Why is there a four-week break in the WSL?

Now matchweek 16 has finished, the Women’s Super League will take a month-long break.

It is not a total pause on fixtures, with players, managers and fans switching focus to various other competitions in the meantime.

Arsenal and Manchester United will contest the second legs of their Champions League knockout play-off ties on Wednesday and Thursday, while 10 of the 12 top-flight teams play in the FA Cup fifth round next weekend.

After that, many players will join their national teams, with the start of March occupied by World Cup qualifiers, the Asian Cup and various other international matches.

Since action resumed on Saturday, 10 January, it has been a hectic period.

Four rounds of WSL action, FA Cup fourth round, League Cup semi-finals, the return of the Champions League and Arsenal competing in the inaugural Fifa Champions Cup have all been squeezed into a packed schedule.

Yet there is a stark difference between the amount of games played by the top teams and those lower down the division, including concerns about schedule congestion for teams fighting on multiple fronts, and the toll it could take on players.

Bottom side Leicester City have played the fewest games so far this season (19) and, having suffered early exits in both domestic cups, they now face an entire month without a competitive fixture.

Their next fixture is a crucial game against 11th-placed Liverpool in the WSL on Sunday, 15 March (11:55 GMT).

It’s an entirely different scenario for Manchester United though, who have played the most games to date (30).

This week, they will play Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Thursday (20:00 GMT), and then take on Chelsea next Sunday in the FA Cup fifth round (13:30 GMT) before they return to WSL action in mid March.

The below graph shows the amount of fixtures played by every team in the WSL so far – with the green bars representing the maximum number each could play, should they win out in each competition that they are playing in.

Former England defender Anita Asante says a four-week break at this stage of the season could have a hefty impact on the momentum of WSL teams.

“I think it does, because for players and staff it affects consistency that allows them to build from one performance to the next,” she said.

“It’s the close connection on the training pitch and the learning that takes place off the pitch. When they are away from that, it makes it really challenging.

“You have to start from the beginning again.”

Those effects may be felt more keenly by certain Women’s Super League teams, with Asante suggesting the break favours bigger clubs.

“It’s not to say that players and staff can’t get back to playing quickly, because we’ve seen that the top teams are able to do that,” said Asante.

Asante also thinks that the break could do more harm than good for WSL fans, both existing and potential.

“For the wider marketability of the game, my gut feeling is the break is too long,” she said. “While we are still growing the women’s game, can we afford to have these pauses?

“If you are talking about keeping engagement and keeping fans aware of when the next games are, you want continuity and momentum. That allows for good storytelling.

“With four weeks away, other sports, passions or distractions can fill that time.”

There have been mixed thoughts from supporters. Here are some of your opinions: