We are now more than a third of the way through the 2024-25 Women’s Super League season, with the competition resuming this week following the international break.

All 12 teams are scheduled to play in a super Sunday card of fixtures that includes leaders Chelsea facing surprise package Brighton and Hove Albion, while Manchester United take on rivals Liverpool.

With eight matches played by every team so far, it appears a good time to dive into how things are shaping up and analyse how the rest of the campaign could pan out. 

Who is tipped by the Opta supercomputer to lift the WSL trophy, who is most likely to face the drop and which players lead the Golden Boot race? Let’s get stuck in.

Chelsea chasing invincible status?

If there were any doubts about the transition from Emma Hayes to Sonia Bompastor at Chelsea, then those early fears have been emphatically laid to rest. 

Bompastor has won all 12 of her matches in charge of Chelsea in all competitions, making the most successful start by a WSL manager in their maiden season. 

She is the first ever manager to win their first eight games in charge of a team in the WSL and will be confident of making it nine in a row against Brighton.

Chelsea are just the second team (after Arsenal – first nine in 2018-19) to win their first eight games of a WSL campaign. Bompastor’s side have been ruthless, with the Blues having already scored 26 goals in the league – an average of 3.25 per match and 10 more than second-best Manchester City (16). 

They have also had 321 touches in the opponent’s box (nine more than any other team), and 138 shots (five more than any other side), while conceding just three goals and keeping six clean sheets.

Guru Reiten has been the standout Chelsea star and is having a stellar season. Only Khadija Shaw (seven) has scored more goals in the WSL this term than Reiten (six).

Reiten made her 100th WSL appearance last time out in a win over Man Utd, marking the occasion with the winner from the penalty spot. She has recorded 67 goal contributions in the competition (35 goals, 32 assists).

Reiten has also been Chelsea’s most creative player, having crafted 17 chances – the third-highest total in the league behind Lauren Hemp (26) and Katie McCabe (21). 

No player in Chelsea’s squad has had more shots than Reiten (21), who has a shooting accuracy (excluding blocks) of 50%. 

The winger’s versatility has been key to Bompastor finding the best combination for her starting lineup. Mayra Ramirez, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Aggie Beever-Jones have all scored three league goals each for the Blues this season. Ramirez and Rytting Kaneryd are two of six players on five goal contributions in the WSL.

Chelsea were tipped for WSL glory at the start of the season and are now even bigger favourites to win the title according to the Opta supercomputer, which hands them a massive 93% chance of retaining the crown. That is up from 59% at the start of the season.

This Chelsea team is reminiscent of Vic Aker’s legendary Arsenal side, which delivered the quadruple in 2006-07 and went an incredible 108 league games undefeated between 2003 and 2009. 

Whether Chelsea can join them in the history books by completing an unbeaten season remains to be seen, but Bompastor's team have all the ingredients to do something very special this term.

City and Arsenal chasing

Manchester City currently sit second with 19 points and will be demoralised to trail Chelsea by five at this early stage. 

City made headlines earlier this season with a landmark Champions League win against holders Barcelona, but they have also been held to a draw by Arsenal and defeated by Chelsea. 

Boss Gareth Taylor (currently 71) is one win away from equalling Nick Cushing (72) for the second-most wins by a manager in WSL history; only Joe Montemurro (76%) has a better win rate in the competition than the City boss' 74%, among those to take charge of 10 or more matches. 

He will be desperate to further cement his legacy with a title, but City are already in danger of falling adrift. 

Lauren Hemp’s recent injury is a major blow to their hopes. She has averaged 1.1 goal contributions per 90 this term in the WSL. She has scored twice, providing five assists – a league-high figure. Hemp has also created 26 chances, five more than any other player in the league (ahead of McCabe – 21). 

Man City have the highest xG (17.3) in the WSL, though they have slightly underperformed, netting 16 times from 133 shots. A failure to match Chelsea's ruthlessness in front of goal cost them the title last season, and they are also behind the Blues' pace this term.

Arsenal, meanwhile, experienced their worst-ever start to a WSL season, not getting a win on the board until Matchday 5 when they beat West Ham 2-0. The Gunners' poor start led to Jonas Eidevall leaving the club. 

Since Eidevall departed in mid-October, Arsenal have won three of their four WSL matches and scored 11 goals, trailing only Chelsea (16) in that period, while their 8.2 xG in that timeframe is the third-highest in the competition.

They have as many victories since Eidevall left as they managed in their final seven games under him (three wins, three draws, one loss).

Interim boss Renee Slegers has turned things around and Arsenal have had 63 shots under her – the second-most in the WSL in that span – and registered a 17.5% conversion rate. Defensively, they have only given up opportunities worth 2.2 xG since the change of coach, keeping three clean sheets. 

City are still deemed Chelsea's most likely challengers for the title, with the Opta supercomputer giving them a 6.3% chance of topping the pile, but that is down massively from their 23.2% probability in pre-season.

Arsenal’s hopes are now at a mere 0.6%, whereas they won the league in 16% of the pre-season simulations run by our predictive model.

Seagulls flying high 

The surprise name among the chasing pack is Brighton, who – perhaps aside from Bompastor's flying start at Chelsea – have been the story of the campaign to date.

They were tipped to be relegated ahead of the season, with the supercomputer making them the favourites to go down (26.6%) – yet they now sit third and have a 52.7% probability of finishing in the top five, though our model hands them only a 0.2% chance of placing in the top three.

Coach Dario Vidosic joined from Melbourne City in pre-season and has been a revelation, with some canny work in the transfer market paying off for the Seagulls.

Experienced WSL campaigners Fran Kirby and Nikita Parris have both been excellent since joining. Kirby recently surpassed 100 goal contributions in the WSL, and the former Chelsea star has been involved in a team-leading 28 open-play shot-ending sequences this term.

Parris has scored three league goals for Brighton and is just four goal contributions from reaching the 100 milestone herself.

