Unbeaten Chelsea ran away with the title for the sixth-straight season, but there were plenty of talking points all the way down the table
And so another Women's Super League season comes to a close. It was certainly a memorable one, with Chelsea hitting remarkably new heights with their sixth league title in a row. The Blues went without defeat all year in the competition, while breaking their own record for points accrued and equalling that for most wins. It has not been a bad way for Sonia Bompastor's tenure to begin – and it could get better yet, with the FA Cup final to come this weekend.
There wasn't a great deal of change in the spots immediately below them, either. Arsenal, in the Champions League final later this month, qualified for Europe again by finishing second, with Manchester United to join them on the continent after recovering from the disappointment of missing out last time around. Again, the Red Devils' season can still get better, too, as they will be out to defend their FA Cup when they take on Chelsea at Wembley in a few days' time.
But it wasn't all smiles. This was a massively underwhelming season for Manchester City, for a plethora of reasons, and it was Crystal Palace who occupied that unwanted relegation spot, forcing them to return to the second-tier just 12 months after getting out of it. They were not the only sides left disappointed by this year's events, either, as GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from the 2024-25 WSL season…
Getty Images SportWINNER: Sonia Bompastor
Replacing Emma Hayes after her incredible 12-year stint in charge of Chelsea was never going to be easy for any manager, and yet Sonia Bompastor has made it look so. The former Lyon boss spoke before the season about how, while she couldn't improve on the Blues' position in the league, as reigning champions, she knew they could aim for another title and to break records. That's exactly what they have done.
By clinching the WSL trophy with two games to spare, Chelsea won the competition earlier than any other team has managed before; by avoiding defeat to Liverpool on the final day, they became the first side in the league's 22-game era to go unbeaten; and by finding a late winner in that last outing, they broke their own record for most points in a season and matched the record for the most wins.
"It's been the smoothest transition I've ever experienced," Millie Bright told on Saturday. "From the first day she came in, [Bompastor] excited us." That's a huge credit to the coach and her staff, who could yet lead the Blues to just a second-ever treble next week with victory in the FA Cup final. It's been quite the first season.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Manchester City
When Manchester City opted to make a change in the dugout just five days before their League Cup final clash with Chelsea, it felt like a massive risk. Head coach Gareth Taylor had been under pressure at various points in his tenure, and some criticisms of him were valid, but there was surely little that his replacement, former boss Nick Cushing, could do with this squad given the injury crisis it was enduring.
Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood both missed several months after having knee surgeries in November and December, respectively, and only returned in the final few weeks of the campaign; Vivianne Miedema had a knee surgery of her own in October and, after returning to some promising form in the New Year, had her season ended early after picking up a problem on international duty; while star striker Khadija Shaw had a spell on the sidelines before Christmas and then didn't play again after that League Cup final in mid-March.
Then there is Risa Shimizu, who missed the whole season; Rebecca Knaak, who joined in January and then was out for two months with a hamstring injury; Mary Fowler, who sustained an ACL injury in April; plus Aoba Fujino, Ayaka Yamashita, Jill Roord and so many more who had to miss notable time.
But City opted for a managerial change at a surprising time, ahead of a four-game series with reigning WSL champions Chelsea across three competitions. Cushing had to come in and deliver immediately, working with a group that was massively depleted and featured only one or two names he had previously coached. It seemed highly unlikely to work and, in the end, it didn't.
Would Taylor have fared better? That's a hypothetical we'll never know the answer to. One thing is for sure, though: He could not have fared worse.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Alessia Russo
There has never been much doubt that Alessia Russo is a fantastic all-round footballer. With a wonderful ability to hold the ball up and link play, the questions around her have instead been related to the goal-scoring instincts needed to be a top No.9. This season, she has answered those in her most impressive fashion to date, sharing the WSL Golden Boot with Man City star Khadija Shaw after equalling her best-ever return of 12 goals in the competition.
It feels like a really significant season in the Arsenal striker's development. She looks more assured than ever in front of goal, posting some of her most clinical statistics in areas aside from the actual strikes themselves, and that has also helped propel the Gunners into the Champions League final which will take place at the end of the month.
Can Russo go up another level yet? Former head coach Jonas Eidevall previously shared his belief that she could be a 20-goal striker. Russo has hit that mark in all competitions to contribute to a strong season for Arsenalm and there is reason to believe she can progress further to remain among the WSL's deadliest centre-forwards, based on what she has shown this past year.
Getty ImagesLOSER: Sam Kerr
Chelsea have had a remarkable season. On Saturday, the Blues lifted their sixth-successive WSL title, doing so after becoming the first team in the competition's 22-game era to go unbeaten all season and having broken their own record for the most points accrued in a single campaign. But missing from all of that on-pitch success has been Sam Kerr.
The Australia star suffering a devastating ACL injury in January of last year while Chelsea were away on a warm weather training camp. It's an injury that is all too common in the women's game and can often be more complicated for some unfortunate players, with Catarina Macario, Kerr's club-mate, enduring almost two years on the sidelines after her own ACL tear.
Kerr's case has been similarly tough. While there was hope that she could be back to contribute to the second half of the Blues' season, she's still yet to return to action at all. Success has still come Chelsea's way in spades this year, but Kerr will have found it hard to watch them lose another Champions League semi-final to Barcelona, knowing she could've made a difference if fit, and even if there might not have been much else that could've gone right for her team in the WSL, the league has still been deprived of the joy of watching one of the world's best for far too long. It's not just Chelsea fans that will hope to see her back as soon as possible.
