Now that the Chelsea Women’s season is over, it’s time to reflect on what the world saw unfold. This season saw more records broken, shocking results for the Blues and a Champions League exit that nobody saw coming. The most memorable moment had to be the final two weeks of the season though, when Chelsea hoisted not one, but two trophies, completing the league and cup double for the second straight season. From the prolific finishing of Sam Kerr to the steady defense of Jess Carter, there are plenty of reasons why the Blues had yet another season full of success. Two club legends are now set to leave the club after helping create the culture that has now become one of the best women’s clubs in not just Europe, but the world.
The anticipation of next season looms, but before the excitement of the offseason begins, it is time to hand out some miscellaneous awards to the individuals that guided this club to another chapter of greatness:
Best Attacking Player: Sam Kerr
Hands down, Chelsea’s best player.
Kerr yet again had a career season with Chelsea as she scored the goals in the clutch for the Blues time after time. From the Aston Villa goal in the waning minutes of stoppage time to her world class goals that only a player like Kerr could score against Manchester United, there is no price tag that can be placed on a player like this. It was the second straight season leading Chelsea, and the FA Women’s Super League in goals. The pressure never seems to get to Kerr as she continues to bag goals as she has the defense draped all over her. When the Blues need a goal, and their backs are against the wall, Kerr never seems to disappoint.
Every season that Kerr dons the Chelsea kit she continues to get better, even when people think there is no room for improvement. Kerr is first in essentially every category on the offensive end in the WSL, including expected goals per 90 minutes and goals plus assists. No words can describe her play when she gets into the penalty box either. The statistics speak for themselves. She possesses the highest shot on target percentage amongst all of the individuals in the league that have put together a season with 24 or more shots.
Kerr broke the Chelsea record for most consecutive games scored with seven straight. Not only is she excelling at Kingsmeadow, but she also became the leading goalscorer for the Australian National Team—on both the men’s and women’s sides—during the Asian Cup in January. Who knows what Kerr is going to do next season, but what is for sure is there will be some record broken with the Aussie around. Having won a Golden Boot on three different continents, Kerr does not have much more to achieve on the individual level, but Chelsea knows she is going to work her tail off to take this club higher than it ever has gone before.
Most Improved Player: Guro Reiten
The left-footed Norwegian wizard in the midfield is often overlooked by many supporters, but her skills in the middle of the pitch led Chelsea to some clutch wins throughout the season. Guro Reiten had some of the campaign’s most important contributions—from the first goal against Tottenham after the Sophie Ingle own-goal to her beauty against Arsenal to secure a win in the FA Cup semifinal—there is no question she is pure quality.
Reiten had the third-most goals in the Women’s Super League amongst her teammates, and she also tied with three other players at the club for most assists in league play. The set piece specialist is one of the most versatile wide playmakers in the country, as well. She influences matches in ways that most players just simply cannot.
Reiten plays with intelligence and possesses a certain calmness on the pitch that not many players in her position possess either. She has a combination of speed and vision that is able to both find players on a dime and beat opponents one-on-one on the wing. Reiten could still win the club’s official Player of the Season award given her impact on the pitch and how much improvement was seen in just one year. She had one goal and three assists in the 2020/21 season. However, she erupted this year, netting seven goals to go along with four assists.
On top of that, Reiten had the fourth highest shot-creating actions per 90 minutes in the WSL this season. The only other player in the English Women’s top flight that has a left foot up to par with Reiten is possibly Lauren Hemp of Manchester City. Seeing the Norwegian move from a contributor on the team to one of the most salient players that Chelsea possesses is one of the best stories of this entire season.
Underdog Player of the Season: Erin Cuthbert
There is arguably nobody more valuable to Emma Hayes’ team throughout the entire season than Erin Cuthbert. The Scottish international was no doubt the Player of the Match in the final two games of the season, despite some goalscoring heroics from the aforementioned striker, Kerr. Cuthbert’s heart, hustle and willingness to give it her all every single time she steps out onto the pitch at both ends make her my choice for the ‘Underdog Player of the Season.’
Cuthbert was not in the line-up against Manchester City in the Conti Cup final loss, and she was possibly one of the biggest reasons why the Blues collapsed the way they did in the second half. The lovable dressing room personality scored the first goal of the season, and arguably the biggest one of the year in the second half of the FA Cup, when she struck one off the crossbar and in. This restored the Blues’ lead after Manchester City found a leveler early on, which helped Hayes’ side prevent the Citizens from taking two trophies from under Chelsea’s noses.
Cuthbert may not score the most goals or put the biggest numbers on the stat-sheet at the end of 90 minutes, but she is going to be as priceless as ever next season with the exit of Ji So-yun now official at the season’s conclusion. She won the second-most tackles in the entire league behind only Tottenham’s Ashleigh Neville. Her intensity and love for Chelsea as a club bode well for the foreseeable future. She is no doubt a candidate for a possible future captain, even at the age of 23.
Everything Cuthbert does gets overlooked by many people, but all that matters is that she saved her best performances for last. She even won Player of the Match in a contest when she was brought on at the half. Cuthbert is tactically intelligent and she is a known forward thinker on the pitch. She is always one step ahead of the rest of the individuals on the field with her. Given her natural grit and work ethic, Cuthbert is going to be a continued mainstay in the middle of the park for years to come under Hayes.
Player of the Season: Jess Carter
Trying to pick one single player from this loaded team of world class individuals was not an easy task. Kerr seems like the obvious choice given her goalscoring record and her ability to finish out the season the way she did, clinching both of the trophies. Kerr and Reiten are close seconds to claim this award, but ultimately, it comes down to consistency and importance to the squad. The best player on the team does not always win the Player of the Season, it is about the value and the importance of that one individual for a span of that specific season.
What did this specific individual do to impact each match and lead a team to this much success?
Looking at the performances from last season and how great it was, there is nobody that deserves the award more than Jess Carter does for her contributions to the back line for the Blues. Carter is undoubtedly the best one-on-one defender on the team, and when the opposition has an attacking player of great quality, it is Carter who marks her more ofter than not. Last season, Carter only played nine matches and made three starts, but in the 2021/22 campaign, the English defender played the second most minutes on the team, behind only Millie Bright. Her sensational performance this season for the Blues awarded her with a call up to the England National Team for the Euros this upcoming summer, a well-deserved reward for her hard work.
The ceiling for Carter at the young age of 24 is limitless. She works hard on and off the ball on the defensive end, and even gets in on the attacking action sometimes. Bright struggles with lateral quickness at times, and Carter makes up for that with her youth and agility. She doesn’t gloat or show up her opponents, she speaks to the opposition with her remarkable play on the pitch.
Carter was only dribbled past 10 times throughout the entire domestic campaign. She is also second in the league in percentage of dribblers tackled, which takes into account the success and number of tackles in a season. From clutch clearances to defending the most lethal player on the other side of the pitch, Carter is without a doubt deserving of the Player of the Season. With all the questions looming about the men’s team defense, the women have a stable one with Carter now moving into the heart of it for the foreseeable future.
Who do you think deserves these awards from The Pride of London? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!