Kiko Seike is Brighton’s leading scorer, with her four goals coming from just 1.4 xG, showing the high level of her finishing this term. Indeed, of players to score at least twice in the WSL this season, only Tottenham’s Eveliina Summanen (50%) has a better shot conversion rate than Seike (36.4%).

The Seagulls, however, will resume their campaign at Chelsea on Sunday in their toughest test yet. The Opta supercomputer gives them little hope of getting something out of the game with their win probability at 3.1%, with Chelsea overwhelming favourites with a 90.8% win probability. 

The relegation battle

It has been a tough start for new kids on the block Crystal Palace, who sit bottom on five points in their maiden WSL season. 

However, they – and any other team in the bottom half – could quite quickly turn things around, as there are only four points between them in 12th and Liverpool in sixth. 

Palace have struggled defensively and have the highest xGA figure in the WSL (16.7), though their actual goals conceded stands at 20, 3.3 more than anticipated based on the quality of shots they have faced. That suggests they have improvements to make defensively, but also that they have been unfortunate to face some ruthless opponents.

The Eagles have also struggled to get control of their games, seeing just 39.1% of the ball on average – lower than any other team.

At the other end of the pitch, ninth-placed Everton have been one of the WSL's worst performers, netting just three times, with one of those being a penalty and another being an own goal.

Tenth-placed Leicester City, meanwhile, have netted just two goals, with their 4.4 xG also a league-low figure. Leicester and Everton have had the fewest touches in the opponents’ box, too (113 for the Foxes, 123 for Everton). Both can expect to struggle if they cannot find a way of carving out more chances.

Seventh-placed Tottenham have conceded the most goals (21), though they are also the fifth-highest scorers with 12 goals, so they may feel they have the attacking quality to steer clear of danger. 

The Opta supercomputer currently makes Leicester favourites for the drop, with the Foxes propping up the table in 34.4% of season simulations and Palace going down in 28.3%.

West Ham – who have continued their struggles from last season and face Palace in a huge six-pointer on Sunday – go down in 19.4% of scenarios, with Everton doing so in 8.8%, Aston Villa in 7% and Tottenham in just 1.6%.

Shaw leads Golden Boot race

Shaw has picked up where she left off last season. It is her and Reiten who lead the way at the top of the scoring charts, with seven and six goals respectively.

Reiten has scored five non-penalty goals from a non-penalty xG of 2.4. That +2.6 gap between non-penalty xG and non-penalty goals is the joint-largest positive differential recorded by any player in the WSL this season, along with Brighton’s Seike.

Shaw, meanwhile, has the fourth-highest non-penalty xG overperformance (+1.5) in the division. Arsenal’s in-form Frida Maanum has registered a +2.2 overperformance.

City star Shaw is a high-volume shooter and has had 35 shots, at least 10 more than any other player in the competition, though she has only been accurate with 48.3% of those (17).

With eight to her name, Shaw leads the way for goal contributions, too, with team-mate Hemp (seven – five assists, two goals) and Chelsea's Reiten (six – six goals) hot on her heels. Seike, Kirby, Ramirez, Rytting Kaneryd, Maanum and Rachel Daly are all on five goal contributions each. 

Shaw is netting every 89 minutes, while Reiten averages a goal every 112. Seike’s minutes-per-goal ratio this term is 104, and among players to score at least three times in the WSL this season, Chelsea's Beever-Jones – who has only started twice – is scoring at the best rate after Shaw, averaging a goal every 95 minutes.

Ones to watch

Some hidden gems have already shone in the WSL this season and the data highlights multiple players who might be worthy of further attention.

Spurs’ Ashleigh Neville has won 27 tackles, more than any other player, while she also leads the competition for interceptions (21), ahead of Lucy Bronze and Ruby Mace (both 19).

Manchester United’s Grace Clinton, meanwhile, is having a breakout season after returning from a loan spell with Spurs. She has contested (128) and won (61) the most duels in the competition. She also made an impact on the international stage during the latest hiatus, netting England's winner against Euro 2025 hosts Switzerland.

United also have a new star between the sticks following Mary Earps' move to Paris Saint-Germain. According to Opta's expected goals on target (xGoT) model, Phallon Tullis-Joyce has been the best goalkeeper in the WSL when it comes to goals prevented (5.9).

There are also a few new names impressing for lesser-fancied teams. Leicester's 19-year-old winger Shana Chossenotte – signed from Reims in August – has created five chances following carries this term, with only Hemp (12), Rytting Kaneryd and Mariona Caldentey (six apiece) recording more.

Liverpool, meanwhile, brought in 20-year-old Canada international Olivia Smith ahead of the campaign and she has recorded a league-high 11 shots following carries.

Of all players to attempt at least 20 dribbles this campaign, meanwhile, the Reds winger has the best dribble success rate, at 66.7%.

Even if Chelsea are threatening to run away with the title, there are plenty of interesting storylines to follow across the division, and plenty of players hoping to turn heads as the season progresses.

The Women's Super League returns following the international break, with a super Sunday slate of six games promising plenty more thrills and spills.

Chelsea remain perfect at the top of the tree as the season hurtles towards Christmas, winning their first eight WSL matches under Sonia Bompastor – and their first 12 across all competitions.

Brighton and Hove Albion – who are soaring in third after acquiring Chelsea icon Fran Kirby in the off-season – are the next team to attempt to halt their charge.

The day's action begins with a showdown between rivals Manchester United and Liverpool, while Chelsea's foremost challengers Manchester City take on Leicester City.

Elsewhere, Arsenal – still unbeaten under interim boss Renee Slegers – welcome Aston Villa and there are tussles between Tottenham and Everton, and West Ham and Crystal Palace.

But which way will this week's games go? We turned to the trusty Opta supercomputer to get its weekly predictions.

