Lauren James, Khadija Shaw & GOAL’s WSL Team of the 2023-24 Season

The battle for the this position was tight, with Hannah Hampton making a late surge after taking charge of goalkeeping duties at Chelsea just before Christmas. Many would argue that she has been the best in her position in the WSL in the second half of this season, but Khiara Keating’s impressive performances over the course of the whole campaign allow her to pip her England team-mate to GOAL’s No.1 shirt.

Keating has kept the most clean sheets in the WSL this season, and that is not just because she is protected by a strong defence, as she also has the highest save percentage of any goalkeeper in the division to have played six or more games. Those reflexes mean she has only conceded 14 times, despite her expected goals against against being 18.85. That’s the best positive differential in the league of goalkeepers that have made seven or more appearances.

There are so many statistics that can be reeled off like this, many also related to Keating’s incredibly accurate distribution, and the eye test backs it all up. In Keating, both Man City and England have an incredibly exciting talent, one that has had a truly superb breakthrough season at 19 years old.

Though not someone who often gets the praise she deserves, Laia Aleixandri has been one of the most important players in Man City’s sturdy defence this season. She ranks among the top three in City’s squad for most defensive metrics – aerial duels won, tackles won, interceptions, clearances and possession won – and she’s racked up those numbers while playing across three different positions, popping up at right-back, centre-back and left-back throughout the campaign.

That versatility has been extremely useful for Gareth Taylor and his side, and Aleixandri has been able to bring her quality in possession to every role without fail as she plays an important role in City’s build-up play and style.

There were a number of contenders for the centre-back positions in this team especially, with Arsenal’s Lotte Wubben-Moy, the Liverpool duo of Grace Fisk and Gemma Bonner, and Manchester United’s Millie Turner all worthy of honourable mentions.

However, it is eventually a back four (five, if you include the goalkeeper) entirely made up of players from Man City and Chelsea, who have had the best defences in the WSL this term, and Jess Carter’s role for the latter has been crucial in achieving a record as strong as that.

Injuries galore mean Carter has had no fewer than five different centre-back partners in the WSL this season, so it’s been important for her to be steady and consistent to stop Chelsea leaking goals – and she has been. The 26-year-old has grown into a reliable, commanding leader at the heart of defence, and this past year has been a continuation of that impressive development.

If Carter has been Chelsea’s model of consistency, then Alex Greenwood has been Man City’s. The England star is one of the most influential players in possession across the entire WSL, and that has been on show again this season, Greenwood taking the most touches and completing the most passes of anyone in the division.

But that doesn’t mean she’s not good in all of her bread and butter defensive work, either. Greenwood’s reading of play, positioning and that knack of knowing when to intervene is all so good to ensure she can mop up any danger at the back when opponents look to counter, before getting City right back on the attack.

Niamh Charles has never played more games or minutes in a WSL season than she has this year, and while that might explain the odd dip in form here and there, it has on the whole been a really top-quality campaign from the 24-year-old. Like Carter, she has been a necessary constant in an otherwise ever-changing Chelsea line-up, and she has consistently produced the goods both going forward and tracking back

As a forward-turned-defender, Charles’ strengths will always be in the final third, with only Lauren Hemp registering more assists in the WSL this season. But she continues to take steps forward on the other side of the ball, with no Chelsea player winning possession back more often.

Another of Man City’s unsung heroes, Yui Hasegawa has been a big reason why Man City have been able to sustain a title challenge to the final weekend. The Japan star came to the club as an attacking playmaker, but she has since transformed into one of the best deep-lying midfielders in the league, if not beyond, thanks to her ability to break up play and get her team back on the front foot. No one has won possession more often than Hasegawa this term, with her also among the top five for interceptions.

But while her creative talents are being utilised a little further back nowadays, they are still an asset, too. She’s fifth in the City squad for goal-scoring opportunities created this season, with no midfielder in the WSL having completed more passes. Hasegawa’s all-round game has been central to what City do and her contributions have so often been crucial, despite going under the radar.

