Few things are certain in life.

But Chelsea winning the WSL title while Emma Hayes was in charge certainly seemed to be one of them.

GettyHayes’ time at Chelsea ended in fairy-tale fashion, as she clinched yet another trophy[/caption]

Against all odds, the Blues somehow managed to clutch victory from the jaws of defeat last season, securing a fifth consecutive WSL title and a seventh overall. 

Yes, it was perhaps down to mistakes from Manchester City and, earlier in the season, Arsenal that meant the door was left open to them – but there was no arguing with the emphatic way that the Blues ended the season. 

An 8-0 win over Bristol City and a 6-0 win over Man United in their final few games summed up the ruthless nature of a side who knew how to get the job done – a quality that no other team in the league seems to have at present. 

The other thing that no other team had, of course, was Hayes and there is a possibility that her departure to become manager of the US Women’s National Team could open the door to the most competitive title race yet. 

The bad news for the rest of the league though is that the woman tasked with continuing Hayes’ dominance is someone who – at first glance – seems more than capable of taking Chelsea to even further heights than they have known so far. 

Manager: Sonia Bompastor

For any Chelsea fans still pining for Hayes, the good news is that her successor Sonia Bompastor has more than a few things in common with her.

For starters, the former Lyon manager is a born winner, having become the only woman ever to win the Champions League as a player and a manager. 

Moreover, she is no stranger to how Hayes used to work. 

“I know Emma quite well,” Bompastor told talkSPORT. “She was my assistant coach a few years ago – a long time ago, I could say!

GettyBompastor won the Champions League as a player while at Lyon…[/caption]

…and then returned to win it as their manager too!Getty

“But yeah, so before joining the club, I had the opportunity to talk to her. Yeah, she just gave me great advice on how to run this club. She just left the club in such a great place.

“Now my job is making sure I just build on Emma’s legacy. And yeah, this is for me a new challenge, as I said. And I really want to make sure I help this club and this team to make the next step.”

In some ways, Bompastor has the hardest job of any of the five new managers entering the WSL this season. 

Unlike the others, her season is likely to be judged by some as only a partial success at most if Chelsea do not win the WSL again this year. 

But Bompastor will know that her first year with the club is about so much more than that.

If she is to enjoy a tenure at the club that is anywhere near as impressive and as long as Hayes, then this campaign is only the beginning and will likely not tell us enough about what kind of manager Bompastor may turn out to be. 

After all, in Hayes’ first full season in charge of Chelsea, the club only finished seventh in the WSL. 

And few knew then just what the legendary manager was about to do. 

Star player: Lauren James 

Most players would be delighted to score even one hat-trick in a WSL season. 

Not Lauren James though – the Lioness achieved that feat twice last year, against Liverpool and Man United too, neither of whom are easily defeated. 

GettyJames was crowned Chelsea Women’s Player of the Year last season[/caption]

But more often than not, finding the net is business-as-usual for the 22-year-old striker who is already a household name, especially after some stunning goals at the Women’s World Cup last year. 

She scored 16 goals in 29 appearances for Chelsea last season across all competitions and all signs indicate that she could top that total by quite some distance this season. 

Off the pitch, James is a quiet and unassuming figure who often seems to shy away from attention.

But watching her dribble, sprint and shoot is something quite magnificent to watch – and she looks happier than ever in those moments after she has scored, soaking up the cheers of many adoring fans. 

We are likely to see many more of those moments this season too. 

One to watch: Lucy Bronze 

The prayers of so many WSL fans were answered when it was announced that Lucy Bronze – the Euro 2022-winning Lioness – would indeed be returning to England. 

But it would not be the light blue of her former club Man City that she would be wearing -but Chelsea blue instead. 

GettyBronze has signed a two-year contract with the defending champions[/caption]

Bronze has already won the WSL title once with Man City – and twice before that with Liverpool tooGetty

And a fitting move it is – a player who knows how to win joining a club who does nothing but.

But something that Bronze – and manager Bompastor – have both done before which Chelsea have not is to win the Champions League, on multiple occasions. 

It is no secret that it was that trophy that was the one that Hayes had always wanted to add to the collection – but never quite managed to acquire. 

With Bronze’s experience of winning it both at Lyon and at Barcelona though, a bit of European know-how could be one of the most valuable things she brings to this team. 

When asked what it was that had made it so hard for English teams to succeed in the Champions League lately, she reflected on her time on the continent. 

“I think it’s a little bit different in France and Spain, because the teams there are so dominant in their leagues,” she told talkSPORT. “By the business end of the season, when you’re looking at those big games in the Champions League, their focus is fully on getting to the final. 

“Whereas English teams are still competing (in the WSL) right until the last day sometimes, which can be difficult. And I also think once you’ve done it once, that takes a lot of the pressure away.

“I think you then know how to do it. Like I said, having to beat the likes of Barca, having to beat Lyon, something that Chelsea have only really done in the last two years. And I think that gives you that mentality. You can’t just turn up to a final and think, well, we’ve got a better team.

Bronze was a huge part of the Lionesses squad who stormed to Euro victory back in 2022Getty

“These other teams have got experience. They know how to win games. They know when it gets to those moments. 

“And that’s all that Chelsea’s been missing, really. And I think there’s a good opportunity there this year to change that.”

New signings

It is not just Bronze who has joined the already-stacked squad of Blues. 

PSG midfielder Sandy Baltimore and Barcelona midfielder Julia Bartel are among those to have also joined the club.

They both have a number of titles to their name and Bartel – just 20 years old – has starred in a Champions League-winning side already. 

They are exactly the kind of young talent that Chelsea Women have typically nurtured into prodigies over the years, and with another busy campaign of domestic and European football on the cards, it will only help the Blues to have more options on their bench.

Kirby scored in her final appearance in the WSL – a perfect farewell to the club she has served for so many yearsGetty

As for losses, the biggest exits are Lionesses Fran Kirby and Jess Carter, Serbian midfielder Jelena Cankovic and Norwegian defender Maren Mjelde. 

While Kirby is a huge loss to the team given that she is still their all-time top goalscorer, she had been at the club for nine years and there was some sense when she left that a move had been expected for some time. 

She left with nothing but the good wishes of the fans who can only thank her for the 16 trophies she has helped to win. 

As for Carter, she had been a regular in the defensive starting line-up last season and her exit is more of a shock – but Chelsea will not be concerned about filling the gap.

Undoubtedly, much depends on how well Bompastor is able to hit the ground running at her new club.

But looking at Chelsea’s personnel, one would have to say it is difficult to imagine this team not being hugely successful in the WSL yet again. 

Indeed, betting against Chelsea in the WSL is always a dangerous business. 

Chelsea vs Aston Villa in the WSL is live on talkSPORT 2 on Friday 20 September from 7pm.