WSL 2024/25: What to look out for

There’s less than a week until the curtain raises on the 2024/25 Barclays Women’s Super League season.

Manchester City begin the quest for our second ever top-flight title since our professional relaunch with a tantalising trip to Arsenal on Sunday 22 September at 12:30 (UK).

It was only goal difference that kept Gareth Taylor’s side from the division’s summit last term as we relentlessly battled for the title – matching our best competition points tally in the process.

Since then, there have been a swathe of changes both on and off the field at the Joie Stadium.

It all points to another enthralling rollercoaster in the WSL and below is everything needed to know before we travel to the Emirates.

TOP GUN

City made seven signings during the summer with the first adding serious firepower to our already clinical front-line.

The WSL’s all-time leading scorer Vivianne Miedema arrived at the Joie Stadium following seven incredible seasons at Arsenal where she netted a staggering amount of goals and collected a number of team and individual accolades.

She helped the Gunners to the 2018/19 title where she netted 22 times which has helped her boast a total in the division of 80.

But Miedema’s game is about more than goals – due to her incredible technical talent, she was the first player in WSL history to reach 100 goal involvements, something she achieved with 70 strikes and 30 assists.

WATCH: Vivianne Miedema: My story so far

HOME COMFORTS

Although our first league assignment of the term is that trip to Arsenal, our maiden WSL fixture at the Joie Stadium comes against Brighton & Hove Albion six days later.

We host the Seagulls on Sunday 29 September at 12:30 (UK) and tickets for the clash can be purchased here.   

The last time we welcomed the south coast outfit to the Joie Stadium we fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat, but Brighton will have a new face in the dugout this time around.

Former Melbourne City boss Dario Vidosic has been appointed as their new manager following his two-year stint with the A-League side.

ETIHAD TRIPLE

On the topic of home encounters, three home matches will also be played at the Etihad Stadium in 2024/25.

The 53,400 capacity arena will stage our WSL fixtures with Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Chelsea.

We welcome Spurs to the Etihad on Friday 8 November at 19:30 (UK), Manchester United at 13:00 (UK) on Sunday 19 January and Chelsea on Sunday 23 March with kick-off set for 13:00 (UK).

Please note, our clashes with Marc Skinner’s side and the Londoners are subject to change.

Tickets for individual games can be purchased here – but supporters can buy the Hat-Trick pack here which grants access to all three matches.

BUY THE HAT-TRICK PACK 

The Hat-Trick Pack at a price of £40 for adults and £12 for U16s, and can be purchased here.

EXCITING TALENTS

Throughout the past two seasons, City have possessed one of the youngest and most exciting squads in the WSL.

That is once again true heading into 2024/25 with new signings and Academy graduates complimenting Taylor’s team.

England youth international Naomi Layzell and Japan striker Aoba Fujino arrived this summer having shown their sparkling potential in elite level football during their fledgling careers.

The former won Bristol City Players’ Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year award at the end of last term and the latter was named the, Japan's top-flight ,WE League’s Most Valuable Player in 2021/22 and 2022/23 as well as being named in the WE League Best XI in 2023.

Alongside Layzell and Fujino’s signings, Gracie Prior penned her first professional contract in August.

WATCH: Layzell: The aim is to win every competition we’re in

What’s more, January acquisitions Laura Blindkilde Brown and Tara O’Hanlon will certainly be pushing for further first-team involvements having gained half a season of experience at the Joie Stadium last term.

BUN’S BACK

After missing the final three WSL matches of last season through injury, Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw is fit and ready to continue her incredible record in front of goal.

The Jamaica international finished as the division’s top scorer 21 in the competition last term and smashed a swathe of records en route to the Golden Boot award.

Thanks to her goal in our 3-1 win over Manchester United at the Etihad in March, she became our all-time leading women’s scorer – a tally which now stands at 72.

The striker returned to the field in our preseason fixtures with Leicester and Paris Saint Germain in Australia as we reached the final of the Perth International Cup.

WATCH: Bunny Shaw’s goalscoring masterclass

SAFE HANDS

Among our summer transfer business was the acquisitions of goalkeepers Ayaka Yamashita, Katie Startup and Eve Annets.

Yama arrives with a wealth of experience with Japan on the international stage and thanks to a trophy-laden spell in her home country.

Startup returns following her emergency loan spell with the Club during the final six weeks of last term and Annets signed from Reading after progressing through the Royals’ academy.

She will spend the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Portsmouth and completing our Japanese quartet was defender Risa Shimizu who arrived from West Ham.

Unfortunately, the latter has suffered a rupture of her anterior cruciate ligament.

The defender sustained the injury during Japan’s Olympic Games opening fixture against Spain in July.

She returned to the City Football Academy for further assessment by the Club’s medical team, and has since undergone a successful knee surgery.

Risa will now continue her rehabilitation at the CFA. Everyone at Manchester City would like to wish her the very best during her recovery.

WATCH: Startup: I’m excited to test myself within the group

LONGEST REIGN

Heading into the 2024/25 WSL season, Taylor is currently the longest-serving manager in the division.

It follows Emma Hayes’ departure from Chelsea at the end of last term – meaning the boss’ tenure of four years and four months (and counting) leads the way across his league counterparts.

The closest behind him are Liverpool’s Matt Beard (May 2021), Arsenal’s Jonas Eidevall (June 2021) and Marc Skinner (July 2021) at Manchester United.