The Barclays Women’s Super League is a bustling hub of international talent. While some of the greats of the game have been born and made in this league, it is often some of the most overlooked players that are key to their teams success. In the bottom half of the table, there are dynamic, versatile, strong and clinical players who continuously play a vital role in grasping the all valuable 3 points.

Turning our attention towards some of those firing talents who continue to fly under the radar, here is a breakdown of just a few players in the Barclays Women’s Super League that you should be sure to keep your eye on.

Jutta Rantala- Leicester City

Jutta Rantala is the definition of versatility. Deployed at striker and left winger for country, she operates anywhere across the midfield for her current Women’s Super League club, Leicester City. Comfortable with both her left and right foot, Rantala can terrify defences on either wing. In the Foxes recent meeting with Bristol City, Rantala rattled the post whilst playing on the right, before switching wings to the left and delivering a stunning strike for Leicester’s fourth of the game. Finding herself in acres of space, she latched onto Yuka Momiki’s lifted pass before darting sideways and sending her defender spinning around her. To finish the sequence, she struck a crisp strike into the top corner at the near post leaving Shae Yanez with no windowed ability to even attempt a stellar save. Her heroics against Bristol City earned Rantala a spot in the FC24 Team of the Week, making history as the first ever Leicester Women’s player to do so.

Her 5 goals for Leicester in just 14 appearances show an eye for goal, with goals coming against top teams such as Chelsea. Her pace and neat footwork, as well as impeccable vision mean Rantala is able to slip through even the most solid of defences and deliver goals. Her vision and decision making are smart and concise, always looking for goal scoring opportunities whether it is from her own boot, or supplying the boot of another. Against Bristol, her sharp curling cross bypassed the feet of two defenders before falling perfectly at those of Draper who slotted home. Rantala showed similar skills at previous club Vittsjö in the Damallsvenskan, netting 19 in 43, including a hattrick against AIK Football. Her role as the top chance creator (24) for Leicester has proved key to the Foxes fierce attack, something the club struggled with in previous seasons. Rantala’s impact on the pitch has helped steer her side away from the bottom of the table, comfortably into 7th.

Fuka Nagano- Liverpool

Fuka Nagano is a technician, a master of footwork with neat and quality ball control. A looping uncontrolled pass is no problem for the dynamic player, who only needs a deft touch to control the ball. Playing as a central midfielder for Liverpool, Nagano can lie low to feed the ball forwards and also act as a playmaker in the final third, feeding the forward line. With 79% pass accuracy and 122 recoveries Nagano shows defensive and attacking strength. Against Tottenham in January 2022 she picked up the assist to Koivisto’s strike, threading a ball through three defenders that Koivisto was able to pick up on the turn and shoot.

In the rare event that Nagano does lose the ball, there is a constant determination and grit to win it back. In the same game against Tottenham, she gets her pocket picked but works to win back the ball, sliding in with a clean tackle to get her team going forwards again. Her previous team in NWSL side North Carolina Courage, had been one of the most defensively poor teams in the league. When Nagano joined in 2022, the goals conceded halved from 22 to 11, and the side catapulted their way into proving to be defensively sound, working as a clear exhibition to the defensive support and input that Nagano provides. In a Liverpool side that often struggled in the WSL last season, the vast improvement in this current season is partially due to her integration into the team and the support across the pitch that she provides.

Viviane Asseyi- West Ham United

Viviane Asseyi has scored so many big goals, it seems a farfetched to title her as underrated. West Ham’s top scorer is primarily a striker, and with 3 goals in her last 4 games, she is making a strong case to be part of France’s richly stacked attack. A clinical penalty taker, with 3 scored this season, Asseyi rarely makes a mistake from the spot even in the biggest of games such as West Ham’s historic win over Arsenal. Lying high up the pitch, Asseyi is ready to pounce and deliver stunning goals. Against Chelsea, she positions herself just onside but far enough from the defenders that she can break forwards. Latching onto Arnold’s goal kick, she takes a slightly heavy but well placed first touch before firing the ball into the right side netting. It is a goal that, on the edge of the box with three defenders surrounding her, Asseyi should not be able to score, but she does.

Asseyi’s strength in positioning was evident once again against Bristol where she shakes off the two defenders that could beat her to the ball, speeds forwards and puts herself into a 1 v 1 situation. Unafraid by the advancing goalkeeper, she sends a strike through the legs of Yanez, a goal that would prove to be the match winner on the occassion. Her strength and tenacity when it comes to duels and tackles means when her team are leading, she can drop back into defence to see out the win. Asseyi records 6.19 duels won per 90, as well as 2.34 fouls won, exhibiting how she offers more than just goals. As West Ham fight to escape the relegation zone that looms below them, Asseyi’s vital goals have put them 5 points clear of 12th place.

Naomi Layzell- Bristol City

Naomi Layzell is a dynamic young centre back who is unafraid to get stuck in. At just 19 she shows the maturity of a player wise beyond her years, already holds over 50 appearances for Bristol City and just recently trained with the senior Lionesses. Solid at the back, Layzell is a reliable player, especially when it comes to last ditch defending. In the 2-2 draw against Aston Villa Layzell keep a cool, calm head as she not only cleared a shot off the line in the final minute but also showed her grit 1 v 1. With 87 minutes on the clock and Rachel Daly charging at the goal, surely to score, Layzell times a perfect sliding challenge to prevent a winner and secure a point. The pressure of being the last defender is a burden that simply rolls off the back of Layzell as she simply nods her head and sees out the draw.

Layzell also boasts versatility. While powerful at centre back, she can also switch to left back and even into central midfield. Her tenacity to move the ball forwards is exhibited in games like against Everton where she registered the assist to Thestrup’s late equaliser. Confidently carrying the ball into the final third, she shakes off the pressure of two defenders and despite going to ground, puts her entire body into a through ball that Thestrup neatly chips over the keeper. Winning an extremely impressive 21 tackles and 56 duels, Naomi Layzell has more defensive actions per 90 than any other centre back in the league. She is hence a reliable rock at the back for a Bristol City team who are fighting to stay up.

Hanna Bennison -Everton

Hanna Bennison is Everton’s record transfer fee signing, and while she excels for the Toffees, her impact is often overlooked. Technical and able to create chances out of nothing, the 21 year old midfielder is a creative attacking spark. Her ability to receive the ball and turn with immaculate control means Bennison is able to dribble up the pitch and feed the forward line. Her 71.4% dribble success shows just as much. She is a player who is superb when it comes to rapid one touch football, able to get the ball moving even against the run of play. The youngster is also able to drop back and defend when needed, her agility meaning she can pounce on lose balls and send her team forward, exemplified by her 9 interceptions this season.

Bennison has mastered the art of the long range strike. Most comfortable when shooting from the edge of the box, her impeccable technique has been shown through goals against teams such as Nottingham Forest and Switzerland (playing for Sweden). One of the most notable of these belters is her injury time winner against Brighton last season. Evading the three defenders that surround her, Bennison takes a deft touch to the right of her and fires a strike into the left side netting to secure Everton’s safety in the middle of the table. As she develops and matures as a player, Bennison can only get better and her creativity is going to prove vital for Everton in their most uncomfortable of moments.

So, while these players may not be in the spotlight of attention when it comes to the Women’s Super League, they are often the motor of their team that drives success. As these teams fight to escape relegation or are climbing the table, it is key to look at the players who contribute to the very best of moments.