Can anyone stop Chelsea? This is the key question posed at the start of every Women’s Super League season, and remains so this year. Emma Hayes and her players have dominated the English game in recent times, gleefully scooping up the last four WSL titles—plus the last three FA Cups. Worryingly for their rivals, they now look stronger than ever before.
This summer, they added Catarina Macario to their ranks. Widely accepted as one of the world’s best players before an ACL injury ruled her out of her last season with French giants Lyon, Macario brings finesse and creativity to one of the world’s most ruthless counter-attacking sides. The thought of her supplying Sam Kerr is enough to strike fear in even the most solid of defenses.
Canada full-back Ashley Lawrence and German midfielder Sjoeke Nusken are two other high-quality signings, providing Hayes with a wealth of options in defensive areas with their versatility. There is also the arrival of Mia Fishel, a striker recently capped by the…