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Chelsea Women: Miscellaneous end-of-season awards 2022/23

By Caden Charpentier

KINGSTON UPON THAMES, ENGLAND - MAY 10: Guro Reiten of Chelsea celebrates after scoring the team's first goal during the FA Women's Super League match between Chelsea and Leicester City at Kingsmeadow on May 10, 2023 in Kingston upon Thames, England. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
KINGSTON UPON THAMES, ENGLAND - MAY 10: Guro Reiten of Chelsea celebrates after scoring the team's first goal during the FA Women's Super League match between Chelsea and Leicester City at Kingsmeadow on May 10, 2023 in Kingston upon Thames, England. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) /
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Chelsea’s Norwegian midfielder Maren Mjelde celebrates after scoring a penalty at the end of extra time during the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final second leg football match between Chelsea and Lyon at Stamford Bridge, in London, on March 30, 2023. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea’s Norwegian midfielder Maren Mjelde celebrates after scoring a penalty at the end of extra time during the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final second leg football match between Chelsea and Lyon at Stamford Bridge, in London, on March 30, 2023. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images) /

Underdog Player of the Season: Maren Mjelde

After playing in just four contests in the English top-flight last season, there was no knowing what kind of role the Norwegian Maren Mjelde was going to have. Hayes had Millie Bright, Buchanan, Magdalena Eriksson, and Jess Carter to play at center back. When Bright went down with an injury after the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Lyon, there was no better replacement than Mjelde. She doesn’t wear the captain’s armband, but that does not prevent her from being an influential leader.

The Blues’ No. 18 signed with the west Londoners’ back in November 2016. She knows how to win, and win donning the Chelsea blue. Whether it was stability in the defense against a team like Barcelona or back-to-back penalties to keep the Blues Champions League campaign alive against Lyon, Mjelde was a true difference maker whenever she was called upon. The images from the memorable night at Stamford Bridge of the center-back say all you need to know. The Blues’ No. 18 adores this club, and down the the stretch when the matches mattered more then before, she rose to the occasion more times than not.

Nobody would have thought the pairing of Mjelde and Eriksson would stand a chance against the likes of Lyon or Barcelona, but the two worked well together in the wake of outgoings and injuries in the defense. At 32-years-old Norwegian only started in nine games in the WSL and Europe, scoring three goals, but whenever there was a big game late in the season, Hayes called on the Bergen native. Mjelde won’t receive any individual accolades, but without her it is difficult to see this club finding that much success in the final month of the campaign.

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