Just like Hasegawa, Erin Cuthbert has been Chelsea’s unsung hero in midfield, and while her value might not be highlighted as widely as it should be on the outside, it is well-known by those that support the club.

A high-energy, battling presence in the middle of the park, the Scotland international has regularly been trusted with the captain’s armband this season too, along with Charles, in the absence of Millie Bright. It has further highlighted her importance to the Blues and developed her even more as a leader, adding another top-level trait to her arsenal.

It’s easy for Cuthbert’s performances to be overlooked in a Chelsea team that features so many stars, but they absolutely would not be in a title race without what she has brought to the table all season.

One of just two players outside of Chelsea and Man City to make this XI, Marie-Therese Hobinger has been one of the signings of the season and her selection in the final spot in midfield is not only a nod to her quality, but also the fantastic job Liverpool did in the summer transfer window to bring her – and several others – to the club.

Those additional pieces the Reds recruited have really helped them kick on after last year’s return to the WSL, and they are primed to finish in an impressive fourth place after big wins over Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. Hobinger certainly made her mark in the latter two fixtures, with two assists against Chelsea and one against United, highlighting how her set-pieces have been such an asset to Liverpool all season long.

But the 22-year-old is not just about corners and free-kicks; her creativity is on show throughout games and she’s got an eye for goal herself, too, with no Liverpool player involved in more goals this season while they’ve gate-crashed the top four.

There were several contenders for these forward spots. Chelsea’s Aggie Beever-Jones certainly made her case, scoring 11 goals despite just six starts, while Hemp has played a big role in Man City’s title charge and Grace Clinton has had a breakthrough campaign at Tottenham. However, Elisabeth Terland was never going to miss out on a place in this XI after a truly remarkable campaign for a struggling Brighton side.

The 22-year-old’s 13 league goals for a team that sits ninth, having only scored 26 in total, include three match-winners and one vital equaliser, with there only one instance in the competition this season when Brighton won without Terland scoring.

It’s fair to say that without her goals, the Seagulls could have been in some really serious relegation trouble this term. That fact should be a wake-up call for the club, too, because Terland is out of contract this summer and many are sure to be interested after seeing what she was able to do with limited service.

Terland has played through the middle for most of this season, but she moves into a (not unfamiliar) wide role in this XI because of Khadija Shaw, the 2023-24 WSL Golden Boot winner. Shaw scored an incredible 21 goals in just 18 appearances this season, earning her plenty of well-deserved individual recognition in the process.

Unfortunately, those wonderful efforts might not allow her to get her hands on the WSL title, and you could certainly argue that her Man City team would remain in pole position had Shaw not been ruled out for the last three games of the season with a foot injury. It isn’t just that they lack her goal-scoring, they also miss her all-round presence in the centre-forward role, the way she occupies defenders, the creativity she can bring to the table and her defensive work.

But City still could well get over the line this weekend, and Shaw’s consistently brilliant performances throughout this year are a big reason why they are in contention for what would be a first WSL title in eight years.

Chelsea have had to deal with a ton of injuries this season, particularly in attack. Star striker Sam Kerr went down with an ACL injury in January, her back-up, Mia Fishel, followed a month later and even Mayra Ramirez, signed for a bumper fee in January to cover for Kerr’s absence, has struggled to stay fit.

Fortunately, Lauren James has stepped up time and time again to fill the goal-scoring void the Blues have had to cope with, with no player in this squad having found the back of the net more often in the WSL this season. She’s done that while playing various different roles, too, adapting well to difficult circumstances.

What is quite scary is that it feels like James still has so much more potential to fulfil. She’s only 22 years old and this has been just her second full season competing on four fronts with one of the best teams in the world. Yet, she has regularly stolen the show with some magical displays that have helped put Chelsea on the brink of another WSL title.