Following the announcement of a new broadcasting deal worth more than £ 7 million a year until 2024, WSL will finally be available to the masses.
With 18 matches per season shown on BBC One and BBC Two, and a further 44 available to Sky customers, WSL will finally get the exposure it truly deserves and will hopefully no longer be an afterthought for some of England’s biggest clubs.
For any of you who want to start following women’s football – or for any of you avid fans who just want a reminder that some of the best teams and players have graced the league – we have given you an overview of all the best records will be set in since the start in 2010.
Chelsea have won the WSL record four times including the spring series 2017 | Graham Hughes / Getty Images
Chelsea and Arsenal have both been named WSL champions three times, with the Gunners topping both of the first two WSL seasons before adding a third title in 2019, while the Blues won in 2015, 2018 and 2020.
But in 2017, WSL launched a temporary competition called the Spring Series, and Chelsea’s triumph in that competition means that they pull Arsenal to the top spot with four titles.
Nobody has scored more goals in the league than Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema | Marc Atkins / Getty Images
Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema has become one of the most productive strikers in the women’s game, and despite not moving to the WSL until 2017, she is already the league’s top scorer all the time.
The Dutch international has a total of 59 goals in 63 trips for Arsenal with her goal of 22 goals in 20 matches during the 2018/19 season and sees her as the PFA women’s player of the year player.
Jill Scott has 157 WSL appearances to her name | Visionhaus / Getty Images
Of the 726 different players who have graced the WSL since its inception in 2010, only two players have collected more than 150 appearances.
Steph Houghton is in second place on the list of most appearances in the WSL with 155, but Jill Scott tops the list with 157 during her time with Manchester City and her two spells with Everton.
Arsenal scored 54 points during the 2018/19 season | Catherine Ivill / Getty Images
After not tasting WSL success since their second league title in a row back in 2012, Arsenal returned to their perch as champions of England emphatically in 2019.
Joe Montemurro’s side won 18 of their 20 league games to record 54 points for the season – the highest ever.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal in 2019/20 | Catherine Ivill / Getty Images
Back when fans who attended a football match were one thing, WSL’s record attendance of 38262 saw Arsenal win over north London rivals Tottenham at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in November 2019.
Lucy Bronze has awarded two awards to Player of the Year Clive Brunskill / Getty Images
England’s international Lucy Bronze has had her fair success in the WSL when she has not won Champions League titles with Lyon.
Bronze has been awarded twice to PFA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year Award, once in 2014 and then again in 2017.
Karen Carney has 35 WSL assists to her name Alex Burstow / Getty Images
Since hanging up her boots, Karen Carney has taken on meandering Leeds fans as an expert on BT Sport.
Prior to that, she was one of the most creative midfielders in the WSL and recorded no less than 35 assists during her time with Birmingham and Chelsea.
Vivianne Miedema has the most hat-tricks in WSL | Visionhaus / Getty Images
It will probably not be so surprising that WSL’s leading goal scorer of all time has the most hate tricks for her name.
Arsenal’s Miedema has won five of its four seasons with the Gunners.
Arsenal beat Bristol City 11-1 2019 | Kate McShane / Getty Images
And it will come as no surprise that Miedema played a major role in this record.
Arsenal beat Bristol City 11-1 in December 2019 to record the biggest win ever in WSL history.
Karen Bardsley has kept 34 clean sheets in WSL | Naomi Baker / Getty Images
Karen Bardsley’s time with Manchester City has been trophy-filled to say the least, and her ability between the sticks has been the key to their success.
Currently on loan with American outfit OL Reign, the England international tops the WSL list with 34.
Emma Hayes has run Chelsea since 2012 | David Balogh / Getty Images
Since being named Chelsea manager in 2012, Emma Hayes has taken over the blues in the WSL on 143 occasions, which means she tops the charts when it comes to game management.
Gilly Flaherty has four WSL Winner Medals | Visionhaus / Getty Images
Gilly Flaherty and Gemma Davison have both won four WSL regular season titles, although Flaherty’s triumph at the 2017 Spring Series means she loses Davison to the top spot.
The English champions have experienced WSL success twice with Arsenal and three times with Chelsea.
Vivianne Miedema had sex against Bristol City | Kate McShane / Getty Images
Arsenal’s 11-1 win over Bristol City 2019 was not only the biggest win ever recorded in the WSL, but also saw the most goals scored by an individual.
Miedema had six in the afternoon and then scored the most goals by a player in a single WSL game.
Gilly Flaherty has two red cards to her name Visionhaus / Getty Images
Gilly Flaherty makes another appearance on the list as the player with the most red cards in WSL history, but she is not alone.
She is accompanied by Grace McCatty, Leandra Little, Jo Potter, Sophie Walton, Jemma Rose, Freda Ayisi and Rachel Rowe, who all have two red cards to their name.
Manchester City has a profit ratio of 70.4% | Chloe Knott – Danehouse / Getty Images
Manchester City has the best win percentage of any team that has played in the WSL and won 88 of its 125 top trips to give them an impressive win percentage of 70.4%.
Yeovil Town has the worst winning percentage in WSL history Alex Davidson / Getty Images
At the other end of the scale is poor Yeovil Town.
They have collected only two victories from their 46 WSL outcomes, which means that they have the lowest winning percentage with only 4.3%.
Doncaster Rovers Belles went 22 games without holding Steve Bardens / Getty Images properly
Doncaster Rovers Belles appears on our list of WSL records a couple of times, but you will not be envious of them when you see the records they have set.
Their run of 22 games without a clean sheet in 2012 is the longest a team has gone without conceding a goal.
Janine Beckie’s page is on a fantastic winning streak | Chloe Knott – Danehouse / Getty Images
Arsenal and Man City share this record, but it will probably be owned directly by City soon.
Both sides have a winning streak of 12 games to their name, although Citys are ongoing while the Gunners finished back in 2018.
Doncaster Rovers Belles holds the record for most consecutive defeats | Steve Bardens / Getty Images
It’s Doncaster Rovers Belles again with his second unwanted record.
Back in 2016, they suffered 17 defeats in a row – most of which came when they finished at the bottom of the league with only three points.
Chelsea are on a fantastic score in 48 games in a row | Visionhaus / Getty Images
In a record that will be extended further in the coming weeks, Chelsea have currently found the net in their previous 48 WSL outings.
Lauren Hemp is the league’s youngest goal scorer ever Clive Brunskill / Getty Images
In April 2017, Lauren Hemp was sacked in Bristol City against Reading and then became WSL’s youngest goal scorer ever at just 16 years and 258 days old.
Becky Easton is WSL’s oldest goal scorer ever Pete Norton / Getty Images
At the opposite end of the scale is Becky Easton.
Her goal for Liverpool against Arsenal in 2015 made her the WSL’s oldest goal scorer ever, 41 years and 87 days old.
Bethany England holds the record for most consecutive appearances | Visionhaus / Getty Images
In 2020, Bethany England broke the record for the longest scoring game in a row, as she did in nine games on the bounce for Chelsea.
Megan Walsh has been the busiest goalkeeper in WSL history Mike Hewitt / Getty Images
Megan Walsh has been the busiest goalkeeper of all the shot-stoppers who have appeared in the WSL, making no less than 450 saves in the English lady’s top flight.
Megan Walsh has also conceded the most goals in Jordan Mansfield / Getty Images
From an enviable post to a not so enviable one.
While she did her fair share of saves in the WSL, Walsh has also picked up the ball at the back of his net more than any other goalkeeper and conceded 203 goals in the WSL.
