Women’s Super League stars who shined at Euro 2022 – Leah Williamson, Keira Walsh, Stina Blackstenius and more | Football news

England’s march to Euro 2022 glory has created a new ground for Sarina Wiegman’s side, but you can expect to see more of the tournament’s big-name stars in regular matches. Women’s Super League next season.

Only three of the 18 players used by Wiegman will continue to trade outside of England in 2022/23 – Lucy Bronze at Barcelona, ​​Rachel Daly at Houston Dash and Georgia Stanway at Bayern Munich.

Here’s a look at the talent WSL has shone through this summer and who hope to have a similar impact for their respective clubs when the new campaign kicks off on September 10.

Leah Williamson (England and Arsenal)

The Lionesses will have a few weeks to enjoy their Euro win, with the new WSL season kicking off in six weeks and two crucial World Cup qualifiers set to take place before it happens. Captain Williamson, instrumental in England’s success, was quick to insist that the win over Germany at Wembley should be seen as the beginning of a process rather than the end.

The defender’s ability to lead was a key factor in England’s conquest, leading her side to glory while conceding only twice in the tournament. There were 95 goals scored in 31 games at Euro 2022 – an average of 3.06 goals per game – but England have conceded only twice during 600 minutes of football.

Mary Earps (England and Man Utd)

Phenomenal handling combined with some superb saves have made Mary Earps one of England’s stars at Euro 2022. She was named in the UEFA Team of the Year after one performance. Another great performance in the final, overcoming two particularly dangerous loopholes by Lea Schuller and Lina Magull.

She also kept her composure during a late-time challenge for goal, when Williamson broke the ball off the line. She was a rock in the back for the Lionesses, before leading sly celebrations after the game at Wiegman’s closing press conference – proof of the keeper’s uncompromising character.

Millie Bright (England and Chelsea)

Not only has he scored the highest number of goals in the tournament (22) – the most ever at a women’s Euro – but importantly, has also conceded the fewest. Much of this has to do with the impressive form of captain Williamson and his centre-back partner Millie Bright.

The Chelsea defender was a mainstay for England playing every minute of the tournament, providing stability and assurance throughout. On the practical side, she dominated and also displayed a composing ability when playing attacking from the back.

Ellen White (England and Man City)

The Lionesses record goalscorer ranked among Wayne Rooney’s 53 goals for his country with her brace in the 8-0 group stage win over Norway. She has yet to find an own goal in the knockout stages but will hope to match and then overtake the former Manchester United striker in World Cup qualifiers later this year.

Debuting internationally in 2010, White has become the face of change in Britain over the past decade. She led the squad admirably throughout the tournament and her importance to the team was emphasized in all six of Wiegman’s starting picks – although considerable talent awaits. wait on the wing.

Beth Mead (England and Arsenal)

Beth Mead has become the fifth English player to win the Golden Shoe at a major tournament, the second at the Women’s Euros in a row after Jodie Taylor in 2017, along with Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Harry Kane. miracle for the men’s team.

Mead averages one goal or one assist every 40.9 minutes, with French forward Marie-Antoinette Katoto (47) injured and super-sub Alessia Russo (53) closest opponents. Her among the players played the equivalent of at least one full time.
game. The Arsenal winger won the prestigious award against Germany’s Alexandra Popp, who also scored six times, but was overshadowed by Mead’s assists.

Fifty players were responsible for assists, Mead again leading with five, while Fran Kirby, Keira Walsh and Kosovare Asllani all registered three assists each.

Keira Walsh (England and Man City)

Keira Walsh’s command of the pitch against Germany was astounding, which she showed throughout the tournament. In the final, the 25-year-old won alone in a midfield battle against a team that had reached the final thanks to their dominance in the midfield third.

With almost no space to operate, in a European final in front of almost 90,000 people, to choose the pass of the match for Ella Toone’s opener was inspired. It is difficult to recall such a complete individual performance in all competitions. The Walsh is a fusion of defense and attack, perfectly balancing the need to disrupt out of control play, while also driving momentum forward when the Lionesses win the ball back – most likely through a tackle on the ball. Walsh.

Alessia Russo (England and Man Utd)

The contest’s most influential ‘Super Sub’. Alessia Russo scored four goals from the bench and has the third-best goal-per-minute ratio of any player competing at Euro 2022. Her heel strike against Sweden was the moment that will be played. remembered by fans and re-learned by experts over the years. arrive.

Russo also twice broke through the Northern Ireland defense, as well as contributed to the destruction of Norway. Her performance was the epitome of England’s confidence and control in their first major tournament win – another success story with all the hallmarks of a title. future Lionesses stars.

Hanna Bennison (Sweden and Everton)

The teenager was only on the field for 12 short minutes when the ball hit her on the edge of the box against Switzerland, with the score closed at 1-1. “I guess I thought ‘shoot’,” she recalls. The result was one of the best goals of the tournament and the decisive goal of the game as Sweden topped Group C.

Midfielder Bennison joined Everton a year ago and hopes to add more to a WSL attack she managed for Brian Sorensen’s side last term. At 19, she has the potential to make a big impact on the league as her experience grows.

Stina Blackstenius (Sweden and Arsenal)

Stina Blackstenius led the standings for Sweden as they reached the final round of Euro 2022, ultimately succumbing to England. The striker scored a goal in the 5-0 thrashing of Portugal, and was a thorn in the side for the Lions in the semi-finals.

It took a particularly astute performance from Earps to deny many of Blackstenius’ attempts, including a second-half save with a fingertip as the Arsenal forward came closest to reducing the deficit for Sweden. . The Gunners contributed the highest 11 WSL players in the league.

Eve Perisset (France and Chelsea)

France’s savior against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals, defender Perisset stepped up to knock down the decider in extra time to give Les Bleus an edge over the defending champions. The former Lyon and Bordeaux right-back was signed by Emma Hayes before the tournament started and scored a dramatic 102nd-minute winner to secure a place in the semi-finals.

WSL champions Chelsea provide the league with nine players, just like Manchester City, while Manchester United offer eight.

Manuela Zinsberger (Austria and Arsenal)

After a record-breaking opening game at Old Trafford, where England beat Austria 1-0, goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger was caught uttering a number of words towards her Arsenal team-mate Mead, who scored the only goal in the puzzling draw. They were joking, but it was actually the match against Austria that the Lions struggled the most, thanks to some intervention from the 26-year-old.

Domestically, Zinsberger ended the WSL campaign with the highest number of clean sheets (13 of 20 starts), and the second-highest save percentage (80%) in the league last term. She will have an equally important role to play next season if the Gunners are to dislodge Chelsea’s grip to win the WSL title.

Julie Blakstad (Norway and Man City)

Julie Blakstad was a target in Norway’s Euro 2022 opener against Northern Ireland, scoring in a 4-1 win. It took the 20-year-old just 10 minutes to make his mark at St Mary’s Stadium, with goals from Frida Maanum, Caroline Graham Hansen and Chelsea’s Guro Reiten.

Her passing accuracy ranks exceptionally high among the league’s midfield – 84% – but left her opponents regrettably cut short when Norway failed to make it past the round. board.

Inspired by the Lion of England?

Watch the stars of England’s Euro 2022 victory in the Women’s Super League live on Sports sky in the 2022/23 season; The new campaign will be conducted on September 10.

England captain Williamson will lead her Arsenal side in their opening weekend clash at Manchester City in front of Sky cameras on September 11.

That match, which came the day after the end of the season between Tottenham and Manchester United at 12:30pm on September 10, was also broadcast live on Sports sky.