There’s a lot to look forward to in 2023 in the world of women’s football. Here’s some highlights to keep an eye on.
DOMESTIC
Barclays WSL + WC Conclusion
The second half of the Barclays WSL begins on the weekend of the 14th January.
Eyes will be on the Emirates on Sunday 15th January with a mouth-watering London derby between the top two. Champions Chelsea currently hold a three-point lead over Arsenal. The Gunners, however, do have a game in hand over their rivals.
Manchester United are not too far behind after an eye-catching first half to their campaign. They are in the driving seat for that final Champions League spot while being ready to pounce if either of those above them slip up. Their neighbours, Manchester City, are hot on their heels and building in form which promises an exciting run in.
While the middle of the table is very tight, the same can’t be said for the relegation battle. Leicester City have a mountain to climb to dig themselves out of the hole they find themselves in. That’s not to say it can’t be done – remember the post-Christmas run Bristol City went on a couple of years back from a similar position that saw them take it down to the final day?
The Championship restarts on Tuesday 10th January and is more competitive than ever. The race for promotion is on. London City lead the pack by one point, but Lauren Smith’s Bristol City have a game in hand. Charlton and Southampton sit one point behind the Robins, tied on goal difference. Birmingham are just three points behind them having also played a game less.
Relegation appears more certain. Coventry United prop up the table, yet to secure a point. They have also performed the great escape before, however, and will have Sunderland in their sights seven points ahead of them.
The final day for the FAWSL is Sunday 28th May while the Championship ends on Sunday 30th April. You can see all league tables and remaining fixtures here.
FAWNL Finale + Play-Off
The six FAWNL divisions are all shaping up to have fascinating conclusions. The final day of the season is currently on Sunday 30th April.
The winner from both the Northern and Southern Premier divisions will face each other in a play-off game. The winner of that will then get promoted to the FA Championship if they meet league requirements. Last year’s runners-up Wolves currently lead the Northern Division, with Nottingham Forest and unbeaten Burnley in hot pursuit. Oxford United lead the way in the Southern Division. Watford, Portsmouth and Ipswich sit five points behind, the former and latter each with a game in hand. The play-off final will be played on 20th May at Stadium MK.
In Division 1, things are getting interesting in the push for promotion. Durham Cestria lead Newcastle United by one point in the North Division. Stourbridge are enjoying life in the FAWNL and hold a healthy nine-point cushion over Doncaster Belles in the Midlands Division. Hashtag United are the only team left unbeaten in the South East Division, sitting top with Norwich City and AFC Wimbledon sitting a game and six points behind. Finally, Cardiff City are unbeaten and in a strong position at the top of the South West Division.
You can see all league tables and remaining fixtures here.
Vitality FA Cup
With snow impacting fixtures towards the end of last year, the final eight Third Round fixtures take place this weekend (Sunday 8th January).
Barclays WSL teams enter the fold in the Fourth Round, with 16 fixtures to be played on Sunday 29th January.
From there, we will have:
- Fifth Round: 26th February
- Quarter-Finals: 19th March
- Semi-Finals: 16th April
The Final will be played at Wembley on Saturday 14th May. Tickets come on sale in January here.
Continental Cup
There are six fixtures remaining from the Group Stage to decide how the quarter-finals of this year’s competition will look. The winners for Group B, C and D are still to be decided as is the best runner up.
The quarter-finals will then be played on 25-26 January:
- Bristol/Charlton/Lewes v Manchester City/Leicester City/Liverpool
- Arsenal v Aston Villa
- Tottenham v Chelsea
- Manchester City/Leicester City/Liverpool v Brighton/West Ham
The semi-finals will be played on the 8-9 February before the Final will be held on Saturday 5th March at Selhurst Park. Tickets are already on sale here.
UWCL
Arsenal and Chelsea both eased through the Group Stage of this year’s Champions League, qualifying in top position.
The quarter-final draw will take place on 10th February. Chelsea could draw either Lyon, Roma and Bayern Munich while Arsenal can face any of PSG, Roma and Munich. The matches will be played over two legs on 21/22 March or 29/30 March.
The semi-finals will then be played 22/23 April and 29/30 April.
This year’s UWCL Final is to be held in Eindhoven, at the PSV Stadion on Saturday 3rd June.
All fixtures can be found here.
Other UK + Ireland leagues
SWPL
Both SWPL leagues restart after the winter break on Sunday 15th January.
The first phase of SWPL 1 finishes on Sunday 12th March. Phase 2 will then see the top six play each other home and away, with the bottom six doing the same.
Glasgow City and Rangers remain unbeaten this campaign. Glasgow lead their rivals by two points. Celtic are still in the hunt, especially for the second UWCL spot.
Gartcairn have opened up a small gap over Montrose at the top of SWPL 2.
You can see all league tables and remaining fixtures here.
Adran Premier League
In Wales, the Adran Premier League returns on Sunday 8th January.
Cardiff City are currently in prime position to lift the trophy, with a large gap having opened up over Swansea City in second.
You can see all league tables and remaining fixtures here.
Danske Northern Ireland Women’s Premiership
2022 saw a hugely exciting year for Northern Irish Women’s Football. On the domestic front, the league, Cliftonville ended Glentoran’s run of successive titles to lift the trophy.
There has not been any news yet on the start of the 2023 season but watch this space.
SSE Airtricity Women’s National League
The 2022 SSE Airtricity WNL in the Republic of Ireland ended in dramatic circumstances, with Shelbourne clinching the title from Wexford Youths and Athlone Town on the final day of the season.
This year sees the league kick off on Saturday 4th March. Sligo Rovers enter the league this campaign, while Galway United have taken on the running of Galway WFC. The season will end with the EVOKE.ie FAI Women’s Cup Final on Sunday 19th November.
All fixtures can be found here.
