WSL midseason grades: Top marks for Chelsea; who’s bottom of the class?

After 60 Women’s Super League (WSL) games, each team has played 10 of its 22 fixtures. Thus, the teams are at the so-called halfway mark. They enjoy the three-week-long winter break before the campaign returns on Jan. 17.

Chelsea stormed to the top of the table with 28 points, still unbeaten, and won every game except for a 1-1 draw with Leicester City. Only one point separates second-place Manchester City from Arsenal and Manchester United in the top four. At the other end of the table, the battle for survival is fierce, as only five points separate the bottom six teams.

While the results paint one picture, performances and off-field challenges tell a different story. Two teams — Arsenal and Aston Villa — head into the break without permanent managers, while Man City, Leicester, and Everton have struggled to grapple with consistent injuries to key players.

Here is a look at how all 12 teams have fared so far, starting with leaders Chelsea and running down in order of the standings from there, with a grade given to each side. Three teams have earned A grades for their efforts this season, while two have been assigned dreaded Ds.

1. CHELSEA (A+)

Chelsea have enjoyed a remarkable run under coach Sonia Bompastor, who only joined in the summer but has seamlessly adapted to the London club and the WSL. The Blues have amassed 28 points from nine wins and one draw in 10 games — the best tally ever at this stage of a WSL campaign. They also completed a clean sweep of their Champions League group, winning all six of their games. Their six-point lead over second-place City is the largest gap at the winter break since the league’s 2017-18 restructuring. With 31 goals from 14 players and just six conceded, their strength is evenly distributed across the field. As they compete in two domestic cups, the league and the Champions League’s latter stages, challenges may arise. However, Chelsea’s first-half performance has been pretty much perfect.