The star-studded season of the Women’s Super League kicks off with record buzz

London City Lionesses after their opening goal on Friday at the CopperJax Community Stadium in Greater London With the new men’s football season already underway across Europe, one of the continent’s premier women’s leagues – the Women’s Super League – kicks off this weekend with Friday’s opener between London City Lionesses and Manchester United at a sold-out CopperJax Community Stadium setting the tone for the campaign, with the Lionesses showcasing their attacking arsenal for the 2-1 season in victory.The heightened anticipation around the next season of the WSL is not only a testament to the growing interest in women’s football, but also to the ambitious squad building that several English clubs have undertaken over the past few months.Defending champions Manchester City managed to retain FWA Footballer of the Year Bunny Shaw despite strong interest from Chelsea. Meanwhile, West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur are active in the transfer market as they look to climb the table, while last season’s runners-up Arsenal are aiming for their first WSL title since 2019 after bolstering their squad with eight new players.However, the biggest signing in league history came from the Lionesses who brought in two-time Ballon d’Or winner and four-time Women’s Champions League winner Alexia Putellas from Barcelona. The move surprised many, with one of the most famous names in women’s football leaving Barcelona after 14 trophy-laden years to join a club founded only seven years ago. However, Putellas made it clear that she still “just wants to win,” which she believes reflects the vision of the Lioness.The WSL’s competitive depth is also one of its biggest attractions – something Liverpool players Alice Bergstrom and Aurelie Csillag, who joined the club in the January transfer window, confirmed in an exclusive chat with TOI.“I think we know the WSL is attractive because we don’t have a big points gap. So I’d say the top six or eight teams are really good. But on any given day, it’s still as difficult to play against them as it is to play bottom of the table,” said Liverpool’s Swiss striker Csillag, whose side finished a lowly 11th in the 12-man league last season.“I think like last year, maybe we finished below them but we still won against Tottenham, Aston Villa and Everton. I would say this is the best league in the world and that’s why top players like Putellas from Barcelona come to play here.”While it has been a memorable season for the Reds Women, the 2012 and 2013 WSL champions have also been building their squad by luring the likes of Spanish midfielder Natalia Ramos and Dutch Women’s League Player of the Year Mao Itamura in their bid to finish higher in the league table this time around.“We’ve got some new players with really good quality on the wings, in the middle and between the sticks. So I think we’ll be great this year and I’m also very excited to play against the other teams in the WSL. They’ve also got some big signings like Putellas who I’m looking forward to playing against,” said Liverpool’s 23-year-old Swedish defender Bergstrom.With some of the world’s best female footballers – including Arsenal’s Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey, Manchester City’s Ayaka Yamashita, Manchester United’s Maya Le Tissier and London City’s Putellas – the WSL promises another high-quality and highly competitive season.(Fans in India can watch all WSL matches on FanCode)