The 2025–26 Women's Super League was the 15th season of the Women's Super League (WSL) since it was formed in 2010. It was the seventh season after the rebranding of the four highest levels of women's football in England. The season began on 5 September 2025 and ended on 16 May 2026.
On 16 June 2025, it was announced that the WSL would be expanding to 14 teams from the 2026–27 season. As a result, the 2025–26 WSL2 season promoted two teams (Birmingham City and Crystal Palace), while the bottom WSL team, Leicester City, played in a promotion/relegation play-off against the 3rd placed WSL2 side, Charlton Athletic, on 23 May 2026. A loss on penalties saw Leicester City relegated after a five-year stint in the division.
Chelsea entered the season as defending champions, having won their sixth consecutive and eighth overall title the previous season. However, they were dethroned after six years by Manchester City, who won their first WSL title in a decade (since 2016) and their second overall.
Teams
Twelve teams contested the 2025–26 Women's Super League season. London City Lionesses were confirmed as 2024–25 Women's Championship champions on the final day of competition. They replaced Crystal Palace, who were relegated on 27 April 2025, with two games remaining in the season.
Team Location Ground Capacity 2024–25 season Arsenal London Emirates Stadium 60,704 2nd Aston Villa Birmingham Villa Park 42,640 6th Brighton & Hove Albion Crawley Broadfield StadiumSome matches to be played at Falmer Stadium. 6,134 5th Chelsea London KingsmeadowSome matches to be played at Stamford Bridge. 4,850 1st Everton Liverpool Goodison Park 39,414 8th Leicester City Leicester King Power Stadium 32,212 10th Liverpool St Helens BrewDog StadiumThree matches to be played at Anfield. 18,000 7th London City Lionesses London Hayes Lane 5,000 Manchester City Manchester Academy StadiumSome matches to be played at City of Manchester Stadium. 7,000 4th Manchester United Leigh Leigh Sports VillageSome matches to be played at Old Trafford. 12,000 3rd Tottenham Hotspur London Brisbane RoadThree matches to be played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 9,271 11th West Ham United London Victoria Road 6,078 9th
Personnel and kits Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Shirt sponsor (sleeve) Shirt sponsor (back) Shorts sponsorArsenal AdidasFly EmiratesVisit RwandaNoneNoneAston Villa Rachel DalyAdidasIWG Women & SportTrade NationNoneNoneBrighton & Hove Albion Maisie SymondsNikeAmerican ExpressExperience KissimmeeNoneNoneChelsea NikeIFS.aiFPTŠkodaHere We FloEverton (interim) CastoreStake.comChristopher WardNoneGGM GastroLeicester City AdidasKing PowerBia SaigonNoneNoneLiverpool Grace FiskAdidasStandard CharteredExpediaNoneNoneLondon City Lionesses Eder Maestre Kosovare AsllaniNikeEveryone Watches Women's SportsNoneNoneNoneManchester City PumaEtihad AirwaysOKXRevolutJoieManchester United AdidasSnapdragonDXC TechnologyNoneNoneTottenham Hotspur Martin Ho NikeAIACinche.l.f.NoneWest Ham United Rita Guarino UmbroBoyleSportsQuickBooksPaul Robinson SolicitorsModibodi
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Liverpool Amber WhiteleyEnd of interim period10 May 2025Pre season Gareth Taylor 8 August 2025 Manchester City Nick Cushing Andrée Jeglertz 3 July 2025 Tottenham Hotspur Robert VilahamnSacked 8 June 2025 Martin Ho 4 July 2025 Leicester City Amandine Miquel 28 August 2025 Rick Passmoor 4 September 2025 West Ham United Rehanne Skinner 18 December 2025 11th Rita Guarino 22 December 2025 London City Lionesses Jocelyn Prêcheur 21 December 2025 6th Eder Maestre 2 January 2026 Everton Brian Sørensen 4 February 2026 9th Scott Phelan 4 February 2026
