The best records and statistics from the WSL
By Ross Jackson
Following the announcement of a new broadcast deal worth in excess of £7m per year until 2024, the WSL will finally become available to the masses.
With 18 games per season to be shown on BBC One and BBC Two, and a further 44 available to Sky customers, the WSL will finally be given the exposure it richly deserves and will hopefully no longer be an afterthought to some of England's biggest clubs.
For any of you keen to start following women's football - or for any of you avid fans who just want a reminder of some of the best teams and players to have graced the league - we've provided you with a rundown of all the best records to be set since its inception in 2010.
1. Team with the most titles - Chelsea
Chelsea and Arsenal have both been crowned WSL champions three times, with the Gunners notching top spot in both of the first two WSL seasons before adding a third title in 2019, while the Blues were victorious in 2015, 2018 and 2020.
However, in 2017 the WSL launched an interim competition named the Spring Series, and Chelsea's triumph in said competition means they pip Arsenal to top spot with four titles.
2. All-time top goalscorer - Vivianne Miedema
Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema has become one of the most prolific strikers in the women's game, and despite not moving to the WSL until 2017 she's already the league's all-time top goalscorer.
The Netherlands international has a whopping 59 goals in 63 outings for Arsenal with her tally of 22 goals in 20 games in the 2018/19 season seeing her crowned PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year.
3. Most appearances - Jill Scott
Of the 726 different players to have graced the WSL since its inception in 2010, only two players have amassed more than 150 appearances.
Steph Houghton sits second on the list of most appearances in the WSL with 155, but Jill Scott tops the list with 157 during her time with Manchester City and her two spells with Everton.
4. Most points won in a single season - Arsenal
Having not tasted WSL success since their second consecutive league title back in 2012, Arsenal returned to their perch as champions of England in emphatic fashion in 2019.
Joe Montemurro's side won 18 of their 20 league matches to record 54 points for the season - the highest ever total.
5. Highest ever attendance - Tottenham vs Arsenal
Back when fans attending a football match was a thing, the WSL's record attendance saw 38,262 watch Arsenal triumph over north London rivals Tottenham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in November 2019.
6. Most PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year awards - Lucy Bronze
England international Lucy Bronze has enjoyed her fair share of success in the WSL when she's not been off winning Champions League titles with Lyon.
Bronze has twice been awarded the PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year award, once in 2014 and then again in 2017.
7. Most assists - Karen Carney
Since hanging up her boots, Karen Carney has taken to winding Leeds fans up as a pundit on BT Sport.
Before then she was one of the most creative midfielders in the WSL, notching no fewer than 35 assists during her time with Birmingham and Chelsea.
8. Most hat-tricks - Vivianne Miedema
It probably won't come as too much of a surprise that the WSL's leading goalscorer of all time has the most hat-tricks to her name.
Arsenal’s Miedema has bagged five in her four seasons with the Gunners.
9. Biggest win - Arsenal 11-1 Bristol City
And it'll again come as no surprise that Miedema played a starring role in this record.
Arsenal thrashed Bristol City 11-1 in December 2019 to record the biggest ever win in WSL history.
10. Goalkeeper with the most clean sheets - Karen Bardsley
Karen Bardsley's time with Manchester City has been trophy-laden to say the least, and her ability between the sticks has been key to their success.
Currently on loan with American outfit OL Reign, the England international tops the WSL clean sheets chart with 34.
11. Most games managed - Emma Hayes
Since being appointed as Chelsea boss in 2012, Emma Hayes has taken charge of the Blues in the WSL on 143 occasions.
She tops the charts in terms of games managed.
12. Most WSL winner's medals - Gilly Flaherty
Gilly Flaherty and Gemma Davison have both won four WSL regular season titles, though Flaherty's triumph at the 2017 Spring Series means she pips Davison to top spot.
The England international has experienced WSL success twice with Arsenal and three times with Chelsea.
13. Most goals scored by a player in a single game - Vivianne Miedema
Arsenal’s 11-1 win over Bristol City in 2019 wasn't just the biggest win ever recorded in the WSL, it also so saw the most goals scored by an individual.
Miedema bagged six that afternoon and subsequently scored the most goals by a player in a singe WSL game.
14. Player with the most red cards - 8 different players
Gilly Flaherty makes another appearance on the list as the player with the most red cards in WSL history, but she's not alone.
She's joined by Grace McCatty, Leandra Little, Jo Potter, Sophie Walton, Jemma Rose, Freda Ayisi and Rachel Rowe, all of whom have two red cards to their name.
15. Team with the best win ratio - Manchester City
Manchester City have the best win percentage ratio out of all the teams to have played in the WSL.
They've won 88 of their 125 top-flight outings to give them an impressive win percentage of 70.4%.
16. Team with the worst win ratio - Yeovil Town
At the other end of the scale it's poor Yeovil Town.
They've mustered just two wins from their 46 WSL outings meaning they have the lowest win percentage with just 4.3%.
17. Team with the longest run without a clean sheet - Doncaster Rovers Belles
Doncaster Rovers Belles appear on our list of WSL records a couple of times, though you won't envy them when you see the records they've set.
Their run of 22 games without a clean sheet back in 2012 is the longest a team has gone without not conceding a goal.
18. Team with the longest winning run - Arsenal & Man City
Arsenal and Man City share this record, though it's likely to be owned outright by City soon.
Both sides have a winning streak of 12 games to their name, though City's is ongoing whereas the Gunners' ended back in 2018.
19. Team with the longest losing run - Doncaster Rovers Belles
It's Doncaster Rovers Belles again with their second unwanted record.
Back in 2016 they suffered 17 consecutive defeats - most of which came as they finished bottom of the league with just three points.
20. Team with the longest run of scoring in consecutive games - Chelsea
In a record which is set to be extended even further over the coming weeks, Chelsea have currently found the back of the net in their previous 48 WSL outings.
With Fran Kirby, Erin Cuthbert, Sam Kerr and Pernille Harder in their ranks just to name a few, it's hardly surprising Chelsea are so lethal in front of goal.
21. Youngest ever goalscorer - Lauren Hemp
In April 2017, Lauren Hemp bagged for Bristol City against Reading and subsequently became the WSL's youngster ever goalscorer at just 16 years and 258 days old.
She's since joined Manchester City and made her England debut.
22. Oldest ever goalscorer - Becky Easton
At the opposite end of the scale is Becky Easton.
Her goal for Liverpool against Arsenal in 2015 saw her become the WSL's oldest ever goalscorer at 41 years and 87 days old.
23. Player with the longest run of scoring in consecutive games - Bethany England
In 2020, Bethany England broke the record for the longest run of scoring in consecutive games.
She scored in nine games on the bounce for Chelsea.
24. Most saves in total - Megan Walsh
Megan Walsh has been the busiest goalkeeper of all the shot-stoppers to appear in the WSL.
She's made no fewer than 450 saves in the English women's top-flight.
25. Most goals conceded in total - Megan Walsh
From one enviable record to a not so enviable one.
While she's made her fair share of saves in the WSL, Walsh has also picked the ball out the back of her net more than any other goalkeeper, conceding 203 goals in the WSL.
