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Goalkeepers
Hannah Hampton The 24-year-old has made the No 1 shirt her own this season. Ever present in goal, she is second for clean sheets in the league and her distribution is a key asset. She might not always be the busiest given the team in front of her but, more often than not, she has stepped up in the big moments with memorable saves to ensure her side maintain their unbeaten run. 8
Zecira Musovic She might have hoped to finally nail down a starting place over the summer but found herself on the bench from the start. The Swedish goalkeeper did not make an appearance in the WSL in the first half of the season and then announced her pregnancy in early February. N/a
Becky Spencer Joined on an emergency loan from Tottenham in March. Yet to make an appearance in any competition. N/a
Femke Liefting The highly rated Dutch youngster joined from AZ Vrouwen in January and immediately entered the playing squad. She has been ruled out with a foot injury since March. N/a
Katie Cox The 19-year-old academy graduate has been consistently around the senior squad but is still awaiting her first appearance. N/a
Defenders
Millie Bright The Chelsea captain has been back to her best, producing commanding performances in the heart of defence. The 31-year-old has started every league game to date and recently made her 200th WSL appearance, a sign of her impressive consistency. Her aerial dominance rates as one of the best in the league while her strength in the challenge and front-footed tendencies play a big part in Chelsea’s ability to build from the back. A little fatigue has set in towards the end of the season. 9
Lucy Bronze The England international has enjoyed a standout season since joining from Barcelona. She is one of the first names on Sonia Bompastor’s teamsheet when fit and scored the only goal of the game as Chelsea clinched the title against Manchester United on Wednesday night. A leader on and off the pitch, her familiarity with Bompastor’s management from her time at Lyon has been a bonus. She drives Chelsea from the back with the ability to stretch the opposition in wide areas as well as invert and bolster the central areas. She can, however, get caught when marauding forward. Has shown her versatility by filling in at centre-back when required. 8
Nathalie Björn The Sweden defender perhaps flies under the radar but she has been fundamental to Chelsea’s defensive success. Her partnership with Bright at centre back has blossomed over the course of the season. Her style complements Bright’s while her variety of distribution is integral to her team’s build up play. “It’s so easy to play alongside her,” the Chelsea captain said. “She gives everyone that confidence. She is such a team player.” 8
Sandy Baltimore Arguably Chelsea’s signing of the season. The French international has had to show her versatility, and has predominantly been used at left-back instead of her more natural position in a back three. She has taken to it like a duck to water. Her pace, agility and dynamism add an integral attacking drive down the left side. She has helped at the top end of the pitch with four goals and two assists. 9
Ashley Lawrence The arrival of Bronze at right-back has meant the Canada international has had to settle for a role from the bench. As such, she has struggled for form and failed to push on from her inaugural season at the club. Brief stints at left-back did little to help her find any rhythm. 6
Niamh Charles After the highs she reached last year, it has been a frustrating campaign for the England full-back. Omnipresent for the Blues in 2023-24, she has been limited to just eight starts. A dislocated shoulder suffered in a pre-season friendly against Feyenoord saw her ruled out until early December and, with the strong performances of Baltimore at left-back, she has struggled to make an impact. 6
Kadeisha Buchanan The Canada centre-back started strongly and had finally begun to look settled in England but an ACL injury in November cut her season short. N/a
Maelys Mpomé Injury has hindered the 22-year-old defender since her arrival from Montpellier in the summer with just one league start to her name. One for the future. N/a
Naomi Girma It has been far from an easy start to life in west London. Widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the world, the USA international was a world-record signing but arrived with a calf problem. She suffered further injury an hour into a testing debut away to Brighton at the start of March and did not return until their Champions League semi-final. More to come. N/a
Ève Périsset With just two appearances from the bench in the first half of the season, the full-back found herself out of favour and departed the club. She shortly signed for Strasbourg. N/a
Midfielders