MAN UTD V LIVERPOOL

Leigh Sports Village Stadium plays host to Sunday's first game as United look to bounce back from their first defeat of the campaign – against Chelsea last time out. They last suffered successive WSL defeats in the final two matchweeks of 2023-24. Those defeats came against Chelsea and Liverpool.

However, the Red Devils boast a positive record against Liverpool, winning two of their three at home against them in the WSL (one loss), including a 6-0 win in January 2023, which remains their biggest victory in the competition.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have lost their last two league games without scoring (0-3 versus Chelsea, 0-1 against Everton); they last lost three in a row in the competition in November 2022 (a run of five).

United will need to step things up in attack, having only managed three shots in their defeat to Chelsea on November 24, their fewest in any of their 110 WSL matches.

If they can find their shooting boots, they should be confident of victory. The Opta supercomputer gives them a 62% chance of a win, compared to 17.9% for Liverpool and a 20.1% likelihood of a draw.

TOTTENHAM V EVERTON

Tottenham suffered comprehensive defeats to both Man City and Arsenal before the international break, and they will attempt to bounce back against an Everton side that finally got their first win on the board last time out, beating Merseyside rivals Liverpool 1-0.

The Toffees have a 50% win rate against Tottenham in the WSL (five wins, four draws, one loss), only boasting a better ratio against Aston Villa (63%) in the competition.

Tottenham also have the leakiest defence in the division this term, shipping 21 goals through eight games – their most ever at this stage of a top-flight campaign.

Yet they are still favoured by the supercomputer, with home advantage surely a key factor given Everton are winless in four away matches this season. Spurs triumphed in 53.3% of our pre-match simulations, with Everton winning 22.8% and 23.9% ending all square.

MAN CITY V LEICESTER

Kicking off one hour before the league leaders, Gareth Taylor's Man City have a chance to cut the gap at the summit – even if only temporarily – to two points when they host Leicester. 

A victory for the hosts would represent Taylor's 72nd in the WSL and take him level with Nick Cushing for the second-most victories by any manager in the competition's history (Emma Hayes has 151).

The supercomputer certainly fancies his chances of climbing those charts, with City victorious in 89.5% of pre-match simulations, only losing in 3.6% and being held to a draw in 6.8%.

Though City saw their unbeaten start to the campaign halted by Chelsea last time out, it is easy to see why they are such hefty favourites. They have won 11 of their last 12 home WSL matches (one loss) and have never lost on their own turf in the month of December (eight games, seven wins, one draw).

Chloe Kelly will be one to watch for struggling Leicester, having scored in each of her last three WSL games against the Foxes. However, she is currently on her longest drought in the competition, failing to net in 13 outings since she last scored in February – against Leicester. 

CHELSEA V BRIGHTON

Chelsea coach Bompastor has already made history by winning her first eight WSL games at the helm – a feat no manager had previously achieved.

On Sunday, her Blues team could equal the best-ever start to a season in competition history, as only Arsenal in 2018-19 have ever started a campaign with nine straight victories.

Brighton, however, have won five of their eight league matches this campaign to sit third, eight points adrift of the Blues. The Seagulls already have as many victories in 2023-24 as they managed across the whole of last season in the top flight (five).

Former Chelsea star Kirby has been key to their rise, and she registered a goal and an assist as they beat West Ham 3-2 last time out. That made her just the fourth player to register 100 or more WSL goal involvements, with her total of 101 now only surpassed by Vivianne Miedema (116) and Beth Mead (111). Beth England has 100 exactly.

Despite Brighton's strong start, Chelsea are – as most observers would expect – big favourites. 

The supercomputer gives the Blues a 90.8% chance of remaining perfect, with Brighton assigned just a 3.1% chance of victory and the likelihood of a draw rated at 6%.

ARSENAL V ASTON VILLA

Chelsea are not the only team likely to be cursing the timing of the international break. Arsenal have been on a roll since Slegers took over from Jonas Eidevall, going unbeaten in seven games across all competitions under their interim coach.

With Aston Villa only winning once in eight matches this term, the Gunners are big favourites (83.3%) for victory with the supercomputer on Sunday. Villa are given just a 6.2% chance of inflicting Slegers' first defeat, and a 10.5% hope of escaping the Emirates Stadium with a point.

Arsenal have won their last two WSL games without conceding and could now register three straight victories to nil for the first time since October 2022, when they put together a remarkable run of 10 successive wins without conceding.

They have been boosted by the return to form of Alessia Russo, who is aiming to score in four straight matches in the WSL for the first time. Only Khadija Shaw and Guro Reiten (four) bettered her three WSL goals during the month of November.

The Gunners had better beware Villa's strong record in London, though. Only Man City (55%) and Man Utd (35%) have a better WSL win rate in the capital than Villa (29%) among clubs hailing from outside London.

WEST HAM V CRYSTAL PALACE

Sunday's action ends with a London derby between West Ham and Crystal Palace, with the two teams occupying the bottom two places in the league with five points apiece.

The supercomputer sees this game as the most difficult to call across the division on matchday nine. West Ham won 45.7% of our pre-match simulations, with 26.8% finishing level and 27.5% going Palace's way.

Since the start of last season, West Ham have lost the most games (18), won the fewest points (20), conceded the joint-most goals (59) and scored the fewest goals (26) of any ever-present team in the WSL.

However, they did beat Leicester in their last home match and will have noted Palace's tendency to throw points away.

Only Villa (eight) have dropped more points from winning positions than Palace (seven) in the WSL this term, with the Eagles going 1-0 ahead in three of their last four league matches but failing to win any.

Chloe Kelly and Fran Kirby will miss England's friendly with Switzerland on Tuesday, manager Sarina Wiegman has confirmed.

Forward Kelly will be absent due to concussion protocols, while midfielder Kirby is absent with a calf problem.

Both players were brought on as substitutes in England's goalless draw with the United States at Wembley on Saturday.

