In the Women’s Super League last Sunday, Arsenal Women humiliated Bristol City Women 11-1, becoming the biggest win in the WSL ever.
This result leaves The Gunners top of the league, level on points with Manchester City who are also on 21 points.
The key to Arsenal’s recent victory and all round excellent season so far is not only the way they’re performing but also the finances they have coming into the club compared to the likes of Bristol City Women and Birmingham City Women.
Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema was the first player to score a double hat-trick in the WSL last weekend. The Dutch striker came to Arsenal from Bayern Munich in 2017, earning just under £200,000-a-year. One of the highest earners in the league.
Where as Bristol City have to take a different approach. With them not having the same kind of finances as the likes Arsenal or Manchester City, they have to rely more so on the upcoming talent and English players in women’s football.
With a club like Bristol City, they don’t have the publicity to be able to get players from abroad and then be able to pay their wages.
Although in the long run, Bristol City using their younger players could benefit them, right now it’s leaving them with the danger of being relegated to the Championship.
You do see this kind of thing in the men’s game with teams like Manchester City and Liverpool dominating the league, spending a lot of money whilst clubs such as Watford and Burnley who don’t have as much battle it out to avoid the drop.
However, this is not on the same scale as in the women’s game. In the men’s game they are able to afford players from abroad and attract top class players easier.
Not much can be done to help the lower league teams in the WSL except from more money being invested into the clubs like owners do for the men’s game.
However, owners want to be making money from running a football club and if they’re no profits being made from investing into it then they won’t bother.
Harvey Lawrence's Sport Blog 