Women's Super League prepares for eagerly awaited kick-off as Arsenal host Brighton & Hove Albion in curtain raiser

With the Lionesses' European success still fresh in the mind, the Women's Super League season makes it eagerly awaited return when Arsenal welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Borehamwood on Friday evening.

It promises to be a season of record-breaking attendances and forging new ground to pave the way for the next generation of stars. The opening round of fixtures were postponed after the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, but the WSL returns hoping to build on this summer's momentum.

England captain Leah Williamson will lead her Arsenal side out against Brighton in the season opener. The Gunners were league champions back in 2019 and are beginning their second season under the leadership of Swedish coach Jonas Eidevall.

Who are the title contenders this season? Which key players are looking to make an impression? How to follow the action as it unfolds? We've got the answers to some burning questions ahead of the big kick-off.

As well as Arsenal kicking off their campaign on home turf, Manchester United are on home soil when they welcome Reading to Leigh Sports Village on Saturday lunchtime, with kick-off scheduled for midday.

On Sunday, West Ham United host Everton with both sides having appointed new managers in Paul Konchesky and Brian Sorensen. Manchester City travel to Aston Villa, Tottenham go to Leicester and reigning champions Chelsea visit newly promoted Liverpool, who earned promotion from the Women's Championship last season.

Chelsea are searching for their fourth consecutive WSL title and have won six of the last eight domestic league titles. Emma Hayes and her Blues have set the standard and will be aiming to repeat their success this time around.

Arsenal were the last team to stop Chelsea winning the league back in 2019 and despite having gone without silverware since then, the Gunners will be hoping to keep their London rivals well within reach this time around.

Manchester City have finished runners-up in six of the last eight seasons and have seen several key players depart this summer. Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh left for Barcelona, Caroline Weir signed for Real Madrid, Georgia Stanway moved to Bayern Munich, while legendary striker Ellen White retired leaving big shoes to fill this season.

Rivals Manchester United have finished fourth in each of their three seasons since joining the WSL in 2019. They will be hoping to be the metaphorical cat amongst the pigeons in their bid to breach the traditional top three and achieve Champions League football.

Chelsea have a core group of Lionesses who will be looking to carry the feel-good factor of the summer into their domestic campaigns. Millie Bright, Fran Kirby, Beth England and Jess Carter are among a Blues squad looking to continue their impressive record of winning trophies. Meanwhile, Australian striker Sam Kerr will be crucial to their attacking threat, while the acquisition of Canadian defender Kadeisha Buchanan from Lyon and Eve Perisset from Bordeaux are stellar additions to their back-line.

Arsenal skipper Leah Williamson, striker Beth Mead and defender Lotte Wubben-Moy are among the Lionesses turning out for the Gunners this season. The prowess of Dutch striker Vivianne Miedema in front of goal will surely see her battling for the Golden Boot with team-mate Mead, perhaps, plus Chelsea's Kerr who will surely have something to say on the race for this accolade. Arsenal clinched the signing of Swedish striker Lina Hurtig from Juventus too; a statement of intent and a force to be reckoned with.

Manchester City boast Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly in their forward ranks. Hemp was hugely impressive for England this summer, while Kelly netted the winning goal which saw off Germany in extra-time at Wembley in the final. Boss Gareth Taylor will be looking to the pair for inspiration having lost Stanway and White during the summer, while suffering heartache in qualifying for the Champions League.

Manchester United are well represented by Lionesses with fans able to see Mary Earps, Ella Toone, Alessia Russo and Nikita Parris - who joined from Arsenal this summer - featuring for them this season. Head coach Marc Skinner wants his side to make their Leigh Sports Village home a fortress and they are expecting to see a record crowd for their opening match with Reading on Saturday.

The BBC will be showing one game per week - 22 games in total - in accordance with their rights package with the WSL. Meanwhile, Sky Sports will broadcast two matches per weekend. The remaining games can be streamed via the FA Player. The BBC's Women's Football Show will present highlights of each weekend's action on Sunday nights.

Be sure to follow the WSL and the individual clubs on social media so you don't miss a thing as the season progresses. When you can, why not go down to your local club, show your support and contribute to the evolution of the women's game.