One hundred years on from Crystal Palace Football Club’s opening game at Selhurst Park, the Eagles now embark on another historic season as the club’s women’s team look ahead to their first ever season in the top flight of English football. As the Eagles search to make the Barclays Women’s Super League their new home, the challenge that awaits them is not to be undermined.

Champions of the Championship

Palace have earned that moment and their opportunity on the big stage. Head Coach Laura Kaminski’s charges came through one of the most exciting championship title battles on record- a five way title fight that ended on the final day, when Palace were promoted and pipped fellow South London contenders Charlton Athletic by a single point. 

Palace averaged 2.09 points per game in the championship, which is well below the average for a WSL championship title winner and this perhaps speaks to the quality of the league. It may go some way towards helping them to approach the multifaceted challenges of the new season. The Eagles’ biggest strength was their free scoring habit; they averaged 3.41 goals per match in the Championship last season scoring a whopping 55 goals in 21 league games, a whole 16 more than the next highest scorers in the division. Durham will be especially excited to see the back of Palace, as the aggregate score between the two over the course of the two matches amounted to a humbling 14-2. 

An exciting squad full of talent

The squad is certainly not short for key names and exciting attacking talents either. Midfielder Shanade Hopcroft enjoyed a brilliant season last year, named Player’s Player of the Season and for good reason. The highlight moment in a season of stellar moments for Hopcroft came at the Dripping Pan against Lewes on the penultimate match day of the season, when her dipping half-volley from far outside the box found the back of the net.

Adding to the palace of talent is 20-year-old winger Abbie Larkin who could be in for a big season. The youngster scored on her senior debut when she was just 16 for Irish club Shelbourne FC before, becoming the youngest Irish player ever to feature at a FIFA Women’s World Cup for Ireland in 2023. After impressing during a brief spell with Glasgow City, Larkin signed for Crystal Palace in January last year and has not looked out of place in the line up, scoring twice in their final pre-season friendly- only being denied a hat-trick by the offside flag.

Striker Molly-Mae Sharpe scored eight in the league last year while the talismanic Annabel Blanchard finished the season with 18 goal involvements. Yet central to their attacking success was Elise Hughes. Palace’s Welsh star-striker was the Championship top scorer last season, with 16 goals in 21 games. Despite her stellar run of form, football can be cruel. The battling forward is set to miss most, if not all. of the new season due to tearing her ACL. The loss of Hughes is a hammer blow to the Eagles and their ambitions for the upcoming season.

At full back, Felicity Gibbons provided an attacking dimension to the team’s defence. Gibbons finished the season as the top assister in the league and her creativity and experience will be required if Palace are to push on this season. In the form of centre back Hayley Nolan, Palace have suffered a defensive set back in the lead up to the season. The ever-reliable Nolan is recovering from an anterior dislocation of her shoulder and Kaminski has confirmed that she will not be risked in the first few fixtures of the season. 

The team had a productive pre-season, having toured Utah in the USA, but while the side got minutes under their belt, the results have been poor. A 3-0 defeat by Utah Royals – the side one point off the bottom of the NWSL – was followed by a 3-1 defeat to Bristol City, a team recently relegated from the WSL last year.

A number of behind closed door friendlies have followed and results from those encounters are unclear, but there was cause for hope after a 4-0 win in their final pre-season friendly against ADO Den Haag. With the first day of the season coming into view, all eyes will be on their trip to North London for a meeting with Tottenham Hotspur on the opening day. It has been an ambitious Summer from Palace who have made 14 signings, more than any other side in the division. So much change could be seen as a risk, but as the old saying goes, in order to learn how to fly first the eagle must jump.

Head coach Laura Kaminski

Laura Kaminski has done a phenomenal job since taking over as Eagles boss, so much so it is easy to forget she’s only entering her second season as Head Coach this September.

Kaminski became manager after spells as assistant manager at Tottenham Hotspur and more recently Charlton Athletic, and has had extensive years of experience in coaching before that. Kaminski was England under 19s manager for several years, and with the wealth of young talent in the Palace squad, many can clearly see how important developing and promoting youth talent is to her.  

Kaminski was brought into the fold shortly after Grace Williams became Head of Women’s football at the club after successful spells at Bristol City and Watford in a similar role. Kaminski has created an exciting team and the excitement extends to the fanbase. The team’s promotion party on the last day of the season following their 0-0 draw with Sunderland was the highest attended home match in the club’s history with 6,796 fans turning out to celebrate at Selhurst Park.

Did you know: In a recent interview Kaminski was asked about her football ick? She chuckled before before exclaiming a centre back with bright yellow boots. Crystal Palace centre backs – you have been warned!

