Man Citys 10

Manchester City is on the verge of securing their first Women’s Super League (WSL) championship in ten years, boasting a nine-point lead atop the league standings with nine fixtures left.

A victory against Chelsea, the reigning champions, this weekend could extend that lead to 12 points, matching the margin by which Chelsea clinched the title last season, before facing a challenging match against Arsenal in the following week.

With no European commitments following a fourth-place finish last year, City has gained a substantial advantage domestically. Even if they were to lose in one of their key upcoming matches, their title quest would still be robust.

The club made significant investments to revitalize their performance, appointing a new manager after parting ways with Gareth Taylor last March; he has since been succeeded by Andrée Jeglertz. Additionally, they focused on deepening the squad to alleviate the injury crisis faced in the previous season while fostering a renewed team mentality.

City remains unbeaten in the league since their opening match loss to Chelsea and has secured six points out of nine against their top-four competitors. The crucial question now is: can they bring home the title?

Significant changes have revitalized the team

After Taylor’s departure due to disappointing results and injuries, the club entered a rebuilding phase. While former manager Nick Cushing—who guided the team to its sole league championship in 2016—stepped in temporarily, the club sought a long-term leader to rejuvenate their team identity.

Finding a replacement who could mend fractured relationships within the squad and reshape the team’s tactics became imperative.

Andrée Jeglertz, a former Champions League winner with Umea in Sweden, has made a significant impact. With extensive experience in women’s football dating back to 2003 and numerous trophies to his name, his management style contrasts sharply with Taylor’s.

Jeglertz fosters an inclusive atmosphere, encouraging players to share their tactical insights and empower them in decision-making. This approach has granted the squad greater flexibility and autonomy, which has positively influenced their consistency on the field.

A critical area Jeglertz needed to address was the team’s lack of depth. At times last year, City had only five outfield substitutes available, with key players like Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, Vivianne Miedema, Lauren Hemp, and Alex Greenwood all sidelined.

This summer, the club acted swiftly in the transfer market, signing Iman Beney, Jade Rose, and Sydney Lohmann to fill gaps, and later secured England midfielder Grace Clinton from local rivals Manchester United, with Jess Park going the other way.

City also re-signed key players like Hemp, Greenwood, and Yui Hasegawa, and secured United States women’s national team midfielder Sam Coffey during January transfer.

This revamped squad greatly alleviated the burden on key players, ensuring that injuries to others like Kerolin and Aoba Fujino have a far less significant impact.

The investments made in the squad will be crucial for the team’s ability to compete both in the Champions League and WSL next season, something they struggled with last year. However, their chances heavily rely on retaining prolific goal-scorer Shaw, whose contract ends this summer; sources indicate positive discussions regarding an extension.

Absence from Champions League may be a blessing

While missing out on European qualification is usually viewed negatively, the lack of exhausting midweek matches has allowed City to concentrate solely on domestic achievements.

While Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United were engaged in the restructured UWCL league phase, competing against tough opponents that potentially contributed to Chelsea’s lost points and the momentum losses for Arsenal and United in the WSL, City leveraged this time to build a significant lead and improve their goal differential.

Although City did play midweek matches in the League Cup, losing in the semifinals to Chelsea last week, their travel commitments to venues like Newcastle and Nottingham have been significantly less demanding compared to European trips their rivals faced to countries like Germany, Spain, and Italy. This disparity has played a crucial role in their performance.

The team has also learned from past errors. In a 22-match season, a slow start can jeopardize any title aspirations, as shown by City last season when they were unable to recover from a poor opening. Their swift resurgence during the 2023-24 season—culminating in a second-place finish behind Chelsea only on goal difference—highlighted the necessity of a strong beginning. The defeat to the Blues in their first game of the season was a wake-up call, marking a pivotal moment for their title challenge.

A significant doubleheader lies ahead

This period marks the most critical two weeks of the season for City. Avoiding losses against Chelsea and Arsenal would create an almost insurmountable gap for their opponents with just seven games left. Nonetheless, even if they do face a defeat, they hold a safety net that keeps their destiny in their control.

Following their matches against Arsenal, City will play against Leicester City (home), Aston Villa (away), Tottenham Hotspur (home), Manchester United (away), Brighton & Hove Albion (away), Liverpool (home), and West Ham United (away) as their remaining fixtures, with only the FA Cup adding potential congestion to their schedule. It would be a surprise if they didn’t secure their first WSL title in ten years.

Under Jeglertz’s leadership, City has demonstrated a strong ability to secure victories. However, as the pressure rises in these final matches, the next two games are pivotal in gauging their readiness to clinch the title.