The new BWSL season edges closer, which means that it’s almost time for the fun of Fantasy to begin. As teams are busy preparing for the campaign by getting in as much pre-season practice as possible, it’s time to take a look and see if there are any pre-season clues for Fantasy players to pick up on.
Arsenal
Pre-season results:
Won 5 - 1 against Charlton
Won 1 - 0 against Paris FC
The Gunners begin their pre-season campaign with a single-goal victory over French outfit Paris FC, coming out on top thanks to a goal from Olivia Smith, who may just be a viable Fantasy pick for users searching for a low-cost midfielder capable of chipping in with goals and assists. The 22-year-old Canadian scored and assisted eight goals in 20 appearances last season, so she’s definitely capable of scoring points for Fantasy players.
The players in red and white stepped on the gas last time out, hammering in five against their BWSL counterparts at Charlton. Olivia Smith also scored in that game, making it two in two in pre-season, while Georgia Stanway, Frida Leonhardsen-Maanum and Kyra Cooney-Cross also scored, as did Mariona Caldentey, who with 129 points, was the ninth-best Fantasy midfielder last term.
Fantasy players to consider:
Olivia Smith (midfielder, £7.5m)
Mariona Caldentey (midfielder, £7.5m)
Aston Villa
Pre-season results:
Won 4 - 1 against Paris FC
Lost 3 - 1 against Lyon
Drew 0 -0 with West Ham
The Villans have thus far delivered something of a mixed bag in pre-season, first shifting through the gears to defeat Paris FC by four goals to one, with Lynn Wilms, who was the seventh-best defender in terms of Fantasy points last season, and Lucia Kendell both netting. The on-loan Lily Murphy also notched a first goal for her new club, as did Kamilla Melgård , who joins from Madrid CFF, where she scored and assisted 11 goals last term. The 20-year-old could be a fantastic addition for Fantasy players looking to bolster their midfields without spending too much.
That win against Paris FC was followed by a less appealing performance against Lyon, with Aston Villa going down by three goals to one, before the Villans tightened up at the back but failed to find their feet in the final third, drawing 0-0 with West Ham.
Fantasy players to consider:
Kamilla Melgård (midfielder, £6.0m)
Lynn Wilms (defender, £6.0m)
Birmingham
Pre-season results:
Won 3 - 1 against Valencia
Lost 0 - 4 against Liverpool
BWSL newbies Birmingham made a pleasing start to their pre-season activities, defeating Valencia 3-1, but the promise surrounding that win quickly faded with Amy Merricks’ team coming unstuck against Liverpool, going down by four goals to nil. That effort suggests that there’s plenty of work for the newly promoted bunch to do.
Veatriki Sarri has been a key player for Birmingham for some time, and if pre-season is anything to go by, it looks as if the Greek international will once again be a central figure this season. Lily Crosthwaite was the highest-scorer for Blues in Fantasy last season, ranking as the third-best midfielder in terms of points scored across both divisions, so she’s definitely a player to consider when building your team.
Fantasy players to consider:
Veaktriki Sarri (midfielder, £7.5m)
Lily Crosthwaite (midfielder, £7.0m)
Brighton
Pre-season results:
Drew 1 - 1 against PSG
Lost 3 - 1 against Barcelona
Following what was a hugely encouraging 1-1 draw with PSG, during which the crafty Kiki Seike scored with a typically astute finish, the Seagulls struggled to keep up with a Barcelona team that had a bit too much final-third quality, but in both of games, the team that is now looking for a new head coach following the departure of Dario Vidosic, played with promise. Clearly, this is a team with several players who could pay dividends for Fantasy managers.
Kiko Seike continues to be a big player, and let’s face it, the forward should score plenty of points this season. The pre-season efforts of Marisa Olislagers, who was Brighton’s second-best Fantasy performer in terms of points last season, also tell us that she’ll be a key creator on the south coast this term.
Fantasy players to consider:
Kiko Seike (forward, £7.0m)
Marisa Olislagers (defender, £5.5m)
Charlton
Pre-season results:
Lost 1 - 0 Against Atletico Madrid
Lost 5 - 1 Against Arsenal
Won 3 - 1 Against Wolves
If pre-season is anything to go by, BWSL debutants Charlton could be in for a tough season. In football, anything can happen, but at the time of writing, the Addicks look the most likely to struggle. At times, they competed in their first friendly against Atletico Madrid, but a lack of final-third punch was evident, while they simply outclassed the Gunners.
