Chelsea top the WSL as the winter break begins, but the first half of the season has not been without concern for the Blues after the Emma Hayes news

A quick glance at the Women's Super League table as its winter break begins and there are not too many surprises. Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United remain in the top four places while newly-promoted Bristol City are propping the rest up after 10 games. But there's a lot more to it than that, with surprises aplenty having been sprung in these first few months.

Liverpool didn't win away from home last season and yet, they've already beaten both Arsenal and Man Utd on the road this term. Tottenham had never claimed the bragging rights in the women's instalment of the north London derby, until this month. Man Utd, meanwhile, battled Chelsea until the final day for the title last year but, this time around, they've dropped points in five of their first 10 games.

With star names making injury comebacks, a 19-year-old goalkeeper taking control of starting duties at title-chasing Man City and the battles for top spot, the European places and to stay in the division all unfolding in an intriguing manner, there has certainly been plenty to talk about.

So, as the league prepares for a break, with action to resume on January 20, GOAL takes a look at the winners and losers from the WSL season so far…

GettyWINNER: Beth Mead

It's often said that, after suffering an ACL injury, players can take several months to look and feel like themselves again, never mind get back to their best. Beth Mead only made her return to the pitch in October but, despite 11 months out, the quality and level of performance she has shown in the time since has been remarkable.

With three goals and an assist to her name already, averaging out at a direct goal involvement every 93 minutes, it's a delight to see such a top class player hitting the ground running after so long on the sidelines. It's early days but, per 90 minutes, Mead is already averaging more successful passes in the final third and chances created than she was last season, too, when she was flying off the back of that incredible European Championship campaign with England, before the devastating injury hit her.

It's all been overwhelmingly positive since she made her comeback and that's excellent news for Arsenal, England and the WSL in general, as Mead is right near the top of the list when it comes to the league's most exciting players to watch. From a neutral perspective, long may it continue.

AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Chelsea

Yes, Chelsea are top of the WSL as 2023 comes to a close and they are in pole position to win a fifth successive title, though there is a long way to go yet. But what has been the biggest story in the league in the first half of the campaign? The news that manager Emma Hayes will leave her post at the end of the season.

Hayes and Chelsea have done incredible things together. When the 47-year-old took over this team in 2012, they had little history of success in the women's game. She has transformed them into the dominant force in English women's football, winning 15 major honours in the process while establishing herself as one of the very best in the game.

It's no surprise, then, that the United States women's national team have come knocking as they themselves look to reassert themselves at the top of the sport. It's an exciting move if you are a fan of the U.S. or if you are a neutral, as it's sure to be interesting to watch this new partnership unfold.

But if you're Chelsea, it's devastating news. Of course, Hayes will leave this team in a marvellous place and whoever her successor is will come into a club that is massively committed to its women's team, they will have impressive investment behind them, a fantastic infrastructure to work in and a world-class squad at their disposal. To replace Hayes will be no easy task, though. Those are huge shoes to fill and Chelsea have a hell of a job on as they bid to find the right person for such a role.

GettyWINNER: Spurs

If it wasn't for the January signing of Beth England, would Spurs be in the WSL this season? It's hard to argue so. The England star scored 12 goals in 12 games to help fire the north London side to safety in the first half of the year, their torrid form costing head coach Rehanne Skinner her job in that run-in. The squad was peppered with quality but Skinner's successor was always going to have quite a job on to improve this team and turn it into one with an identity, especially with England ruled out for the first few months after undergoing hip surgery.

Enter Robert Vilahamn. After guiding Hacken to the Champions League group stages and two cup finals in his native Sweden, the 40-year-old was appointed Spurs' new head coach in July and there were some early concerns when the team failed to find the back of the net at all in pre-season. However, Vilahamn has done tremendous work with this team and the players deserve credit for implementing his ideas brilliantly in such a short space of time. Sitting sixth as the league enters its winter break, Spurs have proven themselves to be a dangerous team, dangerous enough, even, to beat north London rivals Arsenal for the first time in a shock result in the final weekend before Christmas.

There have been a couple of heavy defeats under the Swede but he stuck to his guns, despite some people possibly thinking, in his own words, that he would be "stupid" to do so – and it has paid off. Comparing this Spurs team to that which was floundering near the bottom of the table at the beginning of the year is like night and day. There's so much to be impressed by.

Getty ImagesLOSER: Marc Skinner

Man Utd boss Marc Skinner will have plenty of aims and targets noted down for his team this season – in the WSL, in the domestic cups and at the negotiating table, too, with stars such as Mary Earps and Leah Galton each into the final year of their contracts with the club. But they are not the only ones, as Skinner, too, only has a few months left on his deal with the Red Devils.

With him bidding to impress the club to get an extension, it's not been a great start. Defeat in the second qualifying round of the Champions League wasn't shameful, with Paris Saint-Germain an experienced and top quality opponent, but disappointing draws with Leicester and Brighton combined with an unpopular defeat to rivals Man City at Old Trafford and a shock loss to Liverpool has left them seven points off pacesetters Chelsea going into the Christmas break. In a league where the top teams rarely drop points, that's a lot.

Of course, there is no expectation on Man Utd – still very early in their journey compared to their rivals at the top – to win the title this season but these results have left them on the back foot in the hunt to secure European football as well. Skinner needs to guide his team to a big second half of the season, really, to earn the chance to stick around.