The Barclays Women’s Super League makes its long-awaited return next weekend with an exciting opening round of fixtures.
The 2022/2023 campaign promises to be the best yet with clubs having made some excellent signings over the summer, ticket sales going through the roof and with the league attracting the greatest media spotlight to date. England went football crazy in the summer as the Lionesses won the UEFA Women’s EURO for the very first time and expect the legacy to live on in the Barclays Women’s Super League this season with some stadiums set to be crammed full of spectators.
The opening weekend sees four of the six games held in men’s stadiums and that theme will continue at various points in the season with many more matches expected to be played in large arenas. The Football Association have targeted as many of the Barclays Women’s Super League’s biggest games as possible to be staged in men’s stadiums as part of their growth strategy for the women’s professional game. That plan seems to be very much on target as we enter the new season.
With so many exciting games for fans to go and watch on opening weekend, FAWSL Full-Time have identified three matches which simply cannot be missed.
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United
The 2022/2023 campaign gets underway on Saturday as Tottenham Hotspur take on Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Spurs have been one of the most progressive teams in the Barclays Women’s Super League in the last couple of years while opponents Manchester United continue their quest to achieve a first qualification for the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Spurs have developed one of the most iconic playing styles in the Barclays Women’s Super League and they were able to start to take points off some of the league’s big hitters last season. It will be interesting to see whether Rehanne Skinner’s summer additions can push them on another level.
Manchester United were very close to finishing third in last season’s Barclays Women’s Super League. Marc Skinner’s side lost out to Manchester City on the final day after letting their grip slip in the last few weeks of the campaign. Skinner got some consistency out of The Red Devils mid-season and he will be keen to see his side start the new campaign with a real bang in North London.
This game of contrasting playing styles will be a fascinating watch and maybe a very early marker for what we can expect from the two sides this season.
Tickets are available now – click here for details.
Chelsea v West Ham United
Barclays Women’s Super League champions Chelsea make their return to Stamford Bridge for the first time in three years when they take on West Ham United on Sunday. The Blues defeated Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in their only other Barclays Women’s Super League appearance at The Bridge on the opening day of the 2019/2020 season.
After losing some long-serving players at the end of last season, Chelsea boss Emma Hayes had to make some big signings over the summer and she has done just that by attracting some world-class talent to the club. Fans will be absolutely thrilled to see the likes of Ève Périsset and Kadeisha Buchanan in action at Stamford Bridge. There is also the mouth-watering prospect of witnessing Kateřina Svitková potentially facing her former club. The Czech Republic international was one of West Ham United’s leading lights in her two years in East London.
West Ham United go into the game under new management with Paul Konchesky stepping up to become the club’s new manager. The Hammers have signed a nice blend of youth and experience over the course of the summer and if Konchesky gets it right, they could be one of the league’s dark horses this season.
There’s never any love lost in a London derby and expect this potential blockbuster to be no different.
Tickets are available now – click here for details.
Manchester City v Arsenal
What could possibly be better on the opening day of the season than a fixture between two of the clubs expected to challenge for the Barclays Women’s Super League title? Manchester City’s clash with Arsenal is the ultimate game to watch on opening day.
The Cityzens suffered an injury crisis in the first half of last season which ended their title hopes very early on. Once their injured players returned, Manchester City rescued their season with an FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup final success and European qualification. Head coach Gareth Taylor has lost a whole host of quality players over the summer but there is a feeling that the majority have been replaced with some excellent signings. Manchester City have more squad depth this year and a renewed title push should be on.
Arsenal have been the quietest of any of the Barclays Women’s Super League clubs in the summer transfer window with head coach Jonas Eidevall adding just two players. The Gunners have retained all of their key players this summer though, a sign of real harmony and togetherness at the club. A settled squad could give Arsenal some consistency going into the new season.
History suggests that the home side will emerge with three points from this fixture but the latest meeting feels like a bit of an unknown. The Cityzens will go into the game with a new-look line-up but will that freshness come out on top against a very settled and committed Arsenal team?
Tickets for this match are sold out.
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