2017–18_FA_WSL
2017–18 FA WSL
Seventh season of the top English women's association football league
The 2017–18 FA WSL was the seventh edition of the FA WSL since it was formed in 2010. It was the first season of WSL which ran as a winter league.[1] It started in September 2017 and ended in May 2018, with ten teams competing in both leagues.[1][2][3]
Quick Facts Season, Champions ...
| Season | 2017–18 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Chelsea |
| Champions League | Chelsea Manchester City |
| Matches played | 90 |
| Goals scored | 282 (3.13 per match) |
2018–19 → | |
Close
The Football Association removed promotion and relegation between the two tiers for the end of the season. The league was instead restructured, with clubs required to apply for licenses under new criteria for the top tier in the 2018–19 season.[4]
A one-off competition, the FA WSL Spring Series, ran from February to May 2017 to bridge the gap from the 2016 FA WSL season.[5]
With the collapse of Notts County Ladies just prior to the Spring Series, the ten clubs of WSL2 were invited to apply for a place in the 2017–18 season. Two sides, champions Everton and runners-up Doncaster Rovers, applied. On 9 June 2017, subject to appeal, Everton were awarded the position.[6]
- WSL 1
Locations of the 2017–18 WSL 1 teams
More information Team, Location ...
| Team | Location | Ground | Capacity | 2016 season | Spring Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | Borehamwood | Meadow Park | 4,502 | 3rd | 3rd |
| Birmingham City | Solihull | Damson Park | 3,050 | 5th | 7th |
| Bristol City | Filton | Stoke Gifford Stadium | 1,500 | 2nd, WSL 2 | 8th |
| Chelsea | Kingston upon Thames | Kingsmeadow | 4,850 | 2nd | 1st |
| Everton | Widnes | Select Security Stadium | 13,350 | 3rd, WSL 2 | 1st, WSL2 |
| Liverpool | Widnes | Select Security Stadium | 13,350 | 4th | 4th |
| Manchester City | Manchester | Academy Stadium | 7,000 | 1st | 2nd |
| Reading | High Wycombe | Adams Park | 9,617 | 8th | 6th |
| Sunderland | South Shields | Mariners Park | 3,000 | 7th | 5th |
| Yeovil Town | Yeovil | Huish Park | 9,565 | 1st, WSL 2 | 9th |
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- WSL 2
Locations of the 2017–18 WSL 2 teams
More information Team, Location ...
| Team | Location | Ground | Capacity | 2016 season | Spring Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa | Tamworth | The Lamb Ground | 4,000 | 7th | 4th |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | Lancing | Culver Road | 2,000 | 1st, 2015–16 WPL | 6th |
| Doncaster Rovers Belles | Doncaster | Keepmoat Stadium | 15,231 | 9th, WSL 1 | 2nd |
| Durham | Durham | New Ferens Park | 3,000 | 4th | 5th |
| London Bees | Canons Park | The Hive Stadium | 5,176 | 6th | 7th |
| Millwall Lionesses | Bermondsey | St. Paul's Sports Ground | 2,500 | 8th | 3rd |
| Oxford United | Marston | Court Place Farm | 3,200 | 9th | 10th |
| Sheffield | Dronfield | Coach and Horses | 2,000 | 5th | 9th |
| Tottenham Hotspur | Cheshunt | The Stadium | 3,000 | 1st, 2016–17 WPL | n/a |
| Watford | Kings Langley | Global Metcorp Stadium | 1,000 | 10th | 8th |
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Quick Facts Season, Champions ...
| Season | 2017–18 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Chelsea |
| Matches played | 90 |
| Goals scored | 282 (3.13 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Ellen White (15 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Liverpool 8–0 Yeovil Town (6 January 2018) |
| Biggest away win | Sunderland 0–6 Chelsea (30 September 2017) |
| Highest scoring | Liverpool 8–0 Yeovil Town (6 January 2018) |
2018–19 → | |
Close
Ten teams competed this season.[1] Following the closure of Notts County Ladies in April 2017, the FA announced that one place in the league would be given to a team which competed in the Spring Series, based on an evaluation by the FA of applicant clubs' business plans, budget, youth development, facilities and on-pitch performance.[3] The place was subsequently given to Everton.[6]
There was no relegation based on results at the end of the season due to the league's restructure.[4]
Table
More information Pos, Team ...
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea (C, Q) | 18 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 44 | 13 | +31 | 44 | Qualification for the Champions League |
| 2 | Manchester City (Q) | 18 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 51 | 17 | +34 | 38 | |
| 3 | Arsenal | 18 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 38 | 18 | +20 | 37 | |
| 4 | Reading | 18 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 40 | 18 | +22 | 32 | |
| 5 | Birmingham City | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 30 | 18 | +12 | 30 | |
| 6 | Liverpool | 18 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 30 | 27 | +3 | 28 | |
| 7 | Sunderland (R) | 18 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 15 | 40 | −25 | 16 | Did not apply for a licence, Relegated to the FA Women's National League |
| 8 | Bristol City | 18 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 47 | −34 | 16 | |
| 9 | Everton | 18 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 19 | 30 | −11 | 14 | |
| 10 | Yeovil Town | 18 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 54 | −52 | 2 |
Close
Source: FA WSL
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated
Results
More information Home \ Away, ARS ...
