90min’s WSL team of the season – 2022/23
The 2022/23 WSL season was the biggest yet, watched by more people in stadiums and at home on television than ever before. The league was handed an enormous opportunity to explode by the success of Euro 2022 last summer and took full advantage of it.
Chelsea won a fourth consecutive title, but they were pushed all the way to the finish line by a new competitor in Manchester United, who also became the first club other than Chelsea, Arsenal or Manchester City to finish in the WSL top three since 2014.
Players starred all over the pitch and new household names were born.
Here, 90min somehow managed to pick just 11 to make it into the team of the season.
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GK: Mary Earps (Man Utd) – The England number one was named 2022 Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper for her achievements last year and claimed the 2022/23 WSL Golden Glove, in addition to setting a new league record for clean sheets with 14 in 22 games.
RB: Ona Batlle (Man Utd) – Her time in England could soon be at an end, but she has further underlined her status as one of the best full-backs in the world nonetheless. Not only an exceptional defender, the Spaniard was remarkably joint second in the WSL for assists.
CB: Maya Le Tissier (Man Utd) – Made the seamless transition from right-back to centre-back upon signing from Brighton last summer and hardly missed a minute in the WSL this season. A huge reason why Manchester United were so difficult to score against.
CB: Alex Greenwood (Man City) – A constant at the back in an otherwise difficult season for Manchester City when her defensive partners were often changing due to injury. Always consistent and always like an extra midfielder with the way she passes the ball.
LB: Katie McCabe (Arsenal) – Played in a variety of different positions for the Gunners over the course of the campaign but still managed to remain heavily involved. Showed her competitiveness right until the end and was even wearing the captain’s armband by the end.
RM: Kirsty Hanson (Aston Villa) – The on-loan winger actually played most of the season on the left, but she had to get into this team somehow. She finished the campaign with 16 direct goal involvements in 20 games, firmly proving herself after slipping out of favour at Manchester United.
CM: Frida Maanum (Arsenal) – How the Gunners might have fared without their Norwegian midfield machine doesn’t bear thinking about. When injuries claimed other stars, she put the team on her back and carried them through with tireless running and clutch goals.
CM: Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea) – The champions didn’t have a vintage season, despite winning the WSL again. But it was their ability to grind results out that characterised the campaign and no other player embodied that tenacious never-say-die attitude more.
LM: Guro Reiten (Chelsea) – Arguably Chelsea’s single most important player this season. She was the chief creator that gave others their platform on which to perform and racked up a league-leading 11 assists, as well as nine goals of her own to power the Blues to the title.
ST: Khadija Shaw (Man City) – Stepped out of the shadow of Ellen White following her retirement in spectacular fashion to become Manchester City’s undisputed starting striker. She finished the season on 20 goals and was only just pipped to the Golden Boot in the end.
ST: Rachel Daly (Aston Villa) – England’s starting left-back at Euro 2022, but Villa had every intention to use her as a striker as she had been at former club Houston Dash. It proved to be a masterful signing, with the 31-year-old plundering 22 goals and landing the Golden Boot.
Honourable mentions
So many WSL players had outstanding campaigns and desvere to be mentioned, even if they didn’t quite make the cut for 90min’s team ofthe season.
Leah Galton became the first Manchester United player to reach double figures in front of goal in a top flight season, quickly followed by Alessia Russo, while Kim Little and Leah Williamson were hugely important for Arsenal until injuries ended their respectively campaigns. Elsewhere, Kenza Dali was a big reason why Rachel Daly and Aston Villa were so successful. Sam Kerr, although her goal numbers were down on previous years, still walked away with the FWA Football of the Year prize.