Beth England recently became the first player to score against every Women’s Super League team. We break down the stellar numbers of a player who is arguably underappreciated.
Beth England scores goals. Whether at club or international level, she has consistently found the back of the net.
England has been a star in the Women’s Super League for years now, and recently achieved another huge milestone that serves to further underline her legacy in the competition.
The Tottenham captain scored a brace against Crystal Palace on Matchday 12, which not only secured a 3-2 victory for her side, but also saw her claim a unique WSL record: scoring against all 19 clubs to have played in the league since its inception in 2011.
Not even the greats like Vivianne Miedema, Nikita Parris, and Ellen White have come close to achieving the feat.
As well as highlighting her goalscoring prowess, it also shows the longevity and staying power of England’s career. And the scary part for opposing defenders is that, at 30 years of age, she still has plenty of time to keep on racking up the records.
Ahead of the WSL’s return on 16 February, when Spurs face Arsenal in a huge derby clash, we analyse the data behind England’s achievement.
Which Teams Has England Scored For?
Over her WSL career, England has played for four clubs, making her debut with Doncaster Rovers Belles in the league’s inaugural season. However, her first league goal didn’t arrive until 2012-13, in an entertaining 3-2 loss to Bristol City.
After impressing with the Belles, she made a big move to Chelsea in the 2016-17 season, but managed only three goals in her first season with the Blues.
A loan to Liverpool changed everything. England flourished, scoring 10 goals from 48 shots (20 on target) at an impressive 20.8% conversion rate.
Chelsea, understandably, wanted her back, and England went on to enjoy four brilliant seasons on the spin. Her two best campaigns saw her score 12 league goals in 2018-19 and 14 in 2019-20, the most she’s scored in a single campaign across her time in the league.
Perhaps more impressive though is the fact that England managed to score those 14 goals in 2019-20 in just 15 appearances, at 0.9 goals per game. She netted 21 times in all competitions and was named WSL Player of the Season and the PFA Women’s Player’s Player of the Year.
She also scored the winning goal in the Women’s League Cup final to round off a wonderful season in style.
As Chelsea’s squad continued to balloon with big-money signings and star-studded talent, England moved to Spurs in 2023 in order to get more game time ahead of the Women’s World Cup, and ensure she would make the Lionesses squad for the tournament.
She has since scored 24 goals for Spurs in the top flight, despite missing much of last season due to a hip injury. In 2022-23, her first season at the club, she scored 12 goals in as many matches.
England also played a key role in Spurs’ first-ever FA Cup final appearance, scoring a crucial equaliser against Manchester City in the quarter-finals before the team ultimately fell short against Manchester United in the final.
Which Teams Has England Scored Against?
Some teams have suffered more than others at the hands of England. Bristol City have proved to be her favourite WSL opponent, with the striker scoring 12 times in just 13 appearances against them.
Yeovil Town, West Ham (both nine goals), and Brighton (eight) have also struggled to contain her.
England isn’t just a flat-track bully though, scoring in multiple big matches against top opponents. She has scored three times against Arsenal, including a key equaliser in Chelsea’s 2-1 win over the Gunners in October 2019 which ended Arsenal’s unbeaten run.
She has also scored three times against Man City, scoring the winner against them twice – in a 1-0 victory in May 2018, and then notching her first Chelsea goal in a 2-1 win over City in December 2019.
Her only goal against former club Chelsea came in a 3-2 Spurs defeat in February 2023, shortly after her move from the Blues.
Where Does England Rank Among the All-Time WSL Goalscorers?
England has quietly moved up to second in the all-time goalscorer charts in the WSL.
She has scored 81 goals in 175 games, at an impressive rate of 0.66 goals per 90. Her overall tally trails only WSL legend Miedema, who has netted 85 times in just 112 appearances.
Beth Mead sits in third spot with 67 goals from 168 games, with only three other players scoring over 60 goals: Parris (66), Fran Kirby (66) and White (61).
Man City star Shaw is rapidly rising up the standings. She has 59 goals already, with that total coming from just 67 games.
It sets up something intriguing to watch over the coming seasons, with the race well and truly on to see who can be the first to reach 100 goals.
When looking at all-time goals and assists in the WSL, England sits in third (105), with Mead ahead of her (114) and Miedema, once again, in pole position, on 120.
How Has England Scored Her Goals?
England is a complete forward. She has netted seven times from outside the box in her WSL career, while she has scored with her weaker left foot 16 times, and 40 times with her right.
A dominant aerial presence, she has scored 24 headers in the WSL, a tally matched only by Shaw.
Even more impressively, only three of England’s 81 WSL goals have come from the penalty spot. Her place among the WSL’s greatest is already secure, but with plenty left in the tank, there could be more records to come.
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