Chelsea women added to their fast-expanding silverware collection on Thursday when Beth England collected the Barclays player of the season award and Emma Hayes was named manager of the year.
Few argued when Chelsea were awarded the Women’s Super League title on a points per game basis after the coronavirus pandemic curtailed the 2019-20 campaign and this latest double honour emphasises the scale and depth of their achievement.
England scored 14 goals in 15 appearances during a breakthrough season when she pressed her case to also lead her country’s attacking line and become England’s first-choice centre-forward.
The 26-year-old set the tone for a stellar 2019-20 during Chelsea’s opening WSL game last September with a spectacular goal into the top corner from 30 yards as they beat Tottenham 1-0 in front of a crowd of almost 25,000 during a rare fixture staged at Stamford Bridge.
Although Hayes presided over an undefeated league campaign with Chelsea registering 12 wins and three draws while averaging more than three goals a game before the lockdown switched the music off in March, the WSL was far from a one-team show.
In scoring 16 league goals for Arsenal, the outstanding Netherlands striker Vivianne Miedema beat England to the Barclays Golden Boot prize while Manchester City’s 20-year-old goalkeeper, Ellie Roebuck, collected the Golden Glove at a virtual awards ceremony conducted by the former England and Arsenal forwards Kelly Smith and Ian Wright.
After taking over from England’s Karen Bardsley in City’s goal, Roebuck – now pushing to seize Bardsley’s international place – kept 10 clean sheets.
