Will anyone catch serial champions Chelsea as the WSL returns?

A pause has a rejuvenating effect, builds anticipation, and allows for a reset. The WSL will have been suspended for 32 days by the time Liverpool host Brighton on Friday to begin the second half of the season, but it has felt much longer.

Perhaps men's football continues to be played, with matchday after matchday passing without women's football. Perhaps we'll go into January, widely regarded as the most miserable month, desperate for the joy of the game. Regardless, the excitement level is high. How will the new players perform? Who is signing whom? What effect will players' departures have? What tactical and technological changes will have been implemented?

Chelsea's unbeaten record suggests they will continue to dominate. Their six-point lead is not insurmountable, but in a 12-team league, it is a bit more difficult to overcome. Injuries could derail them, but with a roster stacked with elite talent, that seems unlikely. In addition to potentially strengthening in January, the club will welcome back Mia Fishel and Sam Kerr in the coming phase.

When Sonia Bompastor's formidable side faces a rejuvenated Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on January 26, their title hopes will be dashed, or it will be the start of a procession. They will face West Ham in another London derby on Sunday to begin the year.

Beneath Chelsea, one point separates second and fourth, and six points separate sixth and twelveth.

Arsenal are about to announce their new manager, and whether it's interim Renée Slegers or someone new, the team will be hoping to continue their impressive run. After a home game against Crystal Palace on Sunday, they travel to Chelsea and Manchester City before a north London derby. If Slegers is given a permanent position, that will be her first real test. It remains to be seen if Arsenal can persuade Barcelona to sell midfielder Keira Walsh this month rather than letting her leave for free in the summer.

Manchester City is second, but the year ended with injuries piling up and back-to-back league losses to Everton and Barcelona in the Champions League. City was the first of the top three to enter the transfer market, with their new director of football, Therese Sjögran, influencing their decision to sign Rebecca Knaak from her former club Rosengård.

City needed to strengthen at the back after Alex Greenwood underwent knee surgery. However, their injury problems do not end there. Lauren Hemp has also undergone surgery, Risa Shimizu and Sandy MacIver are out with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, Khadija Shaw's return is uncertain, and Chloe Kelly may be on her way out after being frozen out of the starting eleven.

With back-to-back league games against Manchester United on Sunday and the League Cup quarter-finals next Wednesday, their squad's strength will be put to the test. Vivianne Miedema has returned from injury, which is a bright spot in an otherwise bleak injury situation.

United have the league's best defensive record, but one defeat and three draws have cost them. Kayla Rendell, a highly rated goalkeeper, has been recruited from Southampton to provide much-needed depth. What they need, however, are goals, as the three teams above them have scored more, and United's tally is more in line with Brighton and Tottenham. The talent is there, and the top three in the Champions League knockout stage have an opportunity to capitalize on their limited number of games.

Brighton's high summer turnover means they are unlikely to be very active in January, but fifth place reflects their business and the efforts of their manager, Dario Vidosic.

The relegation battle is by far the most interesting aspect, with Palace off to a strong start. They are at the bottom, but only one point behind Leicester, and Laura Kaminski has kept them organized. Brook Aspin, a Chelsea loanee, suffered an ACL injury, while Jorja Fox and Poppy Pritchard were recalled by Chelsea and Manchester City, respectively. They need bodies, preferably experienced ones.

Leicester have yet to make a January signing, but their second-choice goalkeeper Lize Kop has joined Tottenham, leaving a gaping hole up front with Noémie Mouchon and Jutta Rantala out. West Ham have the foundation of a team that should not be fighting for relegation, and two wins in their last four games have lifted them three points clear of Palace.

Liverpool have turned to the loan market with a limited budget, signing Scotland midfielder Sam Kerr from Bayern Munich and Julia Bartel from Chelsea. Everton has been busy, with Hayley Ladd signing from Manchester United, Emma Watson on loan from the same club, young Barcelona defender Martina Fernández joining until the end of the season, and forward Kelly Gago joining from Nantes.

Olivia Holdt, a Danish midfielder, has joined Spurs alongside Kop, but it will be difficult for them to improve the team's inconsistent performance.

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