Mariona Caldentey was named player of the match during the UEFA Women’s Champions League Round 1 match between Arsenal and Rosenborg at Meadow Park Stadium in Borehamwood, England on Sept. 7, 2024. (Photo credit: Bettina Weissensteiner / SPP)
Another Women’s Super League season beckons, one that will determine just how dominant Chelsea can be without talismanic head coach Emma Hayes. With Hayes gone, having left England to coach the U.S. women’s national team and winning Olympic gold over the summer, the door is open for a new team to supplant them and establish themselves as the new superpower in England. The top contenders are the other members of the often called ‘big three,’ Arsenal and Manchester City.
In prior seasons, both teams have struggled to keep up with Hayes’ Chelsea, inevitably losing out in different circumstances. However, with Sonia Bompastor now at the helm — the former player hired from French giants Olympique Lyon in May — there will inevitably be a bedding-in period and an unknown amount of time…
