The plan Having been relegated in 2021, Bristol City return to the WSL after topping the Championship last season. Their biggest challenge now? Staying up. Apart from Leicester, Bristol City will be the only club in the WSL that do not benefit from Premier League funding from their male counterparts and pre-season friendlies suggest this season will be a challenge, with losses to Manchester City and West Ham. But the head coach, Lauren Smith, is staying positive – and level-headed. “You have to take the moments, you can’t change the fact that we don’t have a Premier League team … we are not a Chelsea or Arsenal, we have to be realistic that we are Bristol City,” she said recently. Ultimately Smith is hoping to stay up. “You’ve got to take a foothold early doors, you’ve got to steady the ship, make sure you stay grounded, build on that and make sure you stay in it for year two,” she says. Over the summer, the club have made some strong signings, 10 in total, in an attempt to close the gap to the other teams in the division. Among them are several players with WSL experience, including the midfielder Megan Connolly from Brighton, Arsenal’s backup goalkeeper Kaylan Marckese, who joins on loan, and Manchester United’s Jess Simpson (also on loan) and Carrie Jones. The overseas players who have joined also have top-flight experience, including the defender Satara Murray from the NWSL side Racing Louisville and the PSV Eindhoven forward Amalie Thestrup, who played for West Ham on loan last season. The additions build on the squad’s existing depth, which includes the forward Shania Hayles, the side’s top scorer last season. Bristol City are a well-respected club, renowned for their development of young stars – the Lionesses Mary Earps, Lauren Hemp and Katie Robinson have all spent time there, while the former England player Anita Asante is a consultant coach. So there are plenty of positives. With major additions to an already strong squad, relegation is by no means a foregone conclusion. The manager Lauren Smith was appointed head coach of Bristol City after the club’s relegation at the end of the 2020-21 season. Since then, she has helped steer her side back into the Women’s Super League, signing a new three-year deal over the summer. Smith’s history with Bristol City stretches back to 2010, having previously coached their academy sides and been an assistant for the women’s team, before spells on the coaching staff at Wales and Tottenham. Star player At the start of last season, the centre-back Brooke Aspin spent three weeks in hospital being treated for sepsis. Incredibly, she recovered well enough to play in the latter half of City’s 2022-23 campaign, scoring her first professional goals. The 18-year-old, who has captained England Under-17s, signed for Chelsea this summer but remains at Bristol City on loan, having risen through the academy’s ranks. Chelsea’s Emma Hayes described her as a “young centre-back that we have very high hopes for in the future”. High-profile summer signing The signing of the Wales international Carrie Jones is a big boost to City’s hopes of remaining in the WSL this season. The 20-year-old midfielder joins from Manchester United – having been loaned to Leicester last season – and brings with her a work ethic and strong technical ability. The youngster previously made headlines after making her international debut aged 15, when she was still ineligible to play for her senior club side, Cardiff City. World Cup 2023 delight/heartache Two Bristol City players – Chloe Mustaki and the new signing Megan Connolly – were among the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup squad. Although Ireland went out in the group stages, it was an historic moment for the country, being the first time the women’s senior side qualified for the tournament. Cork-born Connolly played in all three of Ireland’s matches, nearly scoring a late equaliser against Australia. Social media status Bristol City have fewer Instagram followers than any other WSL side (27,000) and their offering is less slick. But they have kept fans updated on pre-season campaigns and summer signings across their Instagram, YouTube and Twitter pages (the women’s team also shares a TikTok account with the men’s side). The club have been pushing for ticket sales across social media channels, so far selling 5,000 for the October home game against Arsenal at Ashton Gate.