Something to cling to for Karen Hills’ players is that 3-1 win against Wolves, but they’ll likely need to pull out more to compete with WSL teams.
Fantasy managers probably won’t be looking to secure the services of too many Charlton players, especially in the final third, though there could be a few shrewdies who opt for Charlotte Newsham, who scored plenty of points last season and is very leniently priced at £5.0m.
Fantasy players to consider:
- Charlotte Newsham (defender, £5.0m)
Chelsea
Pre-season results:
Won 7 - 0 against Auckland FC
Won 3 - 0 against A-Leagues All Stars
The Chelsea players were never really going to be fully tested by either Auckland FC or the A-Leagues Stars, and it’s fair to say that the Blues made light work of winning each of those pre-season friendlies, scoring ten goals in the process.
Sandy Baltimore has looked particularly revved up in pre-season, with the defender scoring in both friendlies. She’s one of many Chelsea players that will be popular among Fantasy managers. Ellie Carpenter, who assisted twice, and summer signing Melvina Malard, who scored twice, both looked in hot form as Chelsea recently got the better of Real Sociedad in UCL qualifying.
Fantasy players to consider:
Sandy Baltimore (defender, £7.0m)
Melvina Malard (forward, £8.0m)
Ellie Carpenter (defender, £7.0m)
Crystal Palace
Pre-season results:
- Lost 2 - 0 Real Madrid
Crystal Palace’s chief warm-up assignment didn’t exactly go to plan, with the Eagles coming unstuck against Real Madrid, failing to score as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat.
We didn’t learn a great deal from that performance, though we shouldn’t rule out Jo Potter and her players. For Fantasy purposes, the likes of Lexi Lloyd-Smith and Ashleigh Weerden, who was the second-best performer across both leagues in terms of points scored last season, are worthy of serious consideration.
Fantasy players to consider:
Ashleigh Weerden (midfielder, £7.0m)
Lexi Lloyd-Smith (midfielder, £7.0m)
Everton
Pre-season results:
Won 1 - 0 against Hamburg
Won 1 - 0 against Newcastle
It’s been a case of keeping the door shut for Everton in pre-season, with the Toffees picking up clean sheets against both Newcastle and Hamburg. If those efforts are anything to go by, then Scott Phelan’s team won’t be the easiest to breach this season, but they could also struggle a little in the final third.
Fantasy players looking at Everton will likely focus most on players in the defensive third of the pitch, with Ruby Mace standing out as a very solid low-cost option at the back.
Fantasy players to consider:
- Ruby Mace (defender, £5.5m)
Liverpool
Pre-season results:
Won 5 - 0 against Sheffield United
Won 2 - 0 against Leicester
Won 4 - 0 against Birmingham
Won 2 - 1 against Man United
Won 7 - 1 against Durham
One of the more active BWSL teams in pre-season, the Reds have looked in fine shape ahead of the new campaign, winning four out of four.
After making light work of beating lower-division Sheffield United by five goals to nil, they ground out the win against Leicester, before once again hitting the accelerator against BWSL’s Birmingham. Then came the big one, a hard-fought win over Man United, which suggests that Gareth Taylor and his players are searching for a top-half finish this season, as does the 7-1 demolition in their final warm-up game, which saw Beata Olsson notch a hat-trick. The Swede could provide those looking to go against the grain some Fantasy value in the forward areas.
Ceri Holland has continued to be the main player in pre-season, while new signing Vivien Endemann showed lots of industry out wide in that final friendly win against Man United, so much so that she can be expected to threaten BWSL team this season, providing those Fantasy players needing to squeeze in a less than expensive forward with a viable option.
Fantasy players to consider:
Vivien Endemann (forward, £6.0m)
Ceri Holland (midfielder, £6.5m)
Beata Olsson (forward, £6.5m)
London City Lionesses
Pre-season results:
Drew 1 - 1 against Sporting
Won 2 - 0 against Sevilla
Won 1 - 0 against Atletico Madrid
Lost 4 - 1 against Lyon
Viewed by many as the best player on the planet, summer addition Alexia Putellas is going to be popular in Fantasy this season, but the silky Spaniard carries a significant price tag. A more affordable option is Kadidiatou Diani, who is nearly as high-profile and who arrives on English shores as a proven provider of final-third quality.
