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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Suzanne Wrack

Mind the gap: will anyone catch serial champions Chelsea as WSL returns?

Tottenham's Lize Kop, Manchester City's Rebecca Knaak, Chelsea's Sam Kerr, Liverpool's Júlia Bartel.
Tottenham's Lize Kop, Manchester City's Rebecca Knaak, Chelsea's Sam Kerr, Liverpool's Júlia Bartel. Composite: Guardian pictures

There is something about a pause that reinvigorates, builds anticipation and allows for a reset. The Women’s Super League will have halted for 32 days by the time Liverpool host Brighton on Friday to kickstart the second half of the season, but it has felt longer.

Perhaps it is that men’s football continues to be played, with match-day after match-day sliding by without women’s football. Perhaps we go into January, widely considered the most miserable month, desperately craving the joy of the game. Regardless, excitement is high. How will new players perform? Who is signing whom? What effect will player departures have? What tactical and technical changes will have been made?

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