2015 FA WSL

The 2015 FA WSL 1 was the fifth season of the FA WSL, the top-level women's football league of England. The season was played from 25 March to 4 October.^[5]

FA WSL 1

Season	2015
Champions	Chelsea (1st WSL title)
Relegated	Bristol Academy
Champions League	Chelsea Manchester City
Matches played	56
Goals scored	154 (2.75 per match)
Top goalscorer	Beth Mead (12 goals)[1]
Biggest home win	Manchester City 6–1 Bristol Academy[2] (27 September 2015)
Biggest away win	Bristol Academy 0–4 Chelsea[2] (2 April 2015) Liverpool 0–4 Chelsea[2] (27 September 2015)
Highest scoring	Bristol Academy 2–5 Notts County[2] (25 April 2015) Manchester City 6–1 Bristol Academy[2] (27 September 2015)
Longest winning run	5 matches Chelsea
Longest unbeaten run	10 matches Manchester City
Longest winless run	9 matches Bristol Academy
Longest losing run	4 matches Bristol Academy Liverpool
Highest attendance	3,180[3] Manchester City 2–1 Notts County (4 October 2015)
Total attendance	57,253[4]
Average attendance	1,022[4]
← 2014 2016 → All statistics correct as of 5 October 2015.

Liverpool were the defending champions from the 2014 FA WSL. Chelsea became the title winners and together with Manchester City (who finished as runners-up) qualified for the 2016–17 UEFA Women's Champions League.

This was the second season since the WSL 2 was introduced. As part of a two-year expansion plan, the WSL 1 will increase to nine teams for the 2016 season. By the end of the 2015 season two teams (Reading and Doncaster Rovers Belles) were promoted from WSL 2 to WSL 1 and only one team (Bristol Academy) relegated to WSL 2, with one team being promoted from Premier League to WSL 2.

Sunderland earned promotion last season after they won WSL 2 and met off-field licensing requirements. Everton were relegated.

Background

In December 2014, the FA WSL announced a two-year plan to expand WSL 1 from an eight to 10-team league. Two teams will be promoted from WSL 2, while one team will be relegated to WSL 2.^[6][7] Also, for the first time, a team from the FA Women's Premier League earned promotion to WSL 2, effectively connecting the WSL to the rest of the English women's football pyramid.^[8]

This will leave WSL 1 with nine teams and WSL 2 with 10 teams for the 2016 season, and with the process repeated the following year, both WSL 1 and WSL 2 will have 10 teams each for the 2017 season.

Teams

Arsenal

Birmingham City

Bristol Academy

Chelsea

Manchester City

Notts County Ladies

Liverpool

Sunderland

Locations of the 2015 Super League teams

Team	Location	Ground	Capacity	2014 WSL 1 finish
Arsenal	Borehamwood	Meadow Park	4,502 (1,400 seated)	4th
Birmingham City	Solihull	Damson Park	3,050 (280 seated)	3rd
Bristol Academy	Filton	Stoke Gifford Stadium	1,500	7th
Chelsea	Staines	Wheatsheaf Park	3,009 (300 seated and 800 covered)	2nd
Manchester City	Manchester	Academy Stadium	7,000 (5,000 seated)	5th
Liverpool	Widnes	Halton Stadium	13,350	1st
Notts County	Nottingham	Meadow Lane	20,229	6th
Sunderland	Hetton-le-Hole	Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground	2,500	1st (WSL 2)

Transfers

As of 27 July 2015

Arrivals Arsenal Player Position From Ref. Lianne Sanderson FW Boston Breakers [9] Natalia Pablos FW Bristol Academy [10] Jemma Rose DF Bristol Academy [11] Vicky Losada MF Barcelona [12] Chioma Ubogagu FW Stanford University [13] Marta Corredera MF Barcelona [14] Dominique Janssen DF SGS Essen [15] Sari van Veenendaal GK FC Twente [15] Birmingham City Player Position From Ref. Alex Windell MF Bristol Academy [16] Freda Ayisi FW Arsenal [17] Bristol Academy Player Position From Ref. Isobel Dalton MF Brisbane Roar Hayley Ladd MF Coventry United [18] Nadia Lawrence FW ÍBV [18] Sharla Passariello FW South Florida Bulls [18] Lauren Townsend DF Cardiff City Ladies [19] Christie Murray MF unattached [20] Caroline Weir MF Arsenal [21] Hannah Short DF East Tennessee State University [22] Hannah Reid GK Hibernian [23] Evdokiya Popadiynova FW NSA Sofia [23] Jade Boho FW Rayo Vallecano [24] Marije Brummel DF Apollon Limassol [25] Tatiana Pinto MF SC Sand [26] Chelsea Player Position From Ref. Gemma Davison MF Liverpool [27] Millie Bright MF Doncaster Rovers Belles [28] Niamh Fahey DF Arsenal [29] Hedvig Lindahl GK Kristianstads DFF [30] Marija Banušić FW Kristianstads DFF [31] Fran Kirby FW Reading [32][33] Liverpool Player Position From Ref. Satara Murray DF University of North Carolina [34] Ingrid Ryland DF Arna-Bjørnar [34] Line Krogedal Smørsgård FW Klepp IL [34] Asisat Oshoala FW Rivers Angels [35][36] Rosie White FW University of California LA [37][38] Manchester City Player Position From Ref. Lucy Bronze DF Liverpool [39] Jen Beattie DF Montpellier [40] Nikita Parris FW Everton (on loan) [41] Demi Stokes DF University of South Florida [42] Sarah Wiltshire FW Yeovil Town [43] Natasha Harding* FW Bristol Academy [44] Daphne Corboz MF Georgetown University [45] Notts County Player Position From Ref. Rachel Williams FW Chelsea [46] Laura Bassett DF Chelsea [47] Alex Greenwood DF Everton [47] Jessica Sigsworth FW Doncaster Rovers Belles [47] Fern Whelan DF Everton [48] Danielle Buet MF Chelsea [49] Leanne Crichton MF Glasgow City [50] Siobhan Chamberlain GK Arsenal (on loan) [51] Danielle Hill GK Doncaster Rovers Belles Sunderland Player Position From Ref. Alice Harkness GK Glentoran Belfast United Victoria Williams DF Doncaster Rovers Belles [52] Suzanne Mulvey FW Rangers [53] Brooke Chaplen MF Everton [54] Stephanie Roche FW unattached [55] Hilde Gunn Olsen GK Arna-Bjørnar [56]