League table
Matches
Relegation play-off
Season statistics Top scorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Khadija ShawManchester City212 Alessia RussoArsenal133 Kirsty HansonAston Villa124 Stina BlacksteniusArsenal10 Vivianne MiedemaManchester City6 Kerolin97 Olivia HoldtTottenham Hotspur8 Kiko SeikeBrighton & Hove Albion9 Bethany EnglandTottenham Hotspur7 Sam KerrChelsea Alyssa Thompson
Clean sheets RankPlayerClub Cleansheets1 Hannah HamptonChelsea82 Phallon Tullis-JoyceManchester United7 Ayaka YamashitaManchester City4 Anneke BorbeArsenal6 Lize KopTottenham Hotspur Chiamaka NnadozieBrighton & Hove Albion7 Sabrina D'AngeloAston Villa5 Daphne van DomselaarArsenal9 Courtney BrosnanEverton4 Jennifer FalkLiverpool
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result DateRef. Ornella VignolaEvertonLiverpool4–1 (A)7 September 2025 Khadija Shaw4Manchester CityAston Villa6–1 (H)14 December 2025 KerolinChelsea5–1 (H)1 February 2026 Khadija ShawTottenham Hotspur5–2 (H)21 March 2026 Chloe KellyArsenalWest Ham United5–0 (H) Alessia RussoTottenham Hotspur5–2 (H)28 March 2026
(H) – Home; (A) – Away 4 – Player scored four goals.
Discipline Most yellow cardsTotalMost red cardsTotalRef.Player Amanda Nildén (Tottenham Hotspur) Sam Tierney (Leicester City)7 Inès Belloumou (West Ham United) Gemma Bonner (Liverpool) Océane Deslandes (Aston Villa) Grace Fisk (Liverpool) Shannon O'Brien (Leicester City) Jayde Riviere (Manchester United) Drew Spence (Tottenham Hotspur)1ClubBrighton & Hove Albion38Liverpool2
Awards Monthly awards MonthManager of the MonthPlayer of the MonthGoal of the MonthSave of the MonthRef.ManagerClubPlayerClubPlayerClubPlayerClubSeptember Sonia BompastorChelsea Aggie Beever-JonesChelsea Olivia SmithArsenal Janina LeitzigLeicester CityOctober Andrée JeglertzManchester City Jess ParkManchester United Kirsty HansonAston Villa Daphne van DomselaarArsenalNovember Kerstin CasparijManchester City Alyssa ThompsonChelsea Chiamaka NnadozieBrighton & Hove AlbionDecember Khadija Shaw Shekiera MartinezWest Ham United Elene LeteLondon City LionessesJanuary Gareth TaylorLiverpool Kim LittleArsenal Jess ParkManchester United Anneke BorbeArsenalFebruary Martin HoTottenham Hotspur KerolinManchester City Ayaka YamashitaManchester CityMarch Renée SlegersArsenal Alessia RussoArsenal Oona SirenWest Ham United Daphne van DomselaarArsenal
Annual awards
Award Winner Club Barclays WSL Player of the Season Khadija Shaw Manchester City Barclays WSL Manager of the Season Sonia Bompastor Chelsea Barclays WSL Goal of the Season Kirsty Hanson (vs. West Ham) Aston Villa Barclays WSL Rising Star Veerle Buurman Chelsea PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year Khadija Shaw Manchester City PFA Women's Young Player of the Year Olivia Smith Arsenal FWA Footballer of the Year Khadija Shaw Manchester City PFA Team of the Year Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton(Chelsea) Defenders Kerstin Casparij(Manchester City) Tōko Koga(Tottenham Hotspur) Ellie Carpenter(Chelsea) Emily Fox(Arsenal) Midfielders Yui Hasegawa(Manchester City) Mariona Caldentey(Arsenal) Jess Park(Manchester United) Forwards Khadija Shaw(Manchester City) Alessia Russo(Arsenal) Lauren James(Chelsea)
References