promotion.

Honourable mention: Lily Crosthwaite 

Birmingham really spread out the goals last season with Simone Magill being their top scorer on 5 league goals, despite finishing a narrow 2nd behind promoted London City Lionesses. Crosthwaite was primarily a right-sided winger for Durham last season, and with Birmingham's wing depth this season, I could see her potentially getting some minutes on the left as well, which could help round out her skillset on the ball. She is rapid in behind, a big off ball threat and a fairly creative passer. Her dribbling numbers are impressive on the surface at 4.7 per 90, although she doesn't look the most confident facing up an opponent, so this could be something she looks to add to her game this season.

Bristol City FC

Lexi Lloyd-Smith

Lexi Lloyd-Smith was Bristol's top scorer last season at just 22 years old, and will likely be their likely focal point again this coming season - especially since Ffion Morgan left in the summer. She's smooth on the ball and she can play as a 9, 10 or out wide for Bristol. Lloyd-Smith can get a goal from out of pretty much anything: she can get on the end of crosses, face up her defender and curl into far post, or clean up rebounds by coming in from the top of the box.

Honourable mention: Maria Farrugia

New signing Farrugia arrives after two straight relegations with Lewes and Sheffield United (before Blackburn opted to self relegate meaning Sheffield were allowed back into the 2nd tier). Farrugia can play as a 9, a 10 and on the left, although I think she's best utilised as a 10. When she's able to play centrally, she's not asked to take on her player in isolation quite so much which is something she needs to improve on. Regardless, Farrugia is arguably one of the cleanest ball strikers on either foot in the league. Her goal catalogue from last season was fantastic, and she even won goal of the season (if timestamp doesn't work go to 3:10) for her thunderbolt vs Bristol. 

Charlton Athletic

Jodie Hutton

Jodie Hutton is usually the player that receives long passes on the left wing where she can cut inside or run down the line to curl in excellent crosses into the box. Hutton was Charlton's chief creator with 3 assists last season and she also was their dead-ball specialist. Last season she scored a frankly ridiculous 7 goals as a left wing-back. Her goal scoring frequency was helped by the fact that she was a keen box crasher, but she's also capable of scoring from outside the box.

Honourable mention: Kiera Skeels

The Addicks' club captain at just 23 years-old will be aiming to keep Charlton's defence as solid as it was for parts of last season, as they finished with the 3rd least goals conceded with 21. The former England u-23 international is an adept carrier on the ball, good in the air and can spray top quality long balls out to the channels from deep. There have even been times in recent seasons when Skeels has been tasked with playing in midfield to accommodate for injuries and she did a fairly solid job in those games. She's physically very strong and is a vocal presence in Charlton's defence.

Crystal Palace FC 

Annabel Blanchard

I certainly found it surprising that Blanchard was let go at the end of the 24/25 season before she re-signed with Crystal Palace in early August. The attacking midfielder ripped up the WSL2 back in 23/24, scoring 11 times and setting up 7 goals, to help Palace get promoted. Although she didn't look overly secure on the ball in the WSL, she's able to pass and shoot on either foot to a high enough level that she can cause defences plenty of problems. Blanchard has a really good eye for finding space in the final 3rd and her 4 goal tally from last season feels low given some of the chances she had. That said, there's a lot more to come from her as a number 10 for Palace.

Honourable mention: Ashleigh Weerden

Earlier in her career she was often played as a lb, but last season for Palace she got the chance to play as a winger on both flanks, as a second striker next to Katie Stengel, and even as a lone forward, so she's certainly versatile. Weerden is quick off the mark and actually really good at arriving in the box for crosses/cut-backs. If she's allowed some positional consistency next season, she could really give opposing fullbacks problems this coming season.

Durham FC

Mollie Lambert

Lambert is something of a workhorse number 10 who is very hardworking on and off the ball. She can also play off the left flank which allows her excellent ball carrying and movement in behind to cause havoc when she faces up, or looks to run in behind defences. She also perfectly suits Durham's fast counter-attacking/transitional style (they averaged 47% possession in a 4th placed finish). She finished with 7 goals and 3 assists and was a real threat on second chance rebound shots in the box.

Honourable mention: Michaela Foster

I'll admit there might be a bit of aesthetics bias in my pick here(due to there not being many left-footed midfielders in the league), but that's not to discount what Foster brings to this Durham team. Primarily a number 8/6 that played in a double pivot last season, Foster has a good passing range, can fill in at left-back and has good set-piece delivery. On that theme of dead ball delivery, she even scored an olimpico (directly from a corner)against Sheffield United last season.

Ipswich Town FC

Rianna Dean

Despite a season-ending injury early in the season, Dean was still Southampton's top scorer in the league last season. The striker has plenty of experience at this level and had a spell in the top tier with Spurs. Like a few other players I've mentioned/am going to mention, if she can stay fit, I can see Dean having a decent season based on her scoring nearly a goal for every start in the past 2 seasons (10 goals in 10 starts and 18 total appearances across 23/24 and 24/25). She is quick and is a right-footed forward,  but she can pretty cleanly finish on her left as well. Her long range goal away vs Sunderland (if timestamp doesn't work go to 2:55) is also well worth checking out.

Newcastle United FC

For Newcastle I asked the owner of Howay the lasses on Bluesky, Amy Devlin, which players she believes will play big parts in their push for promotion.