Sjoeke Nüsken After flying high in her first season at the club, the Germany international has continued her form with displays of versatility, high energy and vision. She has played pretty much everywhere other than goalkeeper depending on need but looks most at home in the midfield and has an eye for goal. She has scored just twice this season (in comparison to her tally of eight last time round). She will be disappointed not to have featured more heavily in the run-in. 7
Erin Cuthbert A few injury issues have seen the Scotland midfielder make slightly fewer appearances than last season but she remains the driving force of this Chelsea side. At 26, she continues to develop and sets the tone and standards for her teammates. Relishes her role as one of the Blues’ leaders and is their second-longest serving player. Rewarded with a new two-year contract in March. 8
after newsletter promotion
Wieke Kaptein Enjoying a breakout season. Few would have expected her to hit the ground running quite like she has, despite being fully aware of her obvious talent. The 19-year-old started three of the first six league games, impressing with her determination, accuracy and decision-making. She had to settle with more of an impact role around the winter break but has returned to the lineup as a No 10. High ceiling for improvement. 7
Oriane Jean-François Arriving from PSG in the summer, the 23-year-old has found herself down the pecking order. A decent option as a No 6 though. 6
Keira Walsh The second of Chelsea’s high-profile January signings. She has struggled a little to adjust to the Chelsea midfield, hampered by injury and just three starts. Needs more time to develop relationships with those around her. 6
Sophie Ingle Season cut short before it even began when she suffered an ACL injury in pre-season. The race is on to be fit for Wales’ inaugural appearance at the European Championship. N/a
Forwards
Mayra Ramírez The Colombia forward has carried much of the burden of Sam Kerr’s continued absence. On her day, she strikes fear into any defence – her performance against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge was memorable – but has lacked productivity with a return of just four WSL goals. Injury has contributed to that. 7
Catarina Macario Considering her terrible injury history, Bompastor has been very careful to manage Macário’s load. Just seven league starts will be a frustration for the USA international but she has certainly contributed in attack. Predominantly used as a No 10, she has scored five and registered three assists. Needs more minutes to truly settle. 7
Lauren James An injury-hampered season has done little to dull James’s spark. A calf problem in October saw her sidelined until the new year. She returned fresh and fitter than ever, her dazzling technical skills adding a different dimension going forward. Perhaps her biggest development has been her ability to track back and contribute defensively. A hamstring injury ruled her out of the run-in. 8
Guro Reiten Her reliability and experience remain key even if the second half of her season has been disrupted by a back injury. Found herself moved into the No 10 role at times early on. She is the club’s joint top scorer in the league with eight goals. Signed a new one-year extension in January. 7
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd The Sweden winger hit the ground running with a flurry of goals and assists but since October the goal contributions have dried up. She is a constant presence down the right, with the pace to stretch defenders and an ever-developing relationship with Bronze. Often finds herself in dangerous positions but productivity needs to improve. 7
Maika Hamano The 20-year-old is enjoying her first full season at the club and her development has been clear. The Japan international has been utilised most as a No 10 with her creativity and vision adding energy to the attacking line. Her home display against Manchester City showed her ability to perform defensive duties too, expertly marking compatriot Yui Hasegawa out of the game. Has had to settle for a role off the bench in the latter stages. 7
Aggie Beever-Jones The Chelsea Academy graduate has backed up a standout first season with an equally impressive campaign. She has made an appearance in every game and her goalscoring ability is second-to-none. She is Chelsea’s joint top WSL scorer with eight from an xG of 5.9. The 21-year-old has shown her versatility and has been used across the front three and even in the pocket, a role that Bompastor sees as her best eventually. 8
Mia Fishel Spent most of this campaign on the sidelines recovering from an ACL injury but managed to make her long-awaited return in March. An instinctive goal against Crystal Palace at Kingsmeadow will be a moment she can cherish. N/a
Sam Kerr Still to return since rupturing her ACL last January. N/a
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