The title race is alive and kicking in BWSL2

The Barclays Women’s Super League 2 is in its final stages. The season ends on Saturday 2nd May, and four teams could still mathematically win the title. Here’s a breakdown of each team’s chances and what needs to happen for them to be victorious.

Charlton Athletic

Position: 1st
Played: 20
Points: 41
GD: +12

At the end of February, many were assuming Charlton would be crowned champions. Sitting atop the table, 9 points clear of their closest rivals, and with an excellent defensive record of 7 clean sheets and just 10 goals conceded (0.6 per game) in 16 games, they truly were in title-winning form.

Fast-forward to four matches later; they’ve picked up one win and three losses, conceded 7 goals (1.8 per game) and, most damningly for the Addicks, given their rivals hope.

The good news for Charlton is that the league is still in their hands. If they win their last two matches against Southampton (A) and Birmingham (H), they are guaranteed to finish in top spot. Hosting Birmingham on the final day will be the key fixture, as this is likely to be a winner-takes-all scenario for the league title.

Birmingham City

Position: 2nd
Played: 19
Points: 38
GD: +22

This season has been all-or-nothing for the Midlands side; since September, they have drawn only one league game. Shock results have been few and far between for the Blues; they almost always beat the teams below them, and any losses have come against other top-half sides.

Similarly to Charlton, the league is in their hands. If Birmingham win their next two matches against Sunderland (H) and Ipswich (H), and Charlton win their match against Southampton, then both sides will be on 44 points before they meet on the final day. The Blues currently have a +10 advantage when it comes to goal difference. Assuming that’s still the case, a draw will be enough to cement 1st place.

Birmingham City are no strangers to a final-day decider. Last season, they knew they needed to beat London City Lionesses to win the league and earn promotion to the BWSL. However, a 2-2 result meant LCL won the league by two points and left Birmingham to fight for another season in the second tier. The Blues will surely remember the heartbreak of that fixture and will be working hard to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Crystal Palace

Position: 3rd
Played: 19
Points: 35
GD: +11

After relegation from the BWSL last season, Crystal Palace have largely kept the same side and are in the fight for promotion.

They are the league’s most in-form team. In their last five games, they’ve beaten the top two, kept a clean sheet in their 0-0 against 4th-place Newcastle United and had wins against Bristol City & Nottingham Forest, who were also in the promotion race at the time of the matches.

Although they require other fixtures going their way, they’re in the favourable position of facing 11th, 8th & 12th in their final three games, all of which they’ll be expecting to win. If Charlton or Birmingham City slip up in the next few weeks, the Eagles will be ready to pounce on 2nd place and automatic promotion. If both teams lose a game or two, Palace could feasibly finish top.

Newcastle United

Position: 4th
Played: 19
Points: 32
GD: +9

The most unlikely champion of the teams still in mathematical contention is Newcastle, who will need a specific set of results to occur to finish first:

• Charlton lose their last two games
• Birmingham lose twice before beating Charlton on the final day
• Palace to lose at least two of their last three
• Newcastle to win their last three games against Nottingham Forest (H), Bristol City (A) and Durham (H), and overcome the 13-goal difference deficit to Birmingham

Okay, whilst Newcastle’s chance of winning the title is highly unlikely, they still have realistic ambitions of promotion. With the restructuring of the promotion/relegation system between BWSL & BWSL2, this season sees the top two promoted automatically, and 3rd place will face the 12th placed team in BWSL in a play-off game. Crucially, this will be hosted at home for the BWSL2 team.

Newcastle have only lost 1 of their 9 home games this season, which was the 1-0 loss to Charlton in September, a game which Newcastle dominated. With just 6 goals conceded at home this BWSL2 season, the 12th placed BWSL team would likely find it difficult to break Newcastle down, which could prove extremely important for the Magpies if they find themselves in the play-off game.

Conclusion

The BWSL2 is ready for an incredible end to the season. With 1st & 2nd still to play each other, and both in worse form than 3rd & 4th, no one can be certain which way this will go. It feels like a motor race where the leader has lost a wing, 2nd place is catching, and the next two behind have put a fresh set of tyres on.

With a prize of promotion to the BWSL on the table, all four of these teams will be doing everything they can to win, which will no doubt prove to be brilliant viewing for the fans.