The 2024/25 Women’s Super League season begins this weekend, with plenty of new players, managers and a newly promoted team to watch.

Here’s a full rundown of the things you need to know before we host Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday:

New signings in the summer

Our fans will be looking forward to seeing players like Rosa Kafaji, Mariona Caldentey and Daphne van Domselaar in WSL action for the first time this season, but there have been plenty of big changes elsewhere in the division too.

Former Liverpool midfielder Missy Bo Kearns has completed a move to Aston Villa, while lioness Fran Kirby has moved from Chelsea to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Chelsea have strengthened their defense by signing Lucy Bronze. Title challengers Manchester City are hoping former Gunner Vivianne Miedema can strengthen their attack.

In the dugout

Emma Hayes’ departure from Chelsea was one of the biggest headlines of last season, as she became head coach of the US women’s national team after 12 years with the Blues. She was replaced by Sonia Bompastor, who led Lyon to seven trophies in the last three years.

Robert de Pauw will take over from Carla Ward after the end of the 2023/24 season and will be the new head coach at Aston Villa. He comes from Bayer Leverkusen and will make his debut as a coach in the top flight this weekend.

Brighton also has a new manager, Dario Vidosic, who moves to the south coast after two years as coach of Melbourne City Women.

There is a new face in the Leicester City dugout with Amandine Miquel taking charge of the Foxes after a long spell as coach of Stade de Reims Feminines.

EAGLES FLY HIGH

Last season’s Championship champions Crystal Palace are the only promoted sides in this year’s WSL, playing in the top flight for the first time.

Head coach Laura Kaminski has suggested that her team needs to be more flexible this year to experiment with a system that is based on the quality of the opposition while still being entertaining to watch.

We’ll have to wait until Sunday March 30th for our trip to Selhurst Park after Palace visit Mangata Pay UK Stadium in Borehamwood on Sunday January 19th.

CHANGES TO THE RULES OF THE GAME

Denial of an obvious scoring opportunity

If a field player denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious scoring opportunity through deliberate ball handling and a penalty is awarded, the player will be sent off.

However, if a field player denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by committing a handball offense in which he unjustifiably enlarges himself, but without intentionally moving his hand/arm towards the ball, and the referee awards a penalty, it will now be result in a warning instead of a red card.

Penalty penalty procedure – assault

A player’s position on a restart is determined by the position of his feet or any part of his body touching the ground, except as set out in Law 11 (Offside).

The change for 2024/25 means that players who have no influence will not be penalized and therefore the same principle as goalkeeper interference now applies to all players.

Ball game time

The exact time lost during certain game events will be added again. Events considered for this include goals and celebrations – a minor change for 2024/25 will see time added after the first 30 seconds have expired. For example, if a goal and the subsequent celebration last one minute, the referees will add 30 seconds at the end of the corresponding half. Losses of time due to substitutions, injuries requiring treatment, penalties and red cards are also taken into account.

To assist in the accurate calculation of additional time, stadium clocks, scoreboards or large screen timers will continue to run until the completion of each half, including any additional time at the end of the first or second half.

Multiball

New for the 2024/25 season is that the use of the multiball system will be managed by the match officials in accordance with the game rules. 10 game balls will be used:

• A ball in play

• A ball with the fourth official

• Eight balls distributed around the field and placed on a cone (two behind each goal and two along each sideline).