By BBC (Sports) | Created at 2024-12-20 16:24:38 | Updated at 2024-12-27 18:30:10
1 week ago
We have had 10 rounds of fixtures in the Women's Super League so far this season and as usual Chelsea are leading the way.
With so many standout performers it has been tricky but I have chosen my best XI of the season so far...
Goalkeeper - Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Man Utd)
She's come into the team at a time when I was sceptical about Manchester United. It was big boots to fill with Mary Earps leaving but she has shown leadership qualities and has been immense in between the sticks. She has kept seven clean sheets in the WSL and her distribution is excellent. She's had an impressive first half of the season. There's a trust from the back five with her. They have every confidence in her abilities in and out of possession. As a defender, that's what you want. You want someone behind you that feels in control and demands things from their team-mates.
Right-back - Kerstin Casparij (Man City)
This was tough.
Emily Fox, Lucy Bronze and Casparij have all been great. But I think Casparij is underrated. In all the games I've seen her play, she has the ability to get up and down the wing to support attacks, is really composed on the ball and I think makes really good decisions in possession. Positionally, she is pretty spot on. She exudes a level of confidence. She is an all-round footballer and you could trust her to fill any spot in your team if you needed her. She's just been very consistent.
Centre-back - Millie Bright (Chelsea)
Chelsea are top of the table so they are doing something right at the back. I watch Millie Bright and I know she's maybe not where she was at her peak but that tells you how good she is.
The more experience you have, the better you are at understanding your shortcomings and how to rely on your super-strengths more. She is able to get herself into good positions and puts her body on the line for her team. She is the one who will make the block, get smashed in the face and lose her modelling career! She has an unbelievable range of passing and can get the team from back to front.
Centre-back - Maya Le Tissier (Man Utd)
She's still only 22 and she has so much experience. She's stepped up again this season so far and Manchester United have the best defensive record in the league.
She's in great form in her first season as captain. She's a good distributer of the ball and is also very versatile. The young players are stepping into these big roles at United and people are looking at them to lead from the back. They are the nod to the future.
Maybe she will be one of the players to break through that England squad. If she carries on in this form, I don't see why not.
Left-back - Katie McCabe (Arsenal)
She was a player that was in and out of the team under Jonas Eidevall, playing all sorts of positions including left-back, right-back and right wing-back. She never knew where she stood half the time. She has adapted really well to the left-back role in the way Renee Slegers wants her to play. She has a defensive mentality in terms of her attitude because she wants to get into duels. Equally, she has quality in possession to create threatening opportunities. She's got a wicked left foot and is up there as one of the best left-footed players around. She adds set-piece qualities as well. That's why I put her in there. You want her in your team.
Centre-midfield - Jess Park (Man City)
She deserves to be in this because she has been a standout performer. There have been some great players, like Fran Kirby at Brighton and Yui Hasegawa, at Manchester City. It's hard to leave them out. But Jess Park has done everything you would ask from a young player. She went on loan, grafted away, broke into the England squad and now she is always in that starting line-up at City. She has been patient. People weren't thinking she would be playing when Jill Roord and Vivianne Miedema were signed - but it's a credit to her quality.
She scored a stunning goal against Arsenal and has been flying since then. She has the fastest feet in the league in terms of her skill and she is so good at linking the midfield to the attack.
Centre-midfield - Grace Clinton (Man Utd)
Watch Clinton goal as England beat Switzerland
She's had a breakthrough year with England and I think she's a real contender in terms of cementing her place in that team for Euro 2025. She has carried the form she left Tottenham with into Manchester United and she's joint-top scorer for them as well. What I enjoy when I watch her play is her drive to want to make things happen. She takes responsibility on the pitch and wants the ball. You always have a feeling that something could happen. I think she also has that tenacity and a bit of edge. She is so good at winning the ball back in high areas and it has come from her pressing. She has improved defensively this season and she will continue to. People talk about Grace Clinton's attacking prowess so to add those defensive attributes shows how much potential she has.
Centre-midfield - Frida Maanum (Arsenal)
She's another one that was an established player for Arsenal then suddenly wasn't. But now she is a key player and she has shown why she should be in the team. She is one of the best midfielders in the modern game that I have seen, timing her run extremely well into the box and has the ability to finish it. She's like an old-skool Steven Gerrard. She finds space and links the attacks. She has exceptional finesse with both feet but can also score those simple goals. If you have midfielders that can score goals, you will always be in a position to compete at the top of the table. She is one of the players that has been key to the transformation under Slegers at Arsenal.
Forward - Mayra Ramirez (Chelsea)
I was raving about Johanna Rytting Kaneryd at the start but she's maybe been a little bit quiet the last few games. She is still up there but I had to get Mayra Ramirez in the team – even if it's not in the number nine position. The impact she is having at Chelsea is huge. She knew Sam Kerr was injured and she would have massive boots to fill. Against Manchester City, she scored that unreal goal and showed the sheer confidence and quality she has. She has been the focal point for Chelsea and has done the job really well.
Centre-forward - Khadija Shaw (Man City)
Nikita Parris has been brilliant at Brighton, Elisabeth Terland has done equally as well for Manchester United and Alessia Russo has really picked up form with Arsenal so this has been tough.
But consistently, season upon season, the main focal striker who has been scoring a ridiculous number of goals is Khadija Shaw. The goals speak for themselves. She is an all-round forward. She's a difficult player to come up against in general because of her football intelligence and her presence on the pitch.
Forward - Lauren Hemp (Man City)
Since she's been injured, you really notice how integral she is to Manchester City.
They almost malfunction when she and Khadija Shaw are unavailable. The two of them combined – the way they link up on the pitch... You feel like City lose their rhythm without them. The weekend's defeat by Everton reflected that.
As a defender, she is the one player you would dread to come up against. You would have a sleepless night coming up against her. She is direct, quick with the ball, she will turn you inside and out, she is crafty, clever, creative and has a great delivery into the box. She is adding more goals to her game too. She is relentless. Even if you know what she is going to do, she is so good at it. She has her own trademark moves and they are difficult to stop.
Manager - Sonia Bompastor (Chelsea)
Brighton's Dario Vidosic and Arsenal interim manager Slegers have both done a great job but Sonia Bompastor is the obvious choice. She has done it as a player and a manager and when she speaks, it cuts through. She is a very self-reflective and honest manager. I don't think I've heard her brush over a performance when the team hasn't played well but still won. She doesn't try to cover it up.
Despite demanding quality, she is protective of her team. She knew what she was coming into, taking over from Emma Hayes, but she wants to carve her own legacy and she is trying to create her own connection.
We will continue to see an evolution in that Chelsea identity I think.
Anita Asante was speaking to BBC Sport's women's football news reporter Emma Sanders.
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