Speaking ahead of the showdown with Switzerland at Bramall Lane, Wiegman revealed she intends to rotate her side.

Millie Bright, an unused substitute last time out, is one of those who will get game time in Sheffield.

"It was a hard decision," Wiegman told BBC Sport on her decision not to use Brighton against USA. 

"We've played four defenders the most in the last period so I chose to balance it out against USA.

"Of course, that's very hard for Millie. Against Switzerland she will play and I'm happy that she is fit and can take that opportunity."

Last time the #Lionesses played at Bramall Lane!

Sealing our spot in the #WEURO2022 FINAL pic.twitter.com/ZWf0OX4ykl

— Lionesses (@Lionesses) December 2, 2024

England are unbeaten in 11 previous meetings with Switzerland, winning all but one of those.

The Lionesses have only faced Finland (13 times) and Northern Ireland (12 times) more often without ever losing in their history.

However, Wiegman is expecting a difficult contest against a side ranked 25th in the world – some 23 places below England.

"I think they will be hard to break down," Wiegman said. "They play in a really compact way but are not scared to get in behind quickly. We have warned about those situations."

This will be England's fourth game at Bramall Lane, having won each of the previous three by an aggregate score of 11-0.

Fran Kirby has joined Brighton and Hove Albion on a free transfer following her departure from Chelsea.

The England international won five Women's Super League titles during her nine-year stint with the Blues, for whom she scored 108 goals in 195 appearances.

Brighton finished ninth in the WSL last season, and will certainly be boosted by Kirby's vast experience, having also been part of the triumphant Lionesses side at Euro 2022.

The 31-year-old is the Seagulls' third signing ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, after Japan striker Kiko Seike and Netherlands defender Marisa Olislagers.

"I'm a competitive person and I wanted to come to a club that matched my ambitions, to set high standards on and off the pitch, and to use my experience to help the young players develop," Kirby told the club's official website. 

"I want to help create a culture with a group of players who want amazing success.

"I wanted to stay in this league because I still want to be competing week in week out. And as long as I can help a team progress, that's what I want to do."

The 2023-24 season was one of the best to date for the Women's Super League since its inception.

The drama of the title race going down to the final day; all three domestic trophies being won by different sides and record attendances across the league - fans have been filling stadiums and proving women’s football has an exciting future.

Chelsea went into the season as defending champions of the WSL and FA Cup, and looking to make history by securing a fifth consecutive league title. Emma Hayes and her team have dominated over the last ten years and this season looked set to be no different. 

The Blues got there in the end, but it wasn't easy...

The Hayes dynasty and the end of an era

A shock reverberated around the women's game in November when Hayes announced that, after 11 years in charge, she would be leaving Chelsea to join the US Women’s National Team as coach.

Hayes is the most decorated manager in Chelsea's history, and transformed them into serial winners domestically. She departs the WSL as the manager with the most games (212), most wins (151) and the fourth-best win rate (71.2 per cent - minimum 50 games managed).

Her legacy will be more than just the 16 trophies she won, including the WSL title this term.

The growth of women's football during Hayers' tenure has been meteoric, and she could have only dreamed of the farewell she received as, at one of England’s most iconic football stadia in Old Trafford, Chelsea thrashed Manchester United 6-0 to seal their fifth straight WSL crown.

Millie Bright, Chelsea's captain, had labelled the team as "mentality monsters", and that was certainly a fitting tag, as the champions scored four first-half goals to dash any lingering hopes Man City had of winning the title.

Hayes' final triumph came despite star striker Sam Kerr suffering an ACL injury in January, though Colombia forward Mayra Ramirez arrived from Levante for a British record transfer fee of £384,000 plus a further £42,000 in potential add-ons.

Ramirez proved her worth, grabbing two goals in a first half in which she was unplayable and a delight to watch. Fran Kirby, meanwhile, came on to score on her final WSL appearance for Chelsea, and leaves the Blues as their all-time leading goal scorer (63) and assister (33) in the competition.

City only managed a 2-1 win away to Aston Villa, meaning the WSL title was settled on goal difference for just the second time after Liverpool finished ahead of Chelsea in the 2014 season, with the Blues goal difference of +53 this campaign the fourth best in the competition’s history.

The champions also scored the most goals by a team in a single WSL season (71).

Hayes reflected on her special time at the club in her first interview as the USWNT boss.

Speaking to the USWNT media channel, she said: "I am proud of the fact that I could leave that club in a better place and one that I hope continues to compete. But for me, the challenge of competing for World Cups, for the Olympics, and the dream of coaching a team that I have always wanted to get the opportunity to do. I simply couldn't turn it down."

So close, yet so far, for City

City once again came so close to bursting Chelsea’s bubble and spoiling Hayes’ party. However, after it being in their own hands, a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in the penultimate match gave the advantage back to Chelsea.

Gareth Taylor's team City became the first team in WSL history to win 10 away games in a single season, with their only failure to win on the road coming at Arsenal in November.

City missed plenty of chances in that game, and their bad luck in front of goal correlated with the injury to Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw against West Ham.

Shaw missed the final three league games, having become the first player in WSL history to record a goal or assist in 10 consecutive appearances (15 goals, one assist).

The Jamaican was prolific for City, scoring 21 times in 18 appearances, securing the Golden Boot award. Shaw was also named Football Writers Award Footballer of the Year and the WSL Player of the Year. She even became the second-quickest player to score 50 WSL goals, behind only Vivianne Miedema. Kerr is the only other player to have netted 20+ goals in back-to-back seasons, meanwhile.

Yet City still fell short of what would have been their first title since 2016. They have now been runners-up six times (five times to Chelsea), four more than any other side. 

Glory glory Man Utd

Despite the end-of-season drubbing for United, the previous weekend had seen Marc Skinner and his side create history of their own, this time in the FA Cup. For the first time in 11 years, the trophy was not lifted by Arsenal, Chelsea or Man City, proving the true development around the league.

