FA Women’s Super League returns bigger and better than ever for the 2019-20 season

Standard Sport previews the new FA Women's Super League season
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Richard Parry6 September 2019

The FA Women’s Super League returns this weekend bigger and better than ever as 12 clubs fight it out across the nine-month campaign.

The expanded top-flight welcomes the arrival of Tottenham and Manchester United, but will they be competing for glory or battling at the bottom in their debut seasons come May?

Both sides certainly face a baptism of fire on the opening weekend in two of the three mouth-watering derbies in store to kick off the season.

Manchester bragging rights are at stake at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, while Tottenham travel to Stamford Bridge on Sunday to face Chelsea in what could set an all-time attendance record for a women’s league match in this country.

It’s the first time that Women’s Super League matches will be staged at Premier League grounds, further evidence of the game’s growing popularity – and the commitment of the FA and clubs.

Arsenal won last season's title Photo: Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Arsenal FC via Getty Images

The third derby of the weekend sees reigning champions Arsenal – who are favourites to finish top again this season – host West Ham at Meadow Park.

Elsewhere, last season’s fourth-place finishers Birmingham City host Everton, Brighton are at Bristol City, while Liverpool face Reading.

The audience growth of the Women’s Super League is expected to reach even greater levels this season, with matches being broadcast overseas for the first time. The FA have struck a three-year deal with Sky Mexico and Scandinavian broadcaster NENT which will see the competition shown live in Mexico, Central America, the Dominican Republic, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.

The six-figure revenues expected from these deals will be reinvested into further broadcasting of women’s football, largely through the development of the FA’s own global streaming service which will provide free-to-air streams for more than 150 matches.

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