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The upcoming season of Barclay's FA Women's Super League is upon us as 12 teams will compete in England's top flight professional league. Fans will be able to watch 57 WSL matches during both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. CBS Sports Network will air a select number of those matches exclusively, with the majority streaming on Paramount+.

The season was originally slated to kick off on Sept. 10, but the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II saw a postponement of all football matches. On Friday, the season will officially begin.

Here's what to know:

What is the league's format?

Each of the 12 teams plays each other home and away between September and May, with the top three teams at the end of the year receiving qualification to the UEFA Women's Champions League. The bottom place team is relegated to the FA Women's Championship. 

One team each season is promoted from the Women's Championship to the Super League. Heading into the 2022-23 season, Birmingham City were relegated based off their 11-point finish last season, and Liverpool have been promoted to compete in the upcoming season after recent success in the Women's Championship. 

The teams and how they finished last season

  • Chelsea - The Blues are reigning champions of the WSL, ended last season with 56 points, and are led by manager Emma Hayes. 
  • Arsenal - Runners up last year with 55 points, led by head coach Jonas Eidevall.
  • Manchester City - Finished third last season with 47 points, led by manager Gareth Taylor.
  • Manchester United - Finished fourth on the table with 42 points, led by head coach Marc Skinner.
  • Tottenham Hotspur - Settled for fifth place with 32 points, led by manager Rehanne Skinner.
  • West Ham United - Ended the season in sixth place with 27 points, led by head coach Paul Konchesky.
  • Brighton & Hove Albion - Ended the season in seventh place with 26 points, led by manager Hope Powell.
  • Reading - Completed the season in eighth place with 25 points, led by head coach Kelly Chambers.
  • Aston Villa - Closed out the year in ninth place with 21 points, led by manager Carla Ward.
  • Everton - Finished last season in tenth place with 20 points, led by head coach Brian Sørensen.
  • Leicester City - Narrowly avoided regulation after a 13-point finish last season, led by manager Lydia Bedford.
  • Liverpool - Newly promoted, Women's Championship winners, first time back in WSL since 2020.

How to watch

While the opening round was postponed, fixtures will now continue over the weekend. The 2022-23 season will now begin on Friday, as Arsenal host Brighton & Hove Albion, and Manchester United face Reading FC on Saturday. A quadruple-header of games will close out on Sunday. 

Here's the slate of upcoming games:

All times Eastern

Friday, September 16

  • Arsenal vs. Brighton Hove & Albion, 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 17

  • Manchester United vs. Reading, 7 a.m.

Sunday, September 18

  • Aston Villa vs. Manchester City, 7:30 a.m. (Paramount+)
  • West Ham vs. Everton, 10 a.m. 
  • Leicester City vs. Tottenham, 10 a.m. 
  • Liverpool vs. Chelsea, 12 p.m. ET (Paramount+)

Big game to keep an eye on

Aston Villa vs. Manchester City: The two sides are unevenly matched on paper, but in between the lines the two teams could play to a narrow scoreline in what is now their opening fixture of the season. City is stacked with talent, but can their manager finally piece it all together? Apprehensions about how all the individual pieces will fit remains to be seen.

The team will undoubtedly miss midfielder Keira Walsh after her departure to FC Barcelona, and their new player acquisitions -- Deyna Castellanos, Mary Fowler, and Yui Hasegawa -- are players the fans can be excited about. Meanwhile, Aston Villa are hopeful that signing Rachel Daly will help change their fortunes this season.