The race to stay continues to heat up at the bottom end of the Women’s Super League (WSL) table, with just four points separating the seven clubs.
Premier League newcomers Crystal Palace suffered a disastrous start to their first WSL campaign, losing 7-0 to Chelsea at Selhurst Park on the opening day.
West Ham United have struggled at the bottom of the table for back-to-back seasons, but a recent turnaround in form has breathed new life into their campaign. A managerless Aston Villa side may appear to be five places away from the relegation zone, but just four points separate them from the Championship.
Everton continue to struggle under Brian Sorensen and toothless Leicester City finally showed some bite after Amandine Miquel’s side saw off Chelsea in the 10th round.
Unlike the title race, the WSL relegation battle is far more difficult to predict. While it would be easy to say that Crystal Palace are destined for a yo-yo return to the Championship, it would be too naive to call it that.
Laura Kaminski showed her managerial prowess even when the Eagles were struggling. Despite losing to both Chelsea and Manchester City by wide margins, both meetings featured parts of the game where Palace were on top of the momentum. This young Palace side refuses to give up the fight and with the right roll of the dice in the January transfer market, their WSL hopes are far from over.
The Eagles head coach recently praised Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish, telling The Guardian: “The board’s support, I can’t speak highly enough. I can pick up the phone from Steve [Parish] whenever I want, and there are few managers who can say that.”
Kaminski will be hoping this support turns into an investment during the winter transfer window, as the side will need an injection of experience if they are to stay afloat. Palace will also welcome the return of starlet Elise Hughes, who is in the final stages of her ACL recovery.
Unless they are hit by another horrific injury wave, Everton have done enough to prove why they will stay in the top flight at the end of the season. Brian Sorensen continues to fly under the radar, his strong managerial skills overlooked despite a string of good performances.
The Toffees took a point from Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, before winning against Liverpool and Manchester City in the run-up to Christmas. The completion of their transfer of ownership has already seen Everton make a transfer move, signing French striker Kelly Gago from FC Nantes for an undisclosed fee.
As for West Ham United, the club made great use of the winter window last season when they welcomed captain Katrina Gorry to the club. With the transfer season just around the corner, Rehanne Skinner’s side should spring into action. Talented striker Viviane Asseyi has done enough to get the Irons over the line on more than one occasion and the team will rely heavily on her if they are to stay up this season.
Leicester City could be the exception, as Amanda Miquel’s first season in charge of the Foxes continues to show dire signs. The French manager has plenty of playing strengths but all have been undone by terrible injury luck which has ruled out almost all of Leicester’s forward power.
It will simply be another case of the Foxes being able to use the transfer window if they want to become competitive in the new year.
Prediction: Leicester City
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