WSL 2025/26: 7 key questions to start the season

Chelsea became the first side in a 12-team Women’s Super League to complete an invincible season when Sonia Bompastor led them to their sixth consecutive title last year. Having finished 12 points clear of their closest rivals, with the best defensive record in the league, they remain the team to beat.

It has been a relatively quiet transfer window by their standards, with Ellie Carpenter the most notable recruit, joining from Bompastor’s ­former club Lyon, but the question will be whether Sam Kerr can recapture her pre-injury form. The two-time WSL Golden Boot winner has been out since January 2024, but looks close to a return. Manchester City will be hoping they can end Chelsea’s attempt to match last season’s unbeaten ­success on the first day of the season when they visit Stamford Bridge for the opener on Friday.

London City Lionesses have been on quite a journey. Founded as a breakaway club from Millwall by cryptocurrency millionaires Anthony and Diane Culligan, they are now part of Michele Kang’s multi-club group that includes Lyon and Washington Spirit. Promoted to the WSL in her first full season running the club, they have spent big to bring a number of established names to Hayes Lane in Bromley: 15 including ­former Manchester United captain Katie Zelem, WSL winner Daniëlle van de Donk, and three-time Champions League winner Jana Fernández.

In the past couple of seasons, the promoted team have gone straight back down. Now the question is: how high can they finish?

It is plausible that no one goes down at all this year. This season is the final 12-team league, before expansion to 14 for 2026/27. Two sides will be automatically promoted from WSL2, with the third-placed WSL2 side in a play-off against the bottom WSL team.

Leicester City look like a likely candidate for that latter position, having sacked manager Amandine Miquel days before the season. Liverpool have brought in former Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor but have lost attacking talisman Olivia Smith and vice-captain Taylor Hinds, both to Arsenal. Both sides may feel content to risk coasting through the season, confident of beating whoever finishes third in WSL2. But with that league growing stronger every year, that could be an error.

Everton normally rank high in the relegation stakes, but there is a sense of optimism following the takeover. With the men’s side moving to Hill Dickinson Stadium, the women will play at Goodison Park, bidding farewell to the Walton Hall Park pitch that always felt more suitable for Sunday league football.

Teams moving into bigger stadiums have had mixed success, with Arsenal having achieved incredible attendances at the Emirates while Aston Villa have struggled to attract fans to Villa Park.

Yet the positivity around Everton extends beyond just their new home ground. They have been proactive in the transfer market, including signing Martina Fernández from Barcelona after she impressed on loan last season. The return of Inma Gabarro, who suffered an ACL injury in her second match for Everton, should also get fans excited.

Expectations around Arsenal will be high this season after their Champions League triumph last year. Renée Slegers turned her side’s fortunes around after she took charge in October and her first full season at the helm is highly anticipated.

Arsenal have not won the league title since 2018/19 and will be confident the momentum from winning the Champions League can help them unseat Chelsea. All eyes will be on record £1m signing Olivia Smith, while England’s Euros hero Chloe Kelly has also joined the club permanently. It was crucial for them to strengthen the squad as it was notable they struggled when they rotated towards the end of last season. A far more settled squad than they were this time last year.

Manchester United and Manchester City have spent the last couple of seasons fighting it out for the third Champions League spot. Last year’s meetings between them produced some of the best matches of the campaign, and both sides will believe they can go one step further and challenge for the title.

City were decimated by injuries last year and hope for a fresh start under former Denmark coach Andrée Jeglertz. They lost Laia Aleixandri to Barcelona, but Canada defender Jade Rose is one of football’s most exciting prospects.

Manchester United have struggled in the transfer market, with Marc Skinner citing ever-increasing transfer fees making business difficult for them. Fridolina Rolfö at least brings experience, coming from from Barcelona.

Over the past couple of years, sides who have finished fifth in the WSL tend to struggle the next season. Tottenham finished fifth in 2021/22 only to slump to ninth the next year, while Aston Villa took their spot in 2022/23 to finish on 13 points fewer in seventh the year after. Brighton will be looking to buck that trend as they continue their attempt to break into the top four.

After a positive start under manager Dario Vidošić, they will need to be more consistent this season, but have shown they can take points off the top teams. With a retooled defence and Michelle Agyemang returning for another season on loan from Arsenal, on paper they certainly have the ability to maintain their form.

Photograph by Matt Lewis – The FA via Getty Images