Women's Super League predictions: Outright preview, tips and best bets for 2024/25 WSL

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Football betting tips: WSL

5pts Manchester City to win the WSL at 27/10 (Sporting Index, SpreadEx)

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Who’s in the Women’s Champions League?

Before getting into the 1-12 predictions for the Women's Super League season, a quick word on the Champions League.

Chelsea are the only WSL side to qualify automatically for the group stage and continue their bid to finally win a first UWCL title.

They lost to Barcelona in the semi-finals last year, doing so for the second reason in a row. New manager Sonia Bompastor won the Champions League once as Lyon manager and twice as a player and will look to deliver European silverware in London.

Arsenal and Manchester City have both reached the second round of qualifying and play BK Hacken and Paris FC respectively as they look for a group-stage place.

The Women's Champions League still uses the traditional group format until next season, when it will follow the new league system adopted by the men's tournament this year.

Who will win the WSL?

1st - Manchester City

• Manager: Gareth Taylor
• Player to watch: Vivianne Miedema

Manchester City finished narrowly behind Chelsea - who won their fifth successive WSL - on goal difference last year, but it feels like this season may well be time for City to steal their crown.

They haven't had to make wholesale changes to their squad this summer and have instead focused on shrewd additions, including Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema.

City took time to get going last term but were excellent once they did. They've got a settled squad which they've improved, while Chelsea are in the midst of major upheaval.

It's a long time since City's chances of winning have been any better, yet they're priced as third favourites behind Chelsea and Arsenal.

Opposing those odds and backing MANCHESTER CITY TO WIN THE TITLE is therefore advised.

2nd - Chelsea

• Manager: Sonia Bompastor
• Player to watch: Caterina Macario

Emma Hayes' long reign as Chelsea boss is over after her move to become United States manager, with Sonia Bompastor taking over.

There have been lots of transfers made in the summer, too, with many players departing London.

Chelsea have one of the strongest squads this season and potentially have the depth to edge the title race if all three teams go far in the Champions League, but continuing their dominance won't be easy.

They won an unprecedented fifth WSL title last term, but adapting to the major changes could take a while and may prove costly.

3rd - Arsenal

• Manager: Jonas Eidevall
• Player to watch: Mariona Caldentey

Arsenal were inconsistent last season and raised eyebrows when they allowed star striker Vivianne Miedema to join Manchester City on a free transfer.

Despite struggling for regular form, they only trailed the top two by five points by the end of the campaign and it feels like they will be better positioned to challenge this time around.

Watch out for Spain forward Caldentey, who joined from Barcelona and has already impressed in Champions League qualifying.

Jonas Eidevall's side have improved and the title race could be much closer, but it's still tough to see them matching City or Chelsea. They'll be close, but fall short.

4th - Aston Villa

• Manager: Robert de Pauw
• Player to watch: Rachel Daly

Aston Villa have long wanted to break into the top end of the Women's Super League. Could this be their year?

They've got a new manager in Robert de Pauw and smashed their transfer record in the summer, spending £250k on Brazil forward Gabi Nunes.

Villa underperformed last year and slumped to seventh, but they're definitely in 'dark horse' territory. It's a squad brimming with talent and potential.

Expect them to be in the mix outside the big three even if they don't make it as high as fourth.

5th - Manchester United

• Manager: Marc Skinner
• Player to watch: Elisabeth Terland

Winning the FA Cup gave a silver lining to an otherwise uninspiring season for Manchester United last year. They finished a mammoth 20 points off the top, 15 behind the Champions League places.

It wouldn't be surprising to see them achieve a better points haul this year, but things are still far from perfect. They haven't adequately replaced England goalkeeper Mary Earps or captain Katie Zelem, who both left in the summer.

Brighton striker Elisabeth Terland and Spurs forward Celin Bizet are interesting additions, but it still doesn't feel like enough.

Manager Marc Skinner was under pressure last season. Making it through another will be tough

6th - Liverpool

• Manager: Matt Beard
• Player to watch: Olivia Smith

Liverpool were last season's surprise package, finishing fourth under the stewardship of experienced manager Matt Beard.

Beard is still there - as is their steely backline which was so important in achieving their impressive finish - but it doesn't feel like they've properly addressed the main shortfall: a lack of goals.

Canada forward Olivia Smith signed for a club record fee, but she's relatively untested at the top level. At the same time, they've let the likes of Shanice van de Sanden, Missy Bo Kearns and Melissa Lawley leave.

Liverpool are in a good position but might not keep pace with others who've improved.

