Voting is now open for the Barclays FA Women’s Super League season honours and Chelsea Women manager Emma Hayes has been nominated for the Manager of the Season award, while both Bethany England and Guro Reiten have been shortlisted for Player of the Season.
It comes as no surprise that Hayes is in the running for the Manager of the Season award having guided her Chelsea side to an undefeated domestic campaign of 12 victories and three draws – a run that resulted in us being crowned the 2019/20 Women’s Super League champions following the termination of the season due to the Covid-19 pandemic.There were many unforgettable performances throughout the term, which include a league victory against Manchester City for the first time since 2014, two mouth-watering triumphs over Arsenal and a dramatic 1-0 win in our first-ever meeting with Manchester United.Hayes and her team also picked up another piece of silverware when we beat Arsenal 2-1 to clinch the Continental Tyres League Cup in February – our last action before the coronavirus lockdown.Other manager nominees are: Nick Cushing (Manchester City), Willie Kirk (Everton), Karen Hill/ Juan Amoros (Tottenham Hotspur) and Casey Stoney (Manchester United).
You can vote for the Chelsea boss here
Chelsea’s No.9, Bethany England has played a key part in our title-winning season. The forward finished the season as our top scorer with 21 goals, 14 of them notched in the Women’s Super League.The 26-year-old, who was recognised as the WSL Player of the Month in January and February, led the Blues attack with confidence and showcased her ruthless all-round ability in front of goal this term. The forward proved she is capable of netting every type of goal possible; from powerful headers, long-range efforts, technical finishes to simple tap-ins.Her goal-scoring intent shone inside five minutes on the first day of the season when she struck spectacularly from 30 yards out against Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge.Other notable moments for England include opening the scoring away to Arsenal with another wonder-strike from the edge of the box, which set us on our way to a remarkable 4-1 derby win, her exquisite first touch before smashing a left-footed shot past Birmingham and her long-range rocket in the six-goal thriller with Manchester City.And let’s not forget her contribution in the Continental Tyres League Cup final when she netted both goals, the second of which came deep into stoppage time to secure us a dramatic 2-1 victory over the Gunners.
Guro Reiten’s nomination comes after a superb debut season in English top-flight football. The creative left-footed player netted five goals and weighed in with eight assists in 15 league fixtures.Nobody created more chances in the WSL this season than the Norwegian and her hard-working attitude ensured she settled into Hayes’ team with ease. Just like her team-mate England, Reiten played a big part to the Blues’ success, and she linked up exceptionally well with Chelsea’s front-line.When Hayes’ side found themselves a goal down to Liverpool in December, it was the Norwegian’s pinpoint cross that allowed England to head home an equaliser. She produced another perfect delivery for Sam Kerr to head home, before adding a header of her own in our huge victory away at Arsenal.And when we were struggling to break down Birmingham in a gritty midweek fixture in February, it was Reiten’s lovely footwork in a crowded box, followed by her composed finish, that broke the deadlock.As well as those moments of such huge importance, there have been moments of huge quality, with her first-time lob against Reading in the New Year as a stand-out moment.
The player nominees are: Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Chloe Kelly (Everton) and Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal).