The Women's Premier League season kicks off on Sunday with champions Arsenal facing the biggest challenge in half a decade to their domination of the English game.
Since Fulham ended their three years as a full-time professional club by claiming the 2003 treble of League, FA Cup and League Cup, the Gunners have reigned supreme.
They have collected five successive League titles, won the FA Cup four times and the League Cup twice.
But after losing last season's League Cup final to Everton then seeing two key players move to ambitious Chelsea, they have some stern tests ahead.
Chelsea will aim to claim their first major honours after signing England colleagues Lianne Sanderson and Anita Asante from Arsenal.
Striker Sanderson has been the Premier League's leading scorer for the last two years, while Arsenal manager Vic Akers rates Asante as the best defender in the UK.
Blues should push both the Gunners and last season's runners-up Everton, though it's the Toffees who are likely to again provide the greatest threat to Arsenal's crown.
Leeds Carnegie (formerly United) will also be a danger after enjoying their best ever season last term, finishing third in the table and runners-up to Arsenal in the FA Cup.
They have since recruited several players in key positions and will, like Chelsea, be aiming to land their first piece of top level silverware.
Blackburn Rovers and Doncaster Belles have also significantly strengthened their squads and should be good enough to challenge in the top half of the 12-team table.
After acquitting themselves well in their first season of top flight football Watford could also be looking to break into the top six.
But Bristol Academy, who have lost a couple of important players, may find it difficult to repeat the fourth place finish they achieved in each of the last two seasons.
Liverpool, who like Watford were promoted last year, could also face a struggle after losing several players.
It will certainly be a testing campaign for new manager Robbie Johnson in his first season at the helm.
Birmingham City also have a new manager, Stuart Wilson having taken over from Laura Harvey who is now an Arsenal's coaching staff.
Wilson did a fine job at his previous club Coventry City, who he led to the runners-up spot in the Midland Combination last season.
But he is having to re-build at Blues, whose captain Laura Bassett and star winger Dannii Bird have like Harvey moved to Arsenal.
Liverpool and Birmingham finished third and fourth bottom respectively in 2007-08 and could again find themselves battling to avoid the relegation places.
The two newly promoted clubs, Fulham and Nottingham Forest, will have survival as their main aim in what could be a hotly contested bottom end of the table.
Follow Tony Leighton's reports from the Women's Premier League throughout the season on the BBC Sport website.
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