By Opta Analyst | Created at 2026-09-04 16:40:42 | Updated at 2026-09-04 17:19:35
1 hour ago
Bunny Shaw has won the WSL Golden Boot in each of the last three seasons, but can anyone stop the Manchester City striker from making it four in a row? We assess the leading contenders and potential outsiders in the race for the 2026-27 award.
With the start of the 2026-27 Women’s Super League upon us, there is one question on everyone’s lips: can anyone dethrone the infallible Khadija Shaw?
The reigning PFA Players’ Player of the Year has won the Golden Boot in three consecutive seasons, becoming the first player in WSL history to do so. In 2025-26, her 21 goals put her just one short of the competition’s single-season record.
But if ever there was a season when Shaw’s crown looked under threat, this might be it.
A summer of extraordinary transfer activity has arguably made the WSL stronger and its attacking talent deeper than ever. World Cup winners, Champions League winners and some of the most exciting young forwards in the game have arrived in England, while many of last season’s leading scorers are back for another shot.
There are also the established challengers. Alessia Russo finished second to Shaw with 13 goals last season, while Kirsty Hanson was just one further back on 12.
So who are the primary contenders?
Since arriving in the WSL in 2021, Shaw has taken the competition by storm. Her relentless
Bunny Shaw – Why Is She So Good?
Since arriving in the WSL in 2021, Shaw has taken the competition by storm. Her relentless appetite for goals has seen records tumble, establishing the Jamaican as one of the most prolific strikers in world football.
Last season provided another reminder of her extraordinary output. Shaw scored 21 WSL goals, a tally surpassed in a single campaign only by Vivianne Miedema (22 in 2018-19) and Rachel Daly (22 in 2022-23).
She has now reached a total of 83 WSL goals, trailing only teammate Miedema (97) and Crystal Palace’s recent addition Bethany England (89) on the competition’s all-time scoring charts.
Yet perhaps the most telling number is 83.5. That is the average number of minutes Shaw has needed per WSL goal, the best rate of any player in the competition’s history (500+ minutes played).
Opponents have rarely found an answer. Shaw scored against 10 of Manchester City’s 11 league opponents last season, including Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. Only Sam Kerr has previously scored against as many different teams in a single WSL campaign.
Across her English top-flight career, Shaw’s 83 goals come from chances worth 64.6 expected goals (xG). In other words, she has scored 18.4 more goals than the average player would be expected to from the same opportunities.
Then there is her aerial threat. No player has scored more headed goals in WSL history than Shaw’s 31, including a league-high seven last season. She also won the most (81) aerial duels in 2025-26.
Whether the ball is played to her feet, into space or in the air, Shaw possesses the tools to punish defenders in almost any situation.
And when she catches fire, matches can be decided in a matter of minutes. Against Tottenham in March, she scored the fastest hat-trick in WSL history, completing her treble in just 12 minutes and 37 seconds.
So, if anyone is going to take the Golden Boot away from Bunny Shaw, the standard is set.
Alessia Russo – The Proven Challenger
If anyone knows what it takes to go toe-to-toe with Shaw, it is Arsenal’s Alessia Russo.
The pair shared the Golden Boot after scoring 12 goals apiece in 2024-25, before Russo finished second in the scoring charts last season with 13 goals, albeit eight fewer than Shaw’s 21.
That gap, however, does not tell the full story of Russo’s attacking contribution.
While Shaw established herself as the WSL’s pre-eminent goalscorer in 2025-26, Russo showcased her credentials on the biggest stage in Europe, scoring nine times in last term’s UEFA Women’s Champions League to finish second in the competition’s Golden Boot race, behind only Barcelona’s Ewa Pajor (11).
Interestingly, Russo’s most productive football came in Europe despite playing far fewer minutes. She scored nine UWCL goals in just 993 minutes, compared to 13 WSL goals in 1,832 minutes.
Her role also differed slightly between the two competitions. Russo spent a greater proportion of her minutes operating as a central attacking midfielder in the Champions League (37%) than she did in the WSL (24%), while still remaining a regular presence at the top of Arsenal’s attack. Rather than reducing her threat, the added freedom appeared to enhance it.
Interestingly, Russo’s numbers improved when Stina Blackstenius was not in Arsenal’s starting XI. Across the WSL and UWCL, she averaged more goals (0.7), assists (0.4), shots (4.0), xG (0.6) and touches in the opposition’s box (8.1) per 90 without the Sweden international starting alongside her.
There is also remarkable consistency to her league record. Since the start of 2022-23, only Shaw (74) has scored more WSL goals than Russo (47).
Russo has already shown she can match Shaw over the course of a WSL season. If she can combine last season’s league output with the ruthless efficiency she displayed in Europe, she may be best placed to challenge for the Golden Boot.
Kirsty Hanson – The Counter-Attacking Threat
Kirsty Hanson was Aston Villa’s shining light last season. Her 12 WSL goals accounted for almost 43% of Villa’s total, helping them to a comfortable mid-table finish and putting Hanson third in the Golden Boot race (if we can really call it a “race”…) behind Shaw and Russo.
That form earned her a move to Tottenham, where she will reunite with former manager Martin Ho as Spurs look to close the gap on the WSL’s established top sides.
And Hanson arrives with numbers that suggest she will continue to be one of the league’s most dangerous attacking threats.
Her 12 goals came from just 6.75 xG, meaning she scored almost double what the average player would have expected from the chances provided to her. Whether down to luck or simply being an elite finisher remains to be seen, though only Rachel Daly (22 in 2022-23) has scored more goals for Villa in a single WSL season.
