An original writer for Impetus, Connor Wroe begins a two part in depth review of the year 2020 in women’s football. This first part covers the FA Women’s Super League, UEFA Women’s Champions League, FA Women’s Championship and FA Women’s National League Southern & Northern Premier. His reviews of the four regional FA Women’s National League Division One divisions follow tomorrow.
What a year this has been for everyone, my heartfelt condolences to those who have suffered in this pandemic. But today we try and look at the positives to arrive this year in the women’s game and what to look forward to in the New Year.
We shall start off with the top of the women’s pyramid and the Barclays FA Women’s Super League. Going into 2021, last season’s champions and league cup winners Chelsea currently sit third, six points behind Manchester United albeit with two games in hand. Both teams are undefeated so far in the WSL and playing exciting football.
Sam Kerr is looking to help Chelsea out with their title defence. It has been an interesting season with some teams performing better than expected and others not so much. Manchester United, still relatively new having reinstated their women’s team are seriously challenging for the WSL title in only their second season of being in it. They strengthened up in all areas of the pitch in the summer and the results are showing. It looks like the WSL title could possibly be decided in the reverse fixture between Chelsea and United at Kingsmeadow in January. Neither side looks like slowing down.
At the other end of the table, Bristol City will be hoping they can turn their fortunes around sitting bottom with only two points, failing to register a win so far this season. Their lack of clinical finishing in front of goal is a big issue only registering six goals in ten games. This is giving newly promoted Aston Villa hope of staying in the WSL despite having only scored eight goals in eight games. Yet they have managed to get two wins. If Bristol City fail to find their shooting boots Aston Villa, West Ham, Brighton, Tottenham, and Birmingham do not need to worry about having a relegation battle.
A quick look into the UEFA Women’s Champions League where Manchester City and Chelsea have managed to get through to the round of sixteen after brushing aside their first opponents, Kopparbergs/Göteborg and Benfica respectively. Both sides are hoping that they can lift this year’s trophy, but as always, Olympique Lyonnais are the side to look out for. The seven time winners are the most successful women’s team in the Champions League and are looking to make it six Champions League wins in a row this season.
We now will turn our eye to the FA Women’s Championship where last season’s relegated WSL side Liverpool are looking to bounce back, but they are in a very difficult battle for the sole promotion spot. Leicester City are currently sitting top five points clear of Liverpool who are third, but only one point clear of unbeaten Durham. Durham’s 2-0 over Liverpool before Christmas could dampen Liverpool’s hope of returning to the WSL this season. Sheffield United, despite sitting six points off Durham have conceded the same number of goals and could potentially mount a serious late push for promotion if they can start converting more of their chances they are creating.
Down at the other end of the table, struggling Charlton Athletic have started this season off how they ended last, struggling to find the net. Charlton are an interesting team as they are not letting many goals in considering their position in the league, which is the same story of last season – conceding 1.7 goals a game and scoring only 0.7 goals a game. Charlton’s losses have all been by one goal, bar a 2-0 defeat to Leicester City. The Addicks’ defence is good, but when a side faces a struggle to score and keep conceding chances eventually one will go in. All is far from lost for Charlton though as they are only two points adrift and have two games in hand over fellow strugglers London Bees and Coventry United.
Looking into the third tier and starting off with the National League Southern Premier, where we have a tail of two ends. Hounslow and Plymouth Argyle are yet to get off the mark this season and have major defensive issues. Hounslow have conceded forty-two goals and are yet to convert a chance of their own eight games in. A lot could be put down to the fact only three games have been played at home, but when you average conceding 5.25 goals a game it does not bode well for the rest of the season. They are amid a rebrand with only recently this month getting a new set of kits, on top of that they are hunting for a new goalkeeper.
Fellow strugglers Plymouth Argyle have at least managed to find the net twice. Looking into their games played this season, they just lack the clinical finishing needed to stay in the division. They have been unlucky at times with results not truly reflecting how they have played; they will be one side whose fortunes will be hoping to change come the New Year. Despite how their season is going on the pitch, off the pitch their social media is interactive, constantly promoting local photographers who snap their games and releasing articles on their players and the club itself. They are a team who you want to succeed due to their ethos.
On the flip side at the top of the table four points divide first and fifth, with Crawley Wasps (fifth on fifteen points) having a game in hand over Watford (first with nineteen points) leading to an exciting New Year with all the sides in the top half having strong defences and attacks. This will be another division to keep an eye on as the season draws to a close with a battle for top spot potentially going the all the way to the final week.
Looking into the National League Northern Premier, Huddersfield Town sit on top with 25 points having played two games more than AFC Fylde who currently are the only side that could threaten to dismantle the Terriers. This is a division where every game is a great watch as goals are always on the table with excellent attacking prowess. Strugglers Loughborough Foxes have managed to get two points and are only three points adrift of Hull City who are one place above them. The Foxes have leaky defence which has been hampering their results with mistakes at the back resulting in goals. Despite currently being bottom they are not a side I can see being relegated as they do play good football. In the New Year, I can see them climbing the table and avoiding the drop. But it would be a great escape for them as they would initially have to rely on the likes of Hull City and Sheffield to continuing their current slumps.
Tomorrow, we’ll publish Part Two of Connor Wroe‘s review of 2020 which features an in-depth look at the state of play in the FA Women’s National League Division One North, Midlands, South-West and South-East divisions.
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