United were featuring in the FA Cup final for the second consecutive year, having not reached this stage before 2023, and headed into the tie against Tottenham as favourites. They lost 1-0 to Chelsea in the 2022-23 final and did not want history to repeat itself.

They duly banished last year's demons in front of a packed Wembley, with an emphatic 4-0 win.

Ella Toone's eye-catching strike in the first half set the tone before a goal for Rachel Williams and Lucia Garcia's double added gloss to a convincing scoreline, despite Beth England hitting the crossbar for Spurs.

United became the 18th different winner of the women’s FA Cup. 

Gunners have their say

Arsenal pushed Man City and Chelsea all the way this season and although in the remaining few weeks they struggled to keep pace, they did have their say on both their rivals’ seasons endings.

The title race was effectively lost for Man City after they lost 2-1 in the dying minutes of their clash with Arsenal.

Similarly, the Gunners also got the better of Chelsea with a last-minute winner in the League Cup final, with Arsenal having won that trophy in successive seasons.

Striker Stina Blackstenius scored on both occasions, netting three important goals to secure silverware for Arsenal, frustrating Chelsea and ultimately ensuring City went empty-handed for another season. The Swede has 43 goals in 83 appearances for the Gunners and these big moments helped secure her a new contract.

So long, but maybe not farewell

The WSL has had some legends grace it over the years. World Cup winners and European champions have rocked up in the competition and it has become arguably one of the most sought-after leagues to play in.

But Hayes' was not the only shock departure.

Arsenal striker and the WSL's all-time leading goalscorer Miedema announced she would be leaving the Gunners at the end of her contract on a free transfer. With 125 goals and 50 assists for the Gunners over a seven-year period, the Dutch European Championship winner is bowing out a legend.

She has been out for most of the season, recovering from an ACL injury, but it's a shock to see such a talent allowed to leave. 

Many clubs in the WSL and around the world will relish the chance to have Miedema, who is only 27, pull on their shirt next season.

This season has been one of fond farewells, great goals, and record attendances. Next season promises to be continue the trend.

Chelsea and Lionesses star Fran Kirby will say goodbye to Chelsea at the end of the season.

The forward has enjoyed a nine-year spell at the club, scoring 115 goals in 209 appearances. 

Kirby will leave Chelsea as their all-time leading goalscorer over a period where she contributed to 15 trophies, including six Women’s Super League titles, five FA Cups and two League Cups. 

Chelsea will now be looking at a period of transition as manager Emma Hayes will also leave for the United States and the Blues will welcome Sonia Bompastor, who will embark on a new era at Stamford Bridge.

Kirby told the club website: "To leave with the trophies that I have won, with the team-mates I've played with – some of the world's best players – it has been one of the biggest privileges of my life.

"The support I've had has been unmatched. When I had my illness, my injuries, that's when I made some friends for life.

"I will never forget that no matter how bad I felt during those moments, I always felt loved and supported.

"Growing up I never thought I could impact it so much. So I'm really proud I have been able to impact positively and doing that for a club like Chelsea is something I'm really proud of.

"Hopefully, I leave the club in a better place than when I first came in. For me then, the job is done.

"To have been there from the beginning at Staines, playing in front of an amazing crowd there and now to Stamford Bridge. We're selling out the Bridge. It's been an incredible journey with all of you.

"Thank you for embracing me from day one. Helping me overcome some really difficult times and also sharing some amazing times with me. I will never forget how it felt to play in front of all of you.

"I hope I have left the club and the shirt in a place where you all can be proud of me."

Kirby became Chelsea's top scorer in December 2020 after scoring twice against Benfica in the Women's Champions League, overtaking Eni Aluko with her 69th and 70th goals for the club, five years after signing.

She also played an integral role in securing the domestic quadruple in the 2020-21 season, helping Chelsea become the first English women's club to achieve the feat.

The 70-cap England Women's international leaves behind a remarkable legacy, one befitting of her legendary status at Stamford Bridge.

Sarina Wiegman was “really happy” with the win while seeing room for improvement after England got a first Euro 2025 qualifying victory on the board by beating the Republic of Ireland 2-0 at the Aviva Stadium.

Four days on from being held 1-1 by Sweden at Wembley in their Group A3 opener, the reigning European champions went in front via Lauren James’ early finish and Alex Greenwood added an 18th-minute penalty before sending another against a post on the half-hour mark.

After the break Fran Kirby was thwarted by a fine Courtney Brosnan save, and Hannah Hampton – selected over Mary Earps in the England goal – then parried Caitlin Hayes’ header as the Republic applied late pressure to no avail in front of a crowd of 32,742.

Lionesses boss Wiegman, whose side are two points behind pool leaders France ahead of playing them in a double-header in their next fixtures on May 31 and June 4, said: “I think the first half we were totally dominating.

“We were 2-0 up but I think we should have been up more. I think at moments we should have been more tight on the ball, more secure to really create the big chance, and right before the chance sometimes we were a little bit sloppy, although I did think we played well.

“I think the second half, at moments we did good too but then they got momentum and we were struggling a little bit and they made it a real fight.

“We had to really fight in one-v-ones in the 18-yard box, and then for us of course it’s a lesson that if we win that ball we really want to keep it and play out of that press and then create our momentum again. That’s what we struggled with a bit.

“But I do think what we showed is we really as a team wanted to keep the (clean sheet), were able to fight also. That’s what we take with us for the next games, so I’m really happy with the win.

“We know they (France) are absolute top level so we have to be at our top level. We have to improve all the time, first of all because we want that, and second, because if we want to stay at the top, then it’s necessary to develop.”

Asked about her decision to select Hampton over Earps, Wiegman said: “They are two incredibly good goalkeepers, so that’s a really luxury position we’re in.

“Mary’s been really consistent with us but Hannah is also competing, has improved a lot, so I felt this was a game to give her the opportunity also to play, I have the trust she can do a good job.