But it is how a significant proportion of those goals came about that makes her particularly interesting.
Her pace is devastating in transition. Hanson scored four goals from fast breaks last season, with only Shekiera Martinez (5) ever scoring more on record in the WSL. Indeed, her eight shots from fast breaks has ave never been bettered by a player in a single WSL campaign.
She also led the entire league for goal-ending carries (6) and shot-ending carries (19) – numbers that underline her ability to create danger herself rather than simply waiting for chances to arrive.
There is still room for her game to develop. Hanson has scored just two headed goals across her WSL career, but after a 12-goal season built around pace, carrying and devastating transition play, adding another dimension to her finishing could make her an even more complete Golden Boot threat.
Olivia Holdt – Can She Deliver New Heights?
The Danish forward scored eight WSL goals from chances worth just 3.8 xG last season, highlighting an efficiency matched by few others in the division. Only England (12) has ever scored more goals for Spurs in a single WSL campaign.
Holdt also carried a threat from distance, scoring three times from outside the box; only Lauren James (4) managed more such goals in the competition in 2025-26.
The goals were backed up by consistent attacking involvement. Her 44 shots was the second most by a Tottenham player in a single WSL season, while her 13 shot-ending carries also ranks second in the club’s records.
The question now is whether Holdt can maintain that remarkable efficiency over another campaign and help drive Spurs to greater attacking heights.
Jess Park – Finding Her Feet in Red
After swapping the blue side of Manchester for the red, Jess Park enjoyed an encouraging first season at Manchester United.
Her six WSL goals saw her finish joint-top of United’s scoring charts alongside Elisabeth Terland and Melvine Malard, but it was the variety of her attacking threat that stood out.
Park recorded three goal-ending carries, equalling the most by a United player on record in a single WSL campaign, while her five shots from fast breaks was more than any teammate managed last season.
With her first year at the club behind her, Park now looks well placed to build on those foundations. If she can add greater end product to an already dynamic attacking game, she could emerge as one of the league’s surprise Golden Boot contenders.
Alyssa Thompson – Ready for the Next Step?
Chelsea shattered their transfer record to bring Alyssa Thompson to London from Angel City last year, and the USWNT winger quickly demonstrated why.
Thompson scored seven WSL goals in her debut season, with only three non-European players in competition history – Caitlin Foord (10), Shaw (9) and Katie Stengel (9) – scoring more in their first campaign.
She also joined an exclusive group of Chelsea debutants. Only Pernille Harder (10) and Sjoeke Nüsken (8) have scored more WSL goals in their maiden league season for the club.
Still only at the start of her WSL journey, Thompson appears to have plenty of room for growth. If her first season was an introduction, her second could be a breakthrough.
Kadidiatou Diani – The New Threat
Then there is Kadidiatou Diani.
The France international arrived at London City Lionesses with a goalscoring record few WSL newcomers can match. Across her time with OL Lyonnes in the Première Ligue, Diani averaged 0.6 goals per 90 minutes, while she also finished as UWCL’s top scorer in 2023-24 with eight.
She remained one of Europe’s most productive forwards in 2024-25. Diani finished joint second in the UWCL scoring charts with six goals, the most of any Lyon player, while her 10 goal involvements (six goals, four assists) was the joint most in the competition.
Since joining Lyon in August 2023, Diani has been involved in 35 Première Ligue goals (22 goals, 13 assists), the fifth most of any player in the division. She also outperformed her expected goals total by 6.2 goals, highlighting her efficiency in front of goal.
Her pedigree extends beyond club football, too. Diani scored four goals at the 2023 Women’s World Cup to claim the Silver Boot, underlining her ability to deliver on the biggest stage.
The question is not whether Diani can score goals; it’s how quickly she can translate that production to a new league.
If she settles quickly, the WSL’s established Golden Boot contenders could have another serious challenger to contend with.
From WSL 2 to WSL – Who Can Make the Step Up?
The Golden Boot conversation isn’t only about established names. Several of last season’s leading WSL 2 scorers will get the opportunity to test themselves at the highest level this season.
Leading that group is Lexi Lloyd-Smith, who earned a summer move to Crystal Palace after finishing as WSL 2’s top scorer with 11 goals for Bristol City.
The 23-year-old now has the opportunity to see whether that goalscoring form can translate to the WSL. Her ability to threaten in different ways – running in behind, attacking crosses or shooting from distance – makes her an intriguing addition to Palace’s attack.
And she isn’t the only player making the step up with goals behind her.
Abbie Larkin, Kirsty Howat and Lily Crosthwaite each scored eight WSL 2 goals last season, finishing joint fourth in the competition’s scoring charts. Howat will join Lloyd-Smith at Crystal Palace, while Crosthwaite gets her opportunity with Birmingham City.
None will begin the season among the Golden Boot favourites, but who will be the one to make the biggest step up?
A Golden Boot Race With History on the Line
Whoever comes out on top, there may be history to accompany the goals.
Shaw begins the season on 83 WSL goals, just six behind Bethany England (89) and 14 behind all-time leading scorer Vivianne Miedema (97).
England has milestones of her own within reach, having already become the first player to score against every team to have appeared in the WSL since the competition’s 2011 inception.
The benchmark, however, remains Shaw. No player combines volume, efficiency and consistency quite like the Manchester City striker. Yet the challengers appear stronger and more numerous than ever.
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