Have Man City let the WSL title slip through their fingers again? | OneFootball

Manchester City currently sit eight points adrift from Chelsea in the Women's Super League (WSL) standings despite many fans naming them as favourites to lift the title in the 2024/25 season.

After falling to a final day title defeat in the 2023/24 season, a vibrant summer in the transfer window saw the Cityzens welcome Vivianne Miedema, Aoba Fujino, Ayaka Yamashita and Naomi Layzell into their ranks. Many fans were certain this would mark the revival of Man City's national dominance, now holding a plethora of attacking threats in their squad.

With the departure of former Chelsea boss Emma Hayes on the horizon, it felt like now was the time for City to seize the opportunity to finally dethrone the Blues. The door was left open, and the club certainly had the talent to storm through it.

Fast forward to 2025 though, and things haven't transpired the way that City fans may have hoped. The side are currently eight points adrift from Chelsea at the league summit, occupying third place in the standings behind Man United.

With injury woes piling up, and ongoing defensive concerns, it seems that City may be ready to write off another WSL season at the halfway mark.

90min examines whether or not City have fallen out of the WSL title race once again...

Not the first time City have waved goodbye to a WSL title

City lost out on last season's titles to Chelsea on goal difference / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages

The competition at the top-end of the WSL is farce, and Chelsea have been an immovable object at the point of the pyramid for five consecutive seasons. Beating this Blues super-team is definitely a tough task, but City have bottled the drivers seat on more than one occasion.

It was all City's to win last season, with a clear lead heading into the closing weeks of the 2023/24 WSL campaign. Emma Hayes herself bid farewell to Chelsea's title hopes after a harsh loss to Liverpool, all before a gritty 8-0 demolition of Bristol City put them back in the race.

As for City, the club fumbled the ball on the penultimate weekend when an added-time brace from Stina Blackstenius saw Arsenal steal a 2-1 victory in Manchester. From then on, it was down to a final day battle that Chelsea won in comfort after embarrassing United 6-0 at Old Trafford.

Gareth Taylor's side have displayed cracks in mentality on more than one occasion, the strongest example arriving when the team failed to secure a top-three position in the 2022/23 campaign. An injury-riddled Arsenal were able to limp home to a third-place finish, meaning a full-strength City side had once again failed to qualify for Europe.

It seems as if the side lack conviction whenever the pressure begins to mount, and history is repeating itself once more.

Recruitment is happening in the wrong areas

City recruited forward Kerolin during the January transfer window / Manchester City

The January transfer window has seen City make three acquisitions in defender Rebecca Knaak, midfielder Aemu Oyama, and forward Kerolin. The club have also bid farewell to goalkeeper Sandy MacIver and centre-back Alanna Kennedy.

Whilst Kerolin may be a ceiling-raising signing, City aren't exactly struggling for forward depth. To paint a picture, even in the absence of Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw and Lauren Hemp, Chloe Kelly was still battling for an opening in the starting eleven. With those players returning and Vivianne Miedema back at her best, the last thing the team needs is another attacker in the mix.

Mary Fowler and Aoba Fujino have both plied their trade with brilliance thus far, so to opt to pay the high-wage demands of Kerolin seems a naive decision for a club struggling so much in the heart of defence.

Knaak's signing is stifled by Kennedy's departure, meaning the club are incredibly thin on the groud at the back. City have struggled in Alex Greenwood's absence, and it is showing on the stat sheet. The side have conceded 14 goals this season, far adrift from Chelsea and Arsenal 's six, and United's five.

Investment needs to be shifted toward bolstering the defensive areas if the club are to make a promising charge for the title.

Injuries not an excuse, but returns will be a boost

Lauren Hemp underwent surgery ahead of the winter break / Matt McNulty/GettyImages

The age old saying says that when it rains it pours, and that was certainly the case for City's growing list of injuries prior to Christmas.

Captain Alex Greenwood and forward Lauren Hemp both underwent surgeries ahead of the winter break, with Vivianne Miedema and Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw each struggling with bothering niggles. Naomi Layzell has also been sidelined for nearly three months after damaging her ankle in the club's 2-0 victory over Barcelona in early October.

Taylor praised his side's ability to "adapt to the circumstances" amidst injury woes, but a 2-1 defeat to Everton just before Christmas may suggest otherwise. Injuries can be used as a justification, but when you are still fielding a team with the likes of Vivianne Miedema, Mary Fowler, Jill Roord and Jess Park, you can't really use them as an excuse.

City have the depth to replace these stars, and too often has Taylor relied on individual talent to drag the team out of a tough situation. When Shaw was sidelined in the closing stages of last season, City crumbled and showed minimal resilience despite having the talent to do so.

With all things considered, the return of Greenwood and Hemp should provide the Cityzens with a lot more hope of bridging the gap at the top of the WSL standings.

Are Man City still in the WSL title race?

The pressure is on for head coach Gareth Taylor / Lewis Storey/GettyImages

It goes without saying, City have little to no control over the fate of the WSL. Even if the club are to win every single one of their remaining WSL fixtures, they are still relying on Chelsea to drop at least 8 points.

With United one-point ahead, and Arsenal hot on their tails, Taylor may need to shift his primary focus toward the cup competitions. The side are still up and running in the UEFA Women's Champions League, the Subway Women's League Cup, and the Adobe Women's FA Cup. If the league is out of question once again, the club need to ensure that they are at least in the fight for silverware elsewhere.