Captain Everett

The young centre back belies her years playing with immense maturity, having been an ever-present for the side last year. Palace’s number six in the past secured promotion with Liverpool and Leicester but has yet to make a significant impact when promoted to the WSL. Having been awarded as the Player of the Season the year before last, Everett has had a big influence on the direction of the side. Still only 23 years of age, Everett teased fans after securing promotion last year ‘there is still a lot more excitement to come.’

Speaking with Crystal Palace media  in pre-season, Everett gave an intriguing insight into how the side plans to set up, saying  “We like to play football, and we did that last year very well and we want to still do that, but it’s a completely different test and I think we’ve got to be quite smart. I think we’ve got to be adaptive; we might look different each week, but I think we’re more than capable of doing that.”

As captain, she will have a key on-field role in marshalling the team. Her leadership will be vital in ensuring the manager’s message is conveyed across the squad come the side’s debut in the top-flight. All too often sides promoted are undone by their inability to keep their shape and be disciplined in defence, and playing in the centre of the park, Everett will need to help defence and attack communicate to achieve their goals with the diverse set of new challenges this league brings.

Annabel Blanchard a key to success

Often explosive in attack last year, Blanchard found herself scoring for fun in the championship. Championship Player of the Month for September last year, Blanchard signed for Palace after impressing at Blackburn Rovers. With eleven goals and seven assists, Blanchard was involved in most of what Palace did right last season. 

Equally adept on her left foot as she is on her right, she’s exceptionally hard to predict, as both her close control and technical qualities help her to stand out for Crystal Palace. Blanchard made a couple of appearances for Liverpool over five years ago in the Barclays WSL, but that is where her top flight experience ends. She returns to the league far closer to the finished package, and with last season’s top-scorer missing it is natural that extra weight will fall on Blanchard’s shoulders to make up the difference.

Izzy Atkinson one to watch

A player who has already featured at this level for former club West Ham, Atkinson is raring to go again. The quick versatile Irish winger can also play at full back and wing back and has excelled playing in all three. Atkinson hit the ground running after joining the Eagles in January, she scored two goals in two games and was the Championship Player of the Month for February. Underestimate her at your peril, twice under two separate managers she’s been brought along with the Ireland international camp for experience and ended up in the final squad, including when she made the plane for the World Cup last year. Atkinson was introduced off the bench in the sides final pre-season friendly and duly scored within minutes of being introduced.

Transfer Window Excitement

A trio of loan deals from Chelsea look like smart business for both sides. Barclays WSL experienced youngster Brooke Aspin has signed on loan from Chelsea, and as the highly thought of centre back comes off the back of two seasons with Bristol City, she will be ready for a new challenge come opening weekend. Aspin provides an attacking threat as well as defensive prowess, netting twice last season. Speaking to Crystal Palace’s in house media team Aspin glowed “It’s amazing. I’ve come here to hopefully show Crystal Palace what I’m about, and I’ve loved every minute so far. The ambition for the club looks amazing and it’s impressive how they’ve got into the WSL, so I can’t wait.”

Palace have signed two goalkeepers in the off season, Milla-Maj Majasaari arrives from Anderlecht- Finnish international was a child prodigy, making her senior debut in Finland’s top flight at just fourteen years of age.  Shae Yáñez is the other keeper brought in who has experience at this level from her time at Bristol last year. It’s expected that Yáñez will start the season with the number one shirt. More experience comes from former Everton and Arsenal defender Katrine Veje, while Swedish midfielder My Cato could be a real find for Palace in midfield.

The South London side enjoyed a productive deadline day, completing three deals before the window slammed shut. Loan deals in the form of the highly rated striker Poppy Pritchard from Manchester City, as well as Welsh international Lily Woodham from Seattle Reign, both help to bolster the side’s talent. Crystal Palace further boosted themselves in an attacking sense with the permanent transfer of US striker Katie Stengel from NJ/NY Gotham. The experienced former Liverpool striker has already succeeded with a newly promoted side, as her brace against Chelsea on the first day of the season in 2022/23 helped Liverpool to a famous win in their first match back in the top flight. 

What can we expect from the Eagles this season?

For Palace, much will depend on the side’s ability to replace the goalscoring threat of Elise Hughes. Kaminski has already exceeded immediate expectations and has proven herself an adaptable manager. Kaminski’s talents alongside a Premier League side backing them differentiates themselves from the difficulties of recently relegated sides in Bristol City and Reading. 

Palace have enough to beat the drop, but cannot afford a sluggish start as Bristol City severely suffered last year. But as long as Crystal Palace are in the WSL picture at last, it is certain that they will fight tooth and nail to stay there.