The 2021–22 FA WSL season (also known as the Barclays FA Women's Super League for sponsorship reasons) was the eleventh season of the FA Women's Super League (WSL) since it was formed in 2010. It was the fourth season after the rebranding of the four highest levels in English women's football.
On 4 May 2022, Birmingham City were relegated following a 6–0 defeat away at Manchester City with one game remaining. Members of the WSL since it was founded in 2011, it ended Birmingham's twenty-year stint as a top-flight club having last been promoted as the 2001–02 FA Women's Premier League Northern Division champions.
Chelsea successfully defended the title by beating Manchester United 4–2 in the final matchday, winning their third consecutive and fifth overall WSL title.
Teams Twelve teams contested the 2021–22 FA WSL season. At the end of the previous season, Bristol City were relegated after four seasons in the WSL while Leicester City were promoted for the first time.
Team Location Ground Capacity 2020–21 season Arsenal Borehamwood Meadow Park 4,502 3rd Aston Villa Walsall Bescot Stadium 11,300 10th Birmingham City Birmingham St Andrew's 29,902 11th Brighton & Hove Albion Crawley Broadfield Stadium 5,800 6th Chelsea Kingston upon Thames Kingsmeadow 4,850 1st Everton Liverpool Walton Hall Park 2,200 5th Leicester City Leicester King Power Stadium 32,212 Manchester City Manchester Academy Stadium 7,000 2nd Manchester United Leigh Leigh Sports Village 12,000 4th Reading Reading Madejski Stadium 24,161 7th Tottenham Hotspur Canons Park The Hive Stadium 5,419 8th West Ham United Dagenham Victoria Road 6,078 9th
Stadium changes Two teams changed home ground prior to the start of the season: Birmingham City relocated from Damson Park to St Andrew's, home of the team's male affiliate since 1906. Leicester City prepared for their maiden WSL season by moving to their parent club's main stadium, King Power Stadium, with Burton Albion's Pirelli Stadium serving as backup when fixtures clash with Leicester's men's side.
Personnel and kits Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsorArsenal AdidasFly EmiratesAston Villa KappaCazooBirmingham City (interim) NikeSmartMedsBrighton & Hove Albion NikeAmerican ExpressChelsea NikeThreeEverton (interim) HummelMegaFonLeicester City AdidasFBSManchester City PumaEtihad AirwaysManchester United AdidasTeamViewerReading MacronYLDTottenham Hotspur NikeAIAWest Ham United UmbroBetway
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentAston Villa (interim)End of interim period10 May 2021End of season (10th) 20 May 2021Birmingham City Resigned16 May 2021End of season (11th) 30 June 2021Arsenal Resigned16 May 2021End of season (3rd) 28 June 2021Manchester United Resigned16 May 2021End of season (4th) 29 July 2021Everton Sacked16 October 20218th 29 October 2021Birmingham City Sacked18 November 202111th (interim)18 November 2021Birmingham City (interim)End of interim period21 November 202111th 21 November 2021Leicester City Sacked25 November 202112th (interim)25 November 2021Leicester City (interim)End of interim period6 December 202112th 6 December 2021Everton Sacked2 February 202210th (interim)2 February 2022
League table
Results
Positions by round The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve chronological progress, any postponed matches are not included in the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards. For example, if a match is scheduled for round 13, but then postponed and played between rounds 16 and 17, it will be added to the standings for round 16.
Results by round
Season statistics Top scorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Sam KerrChelsea202 Vivianne MiedemaArsenal143 Beth MeadArsenal114 Lauren HempManchester City105 Alessia RussoManchester United9 Khadija ShawManchester City7 Bethany EnglandChelsea8 Leah GaltonManchester United Georgia StanwayManchester City10 Ella TooneManchester United7 Guro ReitenChelsea
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubCleansheets1 Manuela ZinsbergerArsenal132 Mary EarpsManchester United103 Ann-Katrin BergerChelsea94 Ellie RoebuckManchester City85 Grace MoloneyReading7 Zećira MušovićChelsea7 Megan WalshBrighton & Hove Albion68 Rebecca SpencerTottenham Hotspur59 Hannah HamptonAston Villa4 Demi LambourneLeicester City Sandy MacIverEverton
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result DateRef. Sam KerrChelseaBirmingham City5–0 (H)21 November 2021 Khadija Shaw (4)Manchester CityBrighton & Hove Albion7–2 (H)30 April 2022
Discipline
Most yellow cardsTotalMost red cardsTotalRef.Player Maéva Clemaron (Tottenham Hotspur) Katie McCabe (Arsenal)7 Hawa Cissoko (West Ham United)2ClubTottenham Hotspur39West Ham United2
Awards
Monthly awards MonthManager of the MonthPlayer of the MonthGoal of the MonthRef.ManagerClubPlayerClubPlayerClubSeptember Jonas EidevallArsenal Beth MeadArsenal Pernille Harder (vs Manchester United)ChelseaOctober Jonas EidevallArsenal Katie McCabeArsenal Katie McCabe (vs Aston Villa)ArsenalNovember Kelly ChambersReading Jessie FlemingChelsea Alessia Russo (vs Tottenham Hotspur)Manchester UnitedDecember Marc SkinnerManchester United Ella TooneManchester United Georgia Stanway (vs Birmingham City)Manchester CityJanuary Marc SkinnerManchester United Leah GaltonManchester United Natasha Dowie (vs Leicester City)ReadingFebruary Lydia BedfordLeicester City Ashleigh NevilleTottenham Hotspur Caroline Weir (vs Manchester United)Manchester CityMarch Emma HayesChelsea Alessia RussoManchester United Katie Zelem (vs Leicester City)Manchester UnitedApril Darren CarterBirmingham City Sam KerrChelsea Yui Hasegawa (vs Reading)West Ham United
Annual awards
Award Winner Club Barclays FA WSL Player of the Season Sam Kerr Chelsea Barclays FA WSL Manager of the Season Emma Hayes Chelsea PFA Players' Player of the Year Sam Kerr Chelsea PFA Young Player of the Year Lauren Hemp Manchester City FWA Footballer of the Year Sam Kerr Chelsea
PFA Team of the Year Goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger (Chelsea) Defenders Ona Batlle (Manchester United) Millie Bright (Chelsea) Leah Williamson (Arsenal) Alex Greenwood (Manchester City) Midfielders Guro Reiten (Chelsea) Caroline Weir (Manchester City) Kim Little (Arsenal) Forwards Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal) Sam Kerr (Chelsea) Lauren Hemp (Manchester City)
References
External links Official website