In simply 5 weeks, there have already been surprising main twists and turns within the Ladies’s Tremendous League.
Arsenal, tipped to be title contenders, are in quest of a brand new supervisor following Jonas Eidevall’s departure and sit in fifth, whereas Chelsea are respiration down Manchester Metropolis’s neck on the high.
Manchester United and, maybe unexpectedly, Brighton are pushing them, whereas it is usually tight on the backside, with three sides but to earn their first win.
However what, or who, have been the largest tales up to now? We check out the Opta knowledge to seek out out.
The shock bundle
Earlier than the season started, Brighton, beneath new supervisor Dario Vidosic, have been the favourites to be relegated, with the Opta supercomputer giving them a 26.4% probability of ending backside of the desk.
As a substitute, the Seagulls have blown away the competitors, occupying fourth spot heading into the worldwide break. They’re unbeaten in three, with Nikita Parris haunting her outdated membership to earn a 1-1 draw with Man United earlier than the break.
Brighton have scored the second-most objectives within the WSL (10, stage with Tottenham), however from the fifth-fewest photographs (48), proving simply how scientific they’ve been by outperforming their 8.48 anticipated objectives (xG).
Solely Manchester Metropolis (3,273) and Arsenal (2,792) have accomplished extra passes within the WSL this season than Brighton’s whole of two,467. This common of 493 passes accomplished per sport is comfortably their most in a single marketing campaign (their earlier finest was 296 per sport final season).
Unsurprisingly, their possibilities of being relegated have now dropped to only 0.7%, and Vidosic will probably be wanting to kick on.
Revitalised United not lacking Earps
A number of speak in pre-season centred round United’s high-profile departures, together with membership captain Katie Zelem, Lucia Garcia, Parris and, maybe most significantly, goalkeeper Mary Earps.
After a disappointing 2023-24, during which they completed fifth and conceded 20 objectives greater than within the season prior, it seemed just like the Crimson Devils would possibly endure one other marketing campaign with no title battle.
Nevertheless, these worries could have been for nought, with United making an unbeaten begin and solely dropping their first factors in final weekend’s draw with Brighton.
Parris’ aim was the primary they’d conceded this season, as Phallon Tullis-Joyce has seamlessly stuffed Earps’ place between the sticks. She has confronted 15 photographs on course and has prevented 2.7 objectives, based on Opta’s anticipated objectives on course mannequin (xGoT).
With Maya Le Tissier and Millie Turner forming a robust partnership in entrance of her, they’ve conceded the second-fewest photographs within the WSL (41) and with Grace Clinton firing up high, Marc Skinner appears to be like to have discovered a strong steadiness in his crew.
Rytting Kaneryd propels Chelsea ahead
Sonia Bompastor has picked up the place Emma Hayes left off with Chelsea, however she already is aware of she is in a title battle, even after Arsenal’s surprisingly sluggish begin.
With the likes of Khadija Shaw and Vivianne Miedema in robust kind, Metropolis presently have the benefit, sitting high of the pile, although they’ve performed a sport extra.
However the Blues have a driving drive of their very own in Johanna Rytting Kaneryd – she scored the primary aim of the Bompastor period and was additionally the star of the present of their 5-2 win over Tottenham final outing.
She has already racked up a league-high 5 aim contributions, half of what she managed throughout the entire of final season. Her six probabilities created are the second-most within the Chelsea crew, making 1.7 per 90 minutes, and he or she will probably be key to their title hopes if she will preserve this stage.
Decrease desk struggles
There’s additionally an intriguing look to the foot of the desk, with West Ham, Aston Villa and Everton all sitting stage on two factors.
The Hammers haven’t been in a position to put final season’s struggles behind them but and have netted simply twice, underperforming their 3.51 xG – the bottom whole amassed by any crew up to now.
Villa will really feel probably the most hopeful of the group, with Rachel Daly seemingly again to her finest with three objectives up to now, however they should begin seeing out wins – they’ve dropped eight factors from successful positions after being pegged again by Metropolis final outing, greater than any crew.
Everton’s season, in the meantime, has been hampered by health woes, with Inma Gabarro and Aurora Galli struggling anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) accidents within the first two video games.
They’ve scored simply as soon as, an personal aim by Camila Saez towards West Ham, which means they’ve the largest xG underperformance, having created 4.42.
Can Liverpool or Spurs put themselves within the battle?
For the time being, the center of the desk is tight, with Leicester Metropolis and Crystal Palace recording one win apiece, with the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham unable to make a press release begin regardless of promising ends to final season.
The Reds did beat Spurs, solely to drop factors towards West Ham and Palace to make life tough. They’ve additionally conceded as many objectives as they’ve scored (seven), leaving Matt Beard with inquiries to ponder over the break.
Spurs have an analogous downside, having conceded 11 instances of their final three outings alone.
They’re scoring objectives although, outperforming their xG of seven.74 with 10 objectives, however Robert Vilahamn is aware of they should shore up their defence in the event that they need to problem the edges above them.