“In the air (Hampton) was good, we know she’s good with her feet, some moments could have been better, but solid, and one save was important in the second half.

“Of course (Earps) was disappointed, because she wants to play and has been so good for us. We had that conversation and she then she just showed up and moved on.”

Five changes to Wiegman’s starting XI also included fit-again skipper Leah Williamson returning for her first appearance in just under a year, and she said of the defender: “I’m happy with her performance, she had to get through this moment.”

England got a first Euro 2025 qualifying win on the board as they defeated the Republic of Ireland 2-0 at the Aviva Stadium.

Four days on from being held 1-1 by Sweden at Wembley in their Group A3 opener, Sarina Wiegman’s reigning European champions went in front via Lauren James’ 12th-minute finish.

They were then awarded two penalties for handball, with defender Alex Greenwood converting the first in the 18th minute before sending the second against a post in the 30th.

After the break England substitute Fran Kirby was thwarted by a fine Courtney Brosnan save, and Hannah Hampton – selected over Mary Earps in the Lionesses goal – then parried Caitlin Hayes’ header as the Republic applied late pressure in front of a crowd of 32,742.

Wiegman’s side sit second in the pool behind France, who have six points after beating Sweden 1-0, while Eileen Gleeson’s Ireland remain without a point, having lost 1-0 to the French in their first game last Friday.

England are next in action with a double-header against France in June.

Wiegman opted to make five changes to her starting line-up from the Sweden match, which as well as Hampton replacing Earps included fit-again skipper Leah Williamson returning for her first appearance in just under a year.

Hampton claimed an early Irish corner but England were soon on the front foot and after Alessia Russo’s header was dealt with by Brosnan, the visitors grabbed the lead when Keira Walsh crossed from the left, Lucy Bronze’s knock-down bounced off Anna Patten and the loose ball was drilled in by James.

The advantage was then swiftly doubled after a shot from Jess Park – another brought into the England XI – struck the arm of Ruesha Littlejohn, Finnish referee Lina Lehtovaara gave a penalty and it was scored by Greenwood as Brosnan went the wrong way.

Just before the half-hour mark Lehtovaara was once more pointing to the spot having judged the Republic guilty of handball, this time penalising Louise Quinn after the ball hit her leg then arm as she battled with Russo to get to a Hemp cross – a decision that prompted considerable protests from the hosts.

Greenwood stepped up to take again, but the outcome was different as her strike from 12 yards came back off the inside of the right post.

James saw a 39th-minute shot gathered by Brosnan before the early stages of the second half saw Wiegman send on Beth Mead and Kirby and Ireland make substitutions that included the introduction of Megan Campbell.

Mead and Kirby combined, with the latter being denied by Brosnan’s excellent stop, but having struggled to produce much in attack Ireland began to show more threat in the final quarter of an hour.

Campbell’s long throw led to a free-kick, Katie McCabe lofted it towards Quinn and she sent the ball into the danger zone, but no green shirt could finish.

Hayes then put one header wide before seeing another moments later blocked by Hampton.

Soon after, Hampton accidentally kicked the ball against the nearby McCabe, who brought another save out of the Chelsea goalkeeper as the Republic’s late push proved in vain.

Leah Williamson is part of the England squad for next month’s Euro 2025 qualifiers against Sweden and the Republic of Ireland.

The Arsenal defender returned to the international fold in February for the first time in nine months having recovered from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, but subsequently had to withdraw before friendlies against Austria and Italy due to a hamstring issue.

Chelsea’s Fran Kirby is also back, having missed the games in February after pulling up in the pre-Austria warm-up with a knee problem, while club mate Millie Bright remains out injured.

Maya Le Tissier misses out, with fellow Manchester United defender Millie Turner retaining her spot after being a late call-up in February, replacing Williamson, and making her debut against Italy.

Euro 2022 winners England open their bid to qualify for next summer’s tournament in Switzerland by facing Sweden at Wembley a week on Friday before continuing their Group A3 matches against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin four days later. The pool also features France.

Boss Sarina Wiegman, who saw her side beat Austria 7-2 and Italy 5-1 in last month’s games, said in a statement from the Football Association: “There’s no time to waste.

“February’s window showed who we are and where we want to go and we’ll look to continue that momentum from the minute we arrive at St. George’s Park next week.

“We know it’s a challenging group, but it’s really exciting. These are all big games that will test us and that’s the kind of fixtures we want to play in.

“Every opponent we face is a top nation and we know we have to perform at our best to achieve our goals. We’ll be ready for Sweden at Wembley.

“Wembley has been the home of some of our biggest moments together and it holds such special memories. It’s no coincidence that we feel inspired when we play there. The fans have provided such fantastic support every time and there’s no doubt they can help us again against Sweden.”

Fran Kirby has withdrawn from the England squad for further assessment on a “minor knee injury”.

The forward, who was forced out of the Lionesses starting line-up for Friday’s match against Austria after pulling up in the warm-up, will now return to club side Chelsea.

Sarina Wiegman’s side face Italy on Tuesday in their second friendly in Spain, having beaten Austria 7-2 at Algeciras’ Estadio Nuevo Mirador.

An England statement read: “Fran Kirby has withdrawn from the England camp in Spain and will return to Chelsea for further assessment on a minor knee injury reported before the Austria match.

“At this stage, there are no plans to call a replacement into the senior squad.”

Ella Toone came into the starting line-up in place of Kirby on Friday as England thrashed Austria, where Grace Clinton scored on her Lionesses debut.

Alessia Russo and Beth Mead also impressed with the Arsenal duo both netting braces, while strikes from Jess Carter and Rachel Daly completed the victory.

The friendly double-header mark England’s first games of 2024 as they turn their attention towards next year’s European Championship title defence.

A much-changed Chelsea side eased to victory at Paris FC to end their Women’s Champions League group stage undefeated.

