Chelsea were officially crowned 2022/23 WSL champions after they beat Reading on the final day of the season – it was a richly deserved victory that the Blues can look back on and be proud of.

However, there is one team who, had they been more fortunate, could have lifted the trophy instead. Arsenal, for all their efforts last season, ultimately finished in third place.

It was a disappointing end to the season for Jonas Eidevall’s team – but you can certainly count on them to be a major threat next season.

Who will be key players for Arsenal next season in the WSL?

Last season, Arsenal’s squad was racked with numerous injuries to key players. Two of their best forwards, Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema, both missed the majority of the 2022/23 season with ACL tears.

On top of this, the Gunners also missed out on the services of Leah Williamson and captain Kim Little towards the final stretch of the campaign. They lost three of their last six league games, with these injuries playing a key role in their defeats.

As such, when these four players return to full fitness, they could quickly turn the Gunners into an entirely different beast in 2023/24.

Who else are strong contenders?

Of course, reigning champions Chelsea will likely enter the 2023/24 season as the WSL title favourites. Emma Hayes’ well-drilled, counter attacking style always provides a tough conundrum to solve.

Marc Skinner’s Manchester United enjoyed a brilliant underdog campaign in the 2022/23 season. It will be interesting to see if they can repeat their success – but with top talents such as Leah Galton, Maya Le Tissier and Katie Zelem within their ranks, you can bet on them to be a dangerous outfit next season.

Other teams, such as Manchester City and Aston Villa, also cannot be ignored. They each have two of the WSL’s top goalscorers in 2022/23 – Bunny Shaw and Rachel Daly, respectively – and therefore will pose a major threat to any team in the division.