After the mid-season winter break, the Women’s Super League returns this weekend. With the top flight of English women’s football being back in England, it means the race for the 22/23 WSL Golden Boot has resumed.
But, what footballers are currently in the running for the annual award?
What is the FA WSL Golden Boot?
The Golden Boot is an annual women’s football award. At the end of each season, it is presented to the leading WSL goalscorer.
The first WSL Golden Boot winner was Rachel Williams in 2011, who scored 14 goals in 14 games for Birmingham. Since then, it’s been won by the likes of Ex-Lionesses Karen Carney, Eniola Aluko and Ellen White.
At the time of writing, there are only two players who have won the award twice. These are Vivianne Miedema and Sam Kerr. The latter has held the boot since the 20/21 season.
Which players make the top 5?
As the league resumes, there are six strikers currently in the running for the title of WSL top scorer 22/23.
But as we’re only halfway through the season, it’s all to play for. Therefore, here are your top 5 WSL Golden Boot contenders for the remainder of the women’s football season.
5 = Sam Kerr (Chelsea) and Dagny Brynjarsdottir (West Ham)
Image credit: Alex Burstow/Getty Images)
Chelsea’s Kerr and West Ham captain Dagny Brynjarsdottir currently sit in joint fifth place. Both have scored five goals in ten games this domestic season, with Kerr also adding two assists to her pot.
Will Kerr be able to climb up the table in the remainder of the 22/23 season? Or, will Brynjarsdottir claim her first WSL Golden Boot? All eyes are on the prize.
3 = Fran Kirby (Chelsea) and Katie Stengel (Liverpool)
Image credit: Harriet Lander – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Chelsea’s Fran Kirby is no stranger to the WSL Golden Boot, having won the award during the WSL Spring Series in 2017. After the winter break, she sits in joint third alongside Liverpool forward Katie Stengel.
Stengel has found the net six times in nine games for Liverpool while Kirby has scored six times in six games. This, alongside a single assist, puts the latter just ahead of the former.
Of course, third place is a comfortable position for Kirby and Stengel to be in. They’re both only two goals behind the frontrunners for the 22/23 WSL Golden Boot, with at least 12 games to go.
At this stage in the proceedings, it’s not too late for either of them to clinch the award.
1 = Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw (Manchester City) and Rachel Daly (Aston Villa)
Image credit:Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images
Leading the WSL Golden Boot charge are Manchester City’s Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw and Aston Villa striker Rachel Daly.
Daly’s second season in the WSL and first with Villa has seen her score eight goals in nine games. She also has a single assist to her name.
However, Shaw does one better than Daly by having eight goals and two assists in nine WSL matches.
Therefore, both are in prime positions to nab the award for the 22/23 season. But right now, it’s Bunny on the Boot.
So, can anyone stop Shaw and Daly from scoring screamers this season? The battle for the 22/23 WSL Golden Boot is officially on.
Featured image credit:Ashley Allen/The FA/Getty Images
