Chloe Kelly, Beth Mead & 13 Lionesses who need a huge WSL season ahead of England’s 2027 Women’s World Cup bid
Little over 12 months ago, when England retained their European Championship title in dramatic fashion, Chloe Kelly was the star. Her heroics helped the Lionesses complete a remarkable run to glory, with key contributions in the quarter-final win over Sweden, the incredible comeback against Italy in the semis and then the final, where her penalty downed Spain in the shootout.
That all came off the back of one of the most difficult seasons of Kelly’s career, too, which saw her fall completely out-of-favour at Man City until a January loan move to Arsenal reignited her form ahead of the Euros. There was thus a lot of hope about what Kelly’s 2025-26 season could look like given the momentum she carried into it from that success with England. However, in the end, it never really got going.
Kelly was plagued by injuries which meant she started just three games before the winter break, with only six more starts coming before the end of the campaign. Given how proven she is as a game-changer, Wiegman tried to give Kelly the exposure she needed during England camps, but a lack of sharpness was often apparent, with the winger even limping off 23 minutes into a friendly with Ghana in December. It just wasn’t her year.
“I had big goals to do amazing things at Arsenal in my first full season and I was a little disappointed I wasn’t able to,” she said recently. “I think I needed this summer to work on myself physically, balancing working in the gym, on the pitch and getting downtime. I am in a really good place at the moment. My main goal is to stay fit and fresh all season and be ready when called upon.”
A new season will be welcome as Kelly looks to be the difference-maker that Arsenal, and England, know she can be in the build-up to next summer’s World Cup. Proving her fitness will be vital if the 28-year-old wants to be as prominent in Brazil as she was in Switzerland.