First-half headers from Fran Kirby and Mia Fishel before late efforts from Guro Reiten and Maren Mjelde secured a comfortable 4-0 victory in the French capital for the Blues.

Emma Hayes’ side had already guaranteed themselves a quarter-final spot and she took the opportunity to shuffle her pack.

After an even opening, it was England international Kirby who broke the deadlock with the visitors’ first clear opportunity.

Jelena Cankovic crossed to the back post where Kirby arrived unmarked to head home for her first Champions League goal of the campaign.

The hosts, making their group-stage debut – having knocked Arsenal out earlier in the tournament – responded well as Chelsea goalkeeper Zecira Musovic was forced into a smart save, courtesy of an acute Mathilde Bourdieu.

Paris, though, had not learnt their lesson from Kirby’s opener and were caught out in startlingly-similar fashion later in the half as Cankovic this time crossed for Fishel to head home.

With the hosts needing victory to keep alive their hopes of reaching the last eight, Julie Dufour missed a sitter after the restart, leaning back and firing over the crossbar from close range.

A number of defensive mix-ups allowed Chelsea to wrap up the win as Reiten was the beneficiary, tapping home after miscommunication on the edge of the Paris box.

There was more questionable defending as Mjelde flicked home a corner with goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie poorly positioned.

Chelsea were good value for their win and will be seeded for the quarter-final draw on February 6 – avoiding some of Europe’s big-hitters.

England forward Beth Mead said the team were “absolutely devastated” after missing out on the Nations League finals and failing to qualify for the Olympics for Team GB.

A dramatic evening saw England thrash Scotland 6-0 at Hampden Park, with Lucy Bronze’s stoppage-time header looking like it would be the crucial goal for the Lionesses to finish top of Group A1.

However, a late added-time brace from Damaris Egurrola meant the Netherlands pipped Sarina Wiegman’s team to the summit on goal difference, ending Team GB’s hopes of qualifying for Paris 2024 and ensuring the Dutch reached the inaugural Nations League finals.

Making her first international start since sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury more than 12 months ago, Mead bagged one of the six England goals, but acknowledged it was tough losing out by “small margins”.

“Unfortunately, it wasn’t in our hands and the Netherlands got the four goals,” she told englandfootball.com. “Congratulations to them but we’re absolutely devastated to miss out by such small margins.

“We made sure we kept in communication and Sarina was telling us what was happening in the other game so we knew what we were meant to do.

“We got the late goal and we thought we’d maybe got over the line but, unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be and that’s football. It is small margins, there were injury-time goals in both games and it wasn’t meant to be.”

European champions England lost out narrowly to the Netherlands and Belgium in their group games, going down 2-1 to the Dutch in September before a late Tessa Wullaert penalty saw Belgium win 3-2 in October.

The Lionesses had kept their qualification hopes alive going into the Scotland game as Ella Toone’s stoppage-time strike secured a 3-2 comeback triumph over the Netherlands in the reverse fixture at Wembley on Friday.

“It’s a tough one,” Mead added. “I think the girls have worked really hard. I thought we were incredible this camp.

“We’ve done ourselves proud in both games that we’ve played. Unfortunately, it was out of our hands and maybe we let ourselves down earlier on in the competition.

“But we’ll keep working hard, we’ll keep coming back stronger, and I’m excited to see what this team is about.”

Sarina Wiegman was left almost speechless with disappointment after England’s 6-0 win over Scotland was still not enough to make the Nations League knockout stages as Team GB’s hopes of reaching next summer’s Olympic Games also ended.

Pedro Martinez Losa’s side, already relegated from League A1, were swept aside at Hampden Park but the Netherlands’ 4-0 win over Belgium saw them top the group.

Defender Alex Greenwood headed the opener after 12 minutes and two goals in a minute by Lauren James and another by Beth Mead just before the break had the game over by half-time.

Striker Fran Kirby added a fifth with Lucy Bronze heading in what looked a crucial final goal in the third minute of added time – but Damaris Egurrola’s late brace for the Netherlands meant they pipped Wiegman’s side on goal difference.

Wiegman, whose side was the nominated nation on behalf of Team GB for Paris next year and needed to win the group, was on the Hampden pitch with her players after the game when the Dutch, whom they beat 3-2 on Friday, scored their crucial fourth.

She said: “Of course I am very very disappointed. That’s the biggest emotion I have now.

“We delivered tonight and we delivered this December camp, the team showed lots of character, in this game too and we started the game really well, scored four goals in the first half.

“When Lucy scored I said to the players that we are going to get this.

“Netherlands scored in the late seconds and that’s how close it was.

“We were waiting, long minutes but we really thought we got it and then we didn’t make it I said I actually don’t know what to say.

“I am really proud of the performance and what we did this whole week but it was not enough and it is really disappointing and you don’t really have to say anything more.

“If you don’t get through in goal difference then it is just not enough, that’s the facts. But that’s football.”

Martinez Losa was similarly taken aback by what he had witnessed but for different reasons.

He said: “We have to apologise to the fans, this was not what they expected.

“We lost concentration in the first half after we conceded the first goal, we were out of the game at half-time.

“I will never be embarrassed about the team, about the players, but it was not the performance we were expecting for our fans.

“England were at a good level and took advantage of their good moments.

“One of the consequences of the result is because we wanted to win the game. We pressed England high as well as they did. Some moments we were doing things well.

“After the four goals it was difficult for our players to come back.

“I considered [making first-half subs] but didn’t do it because in the end, the responsibility of the team is with myself. I respect the team, I understand for the players that it is a big occasion and I wanted to wait until half-time.”

England blew Scotland away with a powerful 6-0 victory but on a night of high drama fell short of making the Nations League knockout stages as Team GB’s hopes of reaching next summer’s Olympic Games were ended.

A conflict of interest was widely discussed before the game as a victory for the Lionesses – the nominated nation on behalf of Team GB in qualification for Paris next year – was the only way any Scottish players would be able to feature at the Games.