Between the sticks, Elene Lete has enjoyed a strong pre-season, conceding just one goal in the first three games, making a series of fine stops against Atletico Madrid last time out. OK, the London City Lionesses took something of a hefty beating against Lyon, but we won’t judge them too harshly for that.
Fantasy players to consider:
Kadidiatou Diani (midfielder, £7.0m)
Elene Lete (Goalkeeper, £4.5m)
Man City
Pre-season results:
Drew 1 - 1 Fiorentina
Drew 2 - 2 Barcelona
You wouldn’t say that it’s been a vintage pre-season campaign for Man City, who drew against both Fiorentina and Barcelona, but they showed more than enough quality, especially in that last game against Barcelona to suggest that they’ll be there or thereabouts in the race for the BWSL title this season.
There are lots of Man City players you could include in your Fantasy team, but last season’s BWSL top scorer Khadija Shaw is a must, as is the best-performing defender Kerstin Casperij. If you’re going to splash the cash to get some of the big guns on side in Fantasy, then look no further than those two, who both ranked in the top six for total points last season.
Fantasy players to consider:
Khadija Shaw (forward, £12.5m)
Kerstin Casparij (defender, £8.0m)
Man United
Pre-season results:
Lost 0 - 1 against Newcastle
Lost 1 - 2 against Liverpool
Man United’s pre-season hasn’t gone swimmingly, so much so that the Red Devils look set to struggle in their attempts to match last season’s fourth-place finish.
Clearly, they’re missing the offensive presence of Melvina Malard, and while Ella Toone, who scored United’s only pre-season goal, will always threaten opposition defences, they may not have enough firepower to stay in the top half, though Lea Schuller and Elisabeth Terland will be hoping to prove the doubters wrong.
From a creative point of view, Jessica Park is expected to once again do lots of heavy lifting and after scoring plenty of points last season should feature in plenty of Fantasy teams.
Fantasy players to consider:
Ella Toone (midfielder, £7.0m)
Jessica Park (midfielder, £7.0m)
Tottenham
Pre-season results:
Won 1 - 0 against Granada
Lost 1 - 2 against Real Madrid
Won 5 -0 against Bristol City
From a results point of view, Spurs’ pre-season has been nothing to write home about. OK, they made light work of running all over BWSL 2’s Bristol City, but that certainly wasn’t an unexpected result. They defeated Granada by a goal to nil, before losing to Real Madrid by two goals to one. In both of those games, the team that finished the previous season in a respectable fifth place looked like a side that may just be capable of kicking on and challenging for the all-important top three this time around.
Summer signing Kirsty Hanson adds firepower up top, with the former Aston Villa forward netting against Real Madrid last time out. If Spurs can find a way to keep the service to Hanson consistent, then Fantasy players who select the 28-year-old should be handsomely rewarded.
Signe Gaupset, who scored the winner against Granada, could be going under the radar. With 11 games from last season and a full pre-season now under her belt, the 21-year-old could be a serious player this time around, and all for just £6.0m in Fantasy.
Fantasy players to consider:
Kirsty Hanson (forward, £8.0m)
Signe Gaupset (midfielder, £6.0m)
West Ham
Pre-season results:
- Drew 0 - 0 with Aston Villa
Somewhat strangely, up until last weekend, West Ham were the only BWSL team not to have played a pre-season fixture. They’ve now played one, drawing 0-0 with Aston Villa, a game that didn’t exactly teach us much.
With little pre-season action to draw on, there aren’t many new Fantasy clues as far as the Hammers are concerned. Summer signing Nadine Riesen is worthy of consideration in the forward areas, though if you’re going to pick a West Ham attacker ahead of the new campaign, it’ll likely be either Viviane Asseyi and Riko Ueki, both of whom are tried and tested having each scored a healthy 92 points last season.
Fantasy players to consider:
Viviane Asseyi (forward, £8.0m)
Riko Ueki (forward, £7.0m)