7th - Tottenham

• Manager: Robert Vilahamn
• Player to watch: Hayley Raso

Tottenham were FA Cup runners-up in manager Robert Vilahmn's first season last term.

The Swede has regularly said he views Spurs' development as a project. It doesn't seem like one that will come to fruition just yet.

They've brought in good players in the form of Real Madrid forward Hayley Raso and midfielder Maite Oroz, but they've lost some important ones too.

Spurs won't be far off breaking into the mix with the top sides in years to come. But that's something for the future, not this year.

8th - Brighton

• Manager: Dario Vidosic
• Player to watch: Fran Kirby

Brighton have got a new permanent manager in former Australia international Dario Vidosic and will look to better last season's ninth-place finish.

They are probably in a position to do that, but only incrementally. The Seagulls haven't adequately addressed losing top scorer Elisabeth Terland, so goals might be hard to come by.

There are still some possible areas of promise. Look out for Barcelona loanee Bruna Vilamala and England midfielder Fran Kirby. If Brighton exceed expectations, it will likely be thanks to those two.

9th - Leicester

• Manager: Amandine Miquel
• Player to watch: Jutta Rantala

Leicester are another team who have changed managers. They finished an underwhelming 10th despite having a good squad and want to beat that by a significant margin.

But it feels like other teams have stolen a march. There will be strong competition in the WSL this season and Leicester will need to do a lot of improving to finish significantly higher up the table.

Striker Jutta Rantala was a bright spark last year, as was goalkeeper Janina Leitzig. There is definitely talent in the squad, but - especially when coupled with adjusting to a new manager - it might not be enough.

10th - Crystal Palace

• Manager: Laura Kaminski
• Player to watch: Katie Stengel

Predicting how Palace will do in their first season in the top flight isn't easy, but things feel promising for the Eagles.

They made it out of a hard-fought title battle in the Championship - a division which is becoming increasingly competitive and closer to the WSL's standards.

Promoted clubs have had a habit of going straight back down in recent years, but Palace feel like they could break the mould.

Former Liverpool striker Katie Stengel was a good addition from Gotham FC on deadline day, while Elise Hughes was the Championship's top scorer. They've recruited well in general and seem in a good place.

11th- West Ham

• Manager: Rehanne Skinner
• Player to watch: Riko Ueki

The Women's Super League is going to be tight this year, but West Ham still probably have enough to avoid the drop.

They've lost some big names in the likes of Mackenzie Arnold, Honoka Hayashia and Risa Shimizu, but their replacements haven't been too bad.

The Irons' safety is far from certain, but boss Skinner did well to keep them up last year. It feels like they could do the same again.

12th - Everton

• Manager: Brian Sorensen
• Player to watch: Melissa Lawley

It feels like there's a wide range of positions Everton could finish in. But others have improved and they haven't done too much in the way of bettering their squad.

The Toffees struggled last term, especially in front of goal. Much of that was down to injury issues and if they suffer the same again it could be a very tough season.

That, and the fact some good players left in the summer, adds to their chances of going down.

Something has felt amiss for a while at Everton and they might be the ones to face the drop.

Who will be the WSL top scorer?

Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw cruised to the golden boot last season, netting 21 goals - eight more than the two runners up.

The Jamaican, who narrowly missed out on being top scorer in 2022-23, is likely to continue that form as the main focal point of a team who regularly rack up high scorelines.

But her efforts may be hampered by the arrival of WSL record scorer Vivianne Miedema from Arsenal. How manager Gareth Taylor will fit both of them into the team will be interesting, but Miedema also being in the attacking line could reduce Shaw's chances of scoring quite as many.

Arsenal have some good contenders, but like City they have a number of players capable of netting goals and that could mean they are spread more thinly across the squad.

The Gunners' England striker Alessia Russo bagged 12 last term, while the likes of Frida Maanum, Stina Blackstenius and Caitlin Foord are also threats.

Chelsea's Lauren James is not an out and out striker but did well last season, scoring 13. Star forward Sam Kerr will still be ruled out with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury for much of the campaign, so goals will have to come from elsewhere.

Keep an eye out for American forward Catarina Macario, who made a big impact following her debut after returning from an ACL injury at the back end of last term. British record signing Mayra Ramirez is yet to properly find her scoring boots but could also be a threat for Sonia Bompastor's side.

An outsider could be Manchester United forward Elisabeth Terland. The Norwegian scored 13 times in the league for a Brighton side who didn't produce many chances last term and is now part of a team who will provide her with much better service.

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