Pedro Martinez Losa’s side, already relegated from League A1 ahead of their final game, were simply outclassed by a visiting side but the Netherlands’ 4-0 win over Belgium saw them top the group.

Defender Alex Greenwood headed the opener after 12 minutes, two goals in a minute by Lauren James and another by Beth Mead just before the break had the game done by the interval.

Striker Fran Kirby added a fifth with Lucy Bronze heading in what looked a crucial final goal in the third minute of added time – but Damaris Egurrola’s late brace for the Netherlands meant they pipped Sarina Wiegman’s side on goal difference.

With only pride left to play for in front of 15,320 fans, Martinez Losa made four changes from the side that drew with Belgium on Friday with goalkeeper Lee Gibson, Emma Mukandi, Rachel McLauchlan and Kirsty Hanson coming into the side.

The visitors, who had stormed back to beat Netherlands 3-2 in their last outing, showed two changes with attacker Mead starting for the first time since sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury more than 12 months ago and Esme Morgan returning in defence.

The game quickly swung from end to end but the opening goal was poor from the Scots’ point of view. A Mead corner came over from the right and Greenwood jumped unopposed to lob a header over Mukandi at the far post with Gibson all too easily beaten as well.

England looked strong and confident and in the 27th minute Keira Walsh’s raking long ball was just missed by Mead at the edge of the Scotland box.

Three minutes later, James sped down the left on to a Greenwood pass and crossed for attacker Lauren Hemp but she struck the post from six yards.

England’s second came in the 38th minute when they were claiming a penalty for a handball in the box but James pounced on the loose ball and her strike from 20 yards took a big deflection off Docherty’s back and left Gibson stranded.

The Scots were still coming to terms with that blow when James brilliantly curled in England’s third from the edge of the box.

With Scottish heads spinning there was time for James to cross again to the back post for Mead to take a touch and fire past the helpless Gibson from 12 yards.

England’s thirst for goals continued after the break and within minutes Kirby tapped in a pass from Georgia Stanway, who overpowered Scotland captain Rachel Corsie on the byline.

Gibson did well to save a close-range drive from Hemp and a 25-yard free-kick from Greenwood and in between Kirby cracked the bar with a drive from 12 yards.

The classy visitors seemed to take a breather and in the 71st minute Hanson had a chance for the home side when she pounced on a short pass back and wriggled past England keeper Mary Earps but spun round and missed the target.

Scotland steadied themselves in the final stages and a last-minute header from substitute Martha Thomas came off the post but in the final moments Bronze sneaked in at the back post to head in a sixth – but Egurrola dramatically had the final say in Tilburg.

England were handed another blow in their Nations League campaign on Tuesday night after losing 3-2 to Belgium.

A late penalty from captain Tessa Wullaert handed the Red Flames victory as the Lionesses tumbled to third place in Group A1.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at what has happened to England in the competition.

What’s actually at stake in the Nations League?

This year marks the inaugural Nations League competition in women’s football and takes a similar format to the men’s edition, where 51 competing nations are divided into two leagues of 16 and one of 19.

Crucially there is plenty to play for in the tournament as the winners from League A will reach the finals, which also act as Europe’s 2024 Olympic qualifiers – meaning that a place in Paris is up for grabs.

Tuesday’s loss to Belgium means England’s hopes of Olympic qualification are in danger with only two games remaining in the competition to try and turn things around.

What happened on Tuesday?

Having beaten Belgium at Leicester on Friday night, the Lionesses travelled to Leuven in the reverse fixture on Tuesday hoping to boost their chances of qualification.

They got off to a poor start, falling behind to Laura De Neve’s ninth-minute free-kick before Manchester City defender Alex Greenwood was carried off the pitch on a stretcher following a clash of heads and received treatment on the pitch for over 10 minutes. City confirmed on Wednesday that she will return to the club for further assessment.

England took the lead through goals from Lucy Bronze and Fran Kirby in quick succession, but Wullaert levelled things deep into first-half stoppage time.

The Belgian captain came to her side’s rescue again in the 85th minute, slotting home from the penalty spot to leapfrog England into second.

How have England done so far?

Defeat to Belgium handed England their second Nations League loss in four matches, but the Lionesses have already endured plenty of tough challenges in Group A1.

Kicking off their campaign in Sunderland, England were able to seal a 2-1 win in a closely-fought contest against Scotland where the visitors were unable to capitalise on a multitude of chances in the second half.

However, defeat followed in Utrecht as Renate Jansen struck in the 90th minute for the Netherlands to squeeze a 2-1 victory against their former boss Sarina Wiegman.

Lauren Hemp’s goal gave England an important three points with a 1-0 win against Belgium on Friday, but the reverse fixture ended in defeat on Tuesday.

What does the table look like now?

With two wins and two losses, the Lionesses are third in the table, just one point behind the Red Flames in the standings.

The Netherlands are on track for that vital Olympic spot after back-to-back wins against Scotland ensured they sit at the summit, having won three and lost only one of their four games so far.

Scotland are at the foot of the table with only one point picked up throughout the competition, which came during their 1-1 draw against Belgium in September thanks to Sophie Howard’s last-gasp header.

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England’s slim hopes of Olympic qualification continue in December when the next round of fixtures are set to be played.

The Lionesses kick off matchday five at Wembley, where they come up against the Netherlands on December 1 before travelling to Hampden Park to play their final fixture against Scotland four days later.

Belgium will host Scotland before taking on the Netherlands where two wins would see England miss out on the top spot regardless of how the Lionesses do and Wiegman knows the challenges that lie ahead for her side.

She said post-match on Tuesday: “First of all, we have to win with more than one goal against the Netherlands at Wembley, and then we have to win the other game too, because Belgium is in a very good place too.

“We know we have work to do – we always do, but we have put ourselves in a hard position at the moment.”