| Home \ Away | ARS | BIR | BRI | CHE | EVE | LIV | MCI | REA | SUN | YEO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | — | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 4–0 |
| Birmingham City | 3–0 | — | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 |
| Bristol City | 1–6 | 0–2 | — | 0–2 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–6 | 0–5 | 1–2 | 1–0 |
| Chelsea | 3–2 | 2–1 | 6–0 | — | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 6–0 |
| Everton | 0–2 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 0–1 | — | 0–2 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 5–1 | 3–1 |
| Liverpool | 0–3 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 1–1 | — | 1–0 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 8–0 |
| Manchester City | 5–2 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 4–0 | — | 0–2 | 3–0 | 5–0 |
| Reading | 0–0 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2–5 | — | 0–1 | 3–0 |
| Sunderland | 0–2 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 0–6 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 0–3 | 0–2 | — | 2–1 |
| Yeovil Town | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–1 | — |
Close
Updated to match(es) played on 15 May 2018. Source: FA WSL
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Top goalscorers
More information Rank, Player ...
| Rank | Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ellen White |
Birmingham City | 15 |
| 2 | Nikita Parris |
Manchester City | 11 |
| 3 | Beth England |
Liverpool | 10 |
| 4 | Remi Allen |
Reading | 9 |
| Isobel Christiansen |
Manchester City | ||
| 6 | Brooke Chaplen |
Reading | 8 |
| Fran Kirby |
Chelsea | ||
| Beth Mead |
Arsenal | ||
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Quick Facts Season, Champions ...
| Season | 2017–18 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Doncaster Rovers Belles |
| Matches played | 90 |
| Goals scored | 325 (3.61 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Jessica Sigsworth (15 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Doncaster Rovers Belles 6–0 Aston Villa (29 October 2017) Tottenham Hotspur 6–0 Watford (22 February 2018) |
| Biggest away win | Watford 0–5 Sheffield (16 May 2018) |
| Highest scoring | Tottenham Hotspur 6–3 Durham (29 April 2018) |
2018–19 → | |
Close
Ten teams competed during this season.[1][3]
There was no promotion or relegation based on results at the end of the season due to the league's restructure.[4]
Table
More information Pos, Team ...
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doncaster Rovers Belles (C, R) | 18 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 52 | 15 | +37 | 47 | Obtained then gave up Tier 2 licence, Relegated to the FA Women's National League |
| 2 | Brighton & Hove Albion (P) | 18 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 35 | 26 | +9 | 37 | Awarded a Tier 1 licence |
| 3 | Millwall Lionesses[lower-alpha 1] | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 40 | 23 | +17 | 36 | |
| 4 | Durham | 18 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 44 | 26 | +18 | 35 | |
| 5 | Sheffield (R) | 18 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 40 | 31 | +9 | 28 | Obtained then gave up Tier 2 licence, Relegated to the FA Women's National League |
| 6 | London Bees | 18 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 29 | 32 | −3 | 23 | |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 32 | 34 | −2 | 22 | |
| 8 | Oxford United (R) | 18 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 24 | 41 | −17 | 12 | Failed to obtain a Tier 2 licence, Relegated to the FA Women's National League |
| 9 | Aston Villa | 18 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 21 | 40 | −19 | 11 | |
| 10 | Watford (R) | 18 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 8 | 57 | −49 | 4 | Failed to obtain a Tier 2 licence, Relegated to the FA Women's National League |
Close
Source: FA WSL
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Millwall Lionesses had three points deducted for fielding an ineligible player in their first game of the season against Watford.[9]
Results
More information Home \ Away, AST ...
| Home \ Away | AST | BRI | DON | DUR | LON | MIL | OXF | SHE | TOT | WAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa | — | 0–1 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 3–4 | 1–1 | 4–0 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2–1 | — | 1–0 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 5–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 |
| Doncaster Rovers Belles | 6–0 | 4–1 | — | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 3–1 |
| Durham | 3–0 | 4–0 | 1–2 | — | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 4–0 |
| London Bees | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–4 | 1–3 | — | 2–3 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 3–1 |
| Millwall Lionesses | 2–1 | 4–3 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | — | 1–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 3–1 |
| Oxford United | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 2–4 | — | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 |
| Sheffield | 2–1 | 1–4 | 1–2 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 4–1 | — | 4–3 | 4–0 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–4 | 6–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–4 | — | 6–0 |
| Watford | 0–3 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–5 | 1–1 | — |
Close
Updated to match(es) played on 20 May 2018. Source: FA WSL
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Top goalscorers
- As of 20 May 2018.[7]
More information Rank, Player ...
| Rank | Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jessica Sigsworth |
Doncaster Rovers Belles | 15 |
| 2 | Melissa Johnson |
Sheffield F.C. Ladies | 12 |
| 3 |  Kirsty Hanson |
Doncaster Rovers Belles | 11 |
| Beth Hepple |
Durham W.F.C. | ||
| 5 | Charlie Devlin |
Millwall Lionesses | 9 |
Close
- "Women's Super League to switch to winter season in 2017". Retrieved 9 October 2016.
- "FA Women's Super League to move to new calendar in 2017". Retrieved 9 October 2016.
- Garry, Tom. "Women's Super League: WSL 2 clubs invited to apply to replace Notts County Ladies". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- Garry, Tom. "Women's Super League: Restructure can help make league best in world – Katie Brazier". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
- "New calendar for FA WSL". Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- "Everton have been elected to FA Women's Super League 1". Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- "PLAYER STATS". Retrieved 1 October 2017.
- "Top Scorers – Womens Super League – Football". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- "Club Statement". Millwall Lionesses. The Football Association. 8 November 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.[permanent dead link]