Lionesses legend Anita Asante makes title prediction ahead of WSL return
Lionesses legend Anita Asante believes it will be difficult for any side to beat Chelsea to the Women's Super League (WSL) title this term as the Blues bid to top the table for a fifth consecutive season.
Emma Hayes' side pipped Manchester United to the WSL trophy by just two points last season, racking up a record points tally in the process. And the Blues further bolstered their ranks in the summer transfer window, with Champions League winner Catarina Macario and Canada international Ashley Lawrence among their new recruits.
Fans will get a first glimpse of Chelsea's new signings when the WSL returns this weekend, with Hayes' side set to host Tottenham at Stamford Bridge. And, while several of the Blues' closest challengers have also strengthened over the summer, Asante - who enjoyed two spells with Chelsea during her stellar playing career - has backed her former club to end the upcoming campaign with yet another WSL title.
“I tried to go against the grain last season with my predictions and it didn’t work out for me," she told Mirror Football. "It’s obviously silly to bet against Chelsea. I think it’s going to take a lot to knock them off that mantle at the moment.
"Emma (Hayes) is a manager that just keeps on evolving her teams to keep them in pole position. They were already in the transfer market ahead of the World Cup and adding more quality into the team despite losing some crucial members. I do think Arsenal will be stronger contenders this season. I went for them last season but hopefully Alessia Russo is the difference.”
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While there will be a number of teams vying for that top spot this term, there will also be several sides battling to avoid the drop. And Asante - who will be working both as a BBC Sport pundit and consultant for newly-promoted Bristol City this season - believes it's going to be a very closely contested affair at the bottom of the table.
“I think Leicester last season needed to survive, which they did, and they’ll have those foundations to build on this season which is really important for them," she said. "I think Tottenham have to get off to a better start this season. I think it will definitely have helped having a manager in place for pre-season and having Bethany England for a whole season. I think will keep them out of that bottom pack and you’ll see their quality.
"Obviously the likes of Brighton and West Ham struggled a bit too and they’re all quite new projects so they're sort of unknown entities going into this season. Everton, of course, weren’t in that pack but they’ve just lost Gabby George to Manchester United so that could have an impact.
Chelsea are bidding to win the WSL for a fifth straight season"Dare I say Bristol will be in there and we’ll be looking at teams in and around us who were in that pack last season to get points from and compete with to just set our foundations early on."
She added: “It’s incredibly important for the growth of the game to have competitive sides with these tight margins. It piques interest and it helps the WSL grow. It also helps the next generation of players to develop.
"I think you’ve seen just how the game's grown in terms of audience figures and attendances. It’s also starting to create some of that rivalry. As players, we have that innately and that’s a big part of football culture in this country but it’s starting to emerge as well in the women’s game in a really nice way.”
The anticipation surrounding the new WSL season comes after another hugely successful summer for the women's game, with the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand breaking TV viewing records across the globe. And Asante is hopeful the impact of the tournament will continue to resonate across the upcoming campaign and beyond.
"I think the World Cup has already had a huge impact in terms of all the coverage leading up to the start of this season and the stakeholders and marketing and profiling of players has increased significantly," she said. "All that momentum will hopefully spill over into the WSL season and it shows the audiences watching now know who these players are and there’s an appetite there."
Asante, who hung up her boots in 2022, will play an integral role in delivering the BBC's coverage of the WSL this term. And the former England defender is relishing the opportunity to continue honing her punditry skills alongside some of the biggest names in sports media.
"I’ve loved the journey so far with the BBC and covering the WSL," she said. "I get to be with former teammates or former rivals and we get to share our opinions and help raise the profile of the game and help give these players the stage they deserve.
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"I think you can see from the audience figures, people are watching the games on TV and on iPlayer and that’s really important to keep growing the audience and the fanbase. When I first started doing punditry I felt like I was a little bit out of my comfort zone but I think all of us work well as a team and try and present the game as best we can and provide context."
Aston Villa v Manchester United will be live on BBC Two and iPlayer on Sunday 1 October from 12:15pm. Anita Asante will be part of the BBC’s punditry line up this season.
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