Elysia Boddy

"1 is obvious and it is Elysia Boddy. She had her debut WSL2 season cut short with a knee injury just as she was about to make her first England U23 start but is back this year and has had a full pre-season with us. She is a physical specimen, tremendous athlete - just check out any of her training photos - who dictates play in the middle of the park. Strong, difficult to get off the ball, very tidy passer and with an eye for a golazo. A future star in my opinion."

Honourable mention: Beth Lumsden

"2 is more difficult as we have a lot of players around the same sort of level but if forced to pick I'll go for Beth Lumsden. Good season last year but went under the radar given the performances of Shania Hayles, she has the potential to get even better. Two footed forward with great technique and composure who knows where the goal is and isn't afraid to have a pop. She could surprise this year for sure."

Nottingham Forest FC

Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah

The Ghanian forward actually scored the most important goal in London City Lionesses history when she scored the 2nd goal vs Birmingham in the last game of the 24/25 season. Capable of playing up front, she's also very willing to drop deep to help in progressing the ball. Boye-Hlorkah's work rate off the ball is a big asset to any team as she put up 6.2 ball recoveries a game last season. Her pinpoint assist for Issy Goodwin (if timestamp doesn't work go to 1:36) vs Southampton last season also showed off her creative vision.

Portsmouth FC

Meg Hornby

Meg Hornby was a big part of Portsmouth turning around their form in the 2nd half of last season as 5 out of her 6 goal contributions (2 goals and 4 assists) came after the new year. Portsmouth's recruitment has looked impressive from an attacking standpoint this summer, but Hornby will still be an important part of their attack, as she will look to use her killer left foot and ability to cut inside or go down the line to secure Portsmouth's position in the WSL2 for another season. 

Honourable mention: Jemima Dahou

If there's one player that I've got really high hopes for this season, it's Jemima Dahou. A former Man City academy graduate who spent the last 2 seasons with Blackburn (the first on a dual registration and the second as a permanent first team player). The 19 year-old English creative midfielder is an incredibly smooth ball carrier, incredibly press-resistant - being able to turn in a phone box - and has top quality vision. My hope for this season is that most of Portsmouth's play in midfield will go through Dahou, as she can be a real creative game changer when she's got time to play a killer pass.

Sheffield United FC 

For this section I asked Ben Meakin of BladesPod and the Women Of Steel newsletter for who he thinks can help Sheffield this season.

Amy Andrews

"United’s first signing of the summer is the one I’m most excited to see: striker Amy Andrews. I’d been casting my eye over other clubs’ released lists while I waited for United’s own, and of all the free agents Andrews was the one that I most wanted us to go for following her release by Newcastle. She’s been an excellent second-tier forward for the last few years, and ranked second out of all forwards last season (minimum 10 appearances) for chances created per game. United scored a pathetic 12 goals total last season; I’m hoping her arrival will see that number jump up significantly."

Honourable mention: Joy Ralph

"The other player I’m excited to see is Andrews’ probable strike partner, Irish U19 striker Joy Ralph. Ralph is, by my reckoning, the first player United have ever spent money on, arriving for an undisclosed fee from Shamrock Rovers this summer. She was immediately handed the number 9 shirt in what looks to be a pretty big indicator of the role she’ll have in the team. I got to see her first-hand in an U21 game last week and her movement and touch look well ahead of anything we had last season. Potentially, a very exciting player for the season ahead and beyond."

Southampton FC

Fran Stenson

There are flashier names at Southampton, but I think Fran Stenson will be really called upon again this season. Stenson is 24 now and has 2 full seasons as a starter at this level. She's not the most proactive keeper off her line, but her rangy arms and tall frame play a big part in her shot stopping quality, which is something that could be key for Southampton improving this season. Her 6.2 accurate long balls (62% of which were accurate) is also pretty impressive for a goalkeeper.

Honourable mention: Ellie Brazil

If there's one thing that Southampton lacked last season, it was a consistent goalscorer. Yes, they were absolutely ravaged by injuries, but in Ellie Brazil (unfortunately she's also had a rough injury history) they have a number 9 that's athletic, tall and loves to run onto passes in behind. Like many others I've mentioned, she can do a decent job across the front line and was part of an attacking pair at times with Charlton last season, so I wouldn't be surprised if she lines up next to Emma Harries as a front 2 at times.

Sunderland AFC

Eleanor Dale

A former Everton academy player, Eleanor Dale finished her first full season as a Sunderland player with 8 goals and 2 assists in the league. Not to mention her 4 goal haul against Exeter City in the FA Cup. She shows great composure in the box and can out-muscle her defenders to create space for herself. Dale moves really well for someone who is very tall and she doesn't play an especially gangly style. Her 17% shot conversion rate last season was pretty good, but this can still improve and her goal frequency of 1 goal every 160 minutes put her 3rd for number 9's, behind only top scorers Shania Hayles and Isobel Goodwin.

Honourable mention: Katie Kitching

A 5 goal and 5 assists season saw the New Zealand international put up a productive season for the Black Cats. Her deadly set-piece delivery to set up teammates, and even to go for goal herself, made up for her low touch volume in a possession shy Sunderland team that only averaged 42% possession in 2024/25. Her open play crosses also created chaos in the box, and she was arguably unlucky not to notch more assists last season as her 1.7 key passes was enough to put her 4th in the league in that metric, behind Kosovare Asllani in first with 3.4. She can score from outside the box and can finish on either foot in the box. Her off-ball movement is smart enough to get her in behind defences to make the most of Sunderland's fairly direct play.