To celebrate the anniversary, The FA is launching its first FA Women’s Super League Hall of Fame that will look to recognise those individuals who have made a significant impact on the league.
Induction into the Barclays FA WSL Hall of Fame will be reserved for an exclusive group each year, honouring their contribution to the league.
An induction event will take place later in the year and an expert panel will create a shortlist of nominees before determining who will be the first inductees.
The launch of the Hall of Fame will double up as a celebration and acknowledgement of the ten year anniversary of the Barclays FA Women’s Super League, which has seen significant development since its inaugural season.
Since joining in 2014, City have certainly made their mark on the competition, claiming the title in 2016 and finishing in the top two in all but our first season.
Today’s landmark is also particularly significant in our calendar, with our first competitive match - a 2-1 FA Cup triumph over Reading - coming on this day seven years ago.
With this in mind, you can find some of the key stats and milestones that we have achieved in that time in the WSL.
CITY+ | WATCH FULL-MATCH REPLAYS OF EVERY CITY MATCH
WSL winners - 2016
Where better to start than with one of our finest achievements - clinching the WSL title back in 2016.
Not only did we win our first and, to date, only title five years ago, we did it in style under Nick Cushing’s watchful eye.
Conceding just four goals along the way, City also went unbeaten for the entire season.
At the time, only Arsenal had achieved such a feat, going the whole 2012 campaign without defeat, and Chelsea are the only side to match it since.
We were top of the league from the second week of the season, and clinched the title with a 2-0 win over Chelsea in our penultimate match.
Points mean prizes
Given City have consistently battled for the top honours across the past seven years, it comes as no surprise that we possess a phenomenal winning record.
However, what really brings this fact to the fore is that City can boast the highest percentage of victories in WSL history.
With 88 wins from 125 matches to date, we have earned maximum points in an astonishing 70.4% of our league matches, with Arsenal our closest rivals on 67.9%.
Home and away
City have well and truly turned the Academy Stadium into a fortress.
We have not tasted defeat on home soil in the league since 1 April 2018 and, over the past two seasons, have won 16 of a possible 18 matches, garnering an average of 2.78 points per game.
Indeed, Gareth Taylor’s side have registered the best points-per-game rate as the home team over the WSL’s ten-year history (2.40).
While Arsenal take the mantle for the best away record, we sit second in the table having won 41 of our 62 matches to date.
However, we do hold the distinction of being the only side in WSL history to maintain a 100% winning ratio on the road across an entire campaign, something we achieved back in 2017.
Youth and Experience
Three of Gareth Taylor’s current crop make up those with the most appearances since the competition’s inception
Jill Scott sits top of the tree, having turned out 157 times for both City and Everton, with defender Gemma Bonner sitting joint-third with Tottenham’s Kerys Harrop on 146.
Captain Steph Houghton places second in the list, two behind Scott, but holds the distinction of completing the most successful passes in WSL history.
Astonishingly, with 7,302 passes to her name, she sits 1,989 clear of her closest rival, former City defender Jen Beattie.
Another of our current stars can also boast an individual record of her own, with Lauren Hemp becoming the WSL’s youngest ever goalscorer when she netted for Bristol Academy aged just 16 years and 258 days.
Incidentally, when our winger found the back of the net in 2017, she usurped the record set by one of her current teammates against her former employers.
Georgia Stanway was nine days older than Hemp when she capped off a convincing win against the Robins with the final goal in a 6-1 triumph back in September 2015.
Between the sticks
Given our impressive defensive record, it comes as little surprise to learn that the likes of Karen Bardsley and Ellie Roebuck both hold impressive clean sheet records.
Bardsley in fact sits top of the tree with 34 shutouts in the WSL, while Roebuck is hot on her heels with 30 tied with Manchester United’s Mary Earps and Chelsea’s Carly Telford in joint-third.
Telford’s teammate Ann-Katrin Berger sits second, with 31 clean sheets during her WSL career to date.
Bossing it
Gareth Taylor is on the cusp of a hugely successful debut season in the City hotseat, and that is demonstrated by him holding the best points-per-game ratio as a manager of over 10 matches.
Taylor’s 15 wins, 3 draws and solitary defeat from 19 games averages out at 2.53 PPG, while his predecessor, Nick Cushing, sits fourth on the list with 2.22.
Cushing also places second in terms of the most managerial wins in WSL history, with his 72 triumphs bettered only by current Chelsea boss Emma Hayes.
Another record broken?
City will also be keen to write their names in the next chapter of the WSL, with a victory over Chelsea next Wednesday seeing us reach another phenomenal milestone.
Should we come out on top, not only would we take a huge step towards clinching the title by leapfrogging the league leaders, but Gareth Taylor’s side would also secure a 12th consecutive win and surpass Arsenal’s record set in 2018 in the process.
Our showdown with Chelsea takes place on Wednesday 21 April with kick-off scheduled for 18:00 (UK) at the Academy Stadium.
Be sure to keep across mancity.com, our official app and Twitter (@ManCityWomen) for all the latest, including a comprehensive match report and reaction from Taylor and a player following the final whistle.