Departures Arsenal Player Position To Ref. Christie Murray MF end of contract [57] Yukari Kinga DF INAC Kobe Leonessa [58] Shinobu Ohno FW INAC Kobe Leonessa [58] Freda Ayisi FW Birmingham City [59] Lianne Sanderson FW unattached [60] Niamh Fahey DF Chelsea [29] Caroline Weir MF Bristol Academy [61] Siobhan Chamberlain GK Notts County (on loan) [62] Birmingham City Player Position To Ref. Abbeyleigh Stringer DF Aston Villa [63] Bristol Academy Player Position To Ref. Corinne Yorston DF Yeovil Town [64] Natalia Pablos FW Arsenal [65] Jemma Rose DF Arsenal [11] Alex Windell MF Birmingham City [16] Natasha Harding* FW Manchester City [66] Laura del Río FW Washington Spirit [67][68] Isobel Dalton MF Lindsey Wilson College (Kentucky, USA) [69] Alexandra Hurst MF Swindon Town [69] Alice Evans GK Yeovil Town [69] Nicola Watts FW Reading [70] Chelsea Player Position To Ref. Yūki Ōgimi FW Wolfsburg [71] Rachel Williams FW Notts County [46] Laura Bassett DF Notts County [47] Danielle Buet MF Notts County [72] Rosella Ayane FW Millwall Lionesses (on loan) [73] Jackie Groenen MF 1. FFC Frankfurt [74][75] Liverpool Player Position To Ref. Amanda DaCosta MF Washington Spirit [76] Nina Frausing Pedersen DF 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam [77] Megan Alexander DF Everton [78] Ellie Stewart DF Everton [79] Gemma Davison MF Chelsea [27] Lucy Bronze DF Manchester City [39] Nicole Rolser MF Bayern Munich [80][81] Manchester City Player Position To Ref. Danielle Young FW Everton [82] Danielle Lea DF Everton [82] Sarah Wiltshire FW Yeovil Town [83] Notts County Player Position To Ref. Danielle Brogan DF Adelaide United Rachel Corsie DF Seattle Reign [84] Emily Roberts MF Doncaster Rovers Belles (on loan) [85] Katie Duncan-Hoyle MF FC Zürich [86] Sunderland Player Position To Ref. Helen Alderson GK Durham [87] Natalie Gutteridge FW Durham [88]

* Natasha Harding was supposed to join American team Washington Spirit, as she was denied a visa, she joined Manchester City instead.

Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Chelsea (C)	14	10	2	2	30	10	+20	32	Qualification for the Champions League knockout phase
2	Manchester City	14	9	3	2	25	11	+14	30
3	Arsenal	14	8	3	3	21	13	+8	27
4	Sunderland	14	6	2	6	24	24	0	20
5	Notts County	14	4	3	7	20	20	0	15
6	Birmingham City	14	3	4	7	7	14	−7	13
7	Liverpool	14	4	1	9	15	24	−9	13
8	Bristol Academy (R)	14	2	2	10	12	38	−26	8	Relegation to the FA WSL 2

Source: FA WSL
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated

Results

Home \ Away	ARS	BIR	BRI	CHE	LIV	MCI	NTC	SUN
Arsenal		1–0	2–0	0–2	1–3	2–3	2–1	4–1
Birmingham City	0–1		0–0	0–1	1–0	0–0	0–0	1–1
Bristol Academy	1–1	0–3		0–4	4–2	0–3	2–5	1–4
Chelsea	0–0	4–0	4–1		1–0	1–2	2–1	4–0
Liverpool	0–2	2–1	2–0	0–4		2–1	1–2	1–2
Manchester City	0–1	1–0	6–1	1–1	2–0		2–1	1–0
Notts County	1–1	0–1	0–1	1–2	1–0	2–2		4–2
Sunderland	1–3	3–0	2–1	4–0	2–2	0–1	2–1

Updated to match(es) played on 4 October 2015. Source: FA WSL
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Top goalscorers

As of 5 October 2015^[89]

Rank	Player	Team	Goals
1	Beth Mead	Sunderland	12
2	Jess Clarke	Notts County	7
	Natalia Pablos	Arsenal
4	Eniola Aluko	Chelsea	6
	Isobel Christiansen	Manchester City
	Gemma Davison	Chelsea
	Toni Duggan	Manchester City
	Chioma Ubogagu	Arsenal
	Rachel Williams	Notts County
10	Karen Carney	Birmingham City	5
	Ji So-yun	Chelsea

See also

• 2015 FA WSL Cup
• 2015 FA WSL 2