It has been a summer of change for women’s football in England, with expansion of the Women’s Super League to 14 teams bringing three new sides into the fold, huge transfers hitting the headlines, changes to the League Cup and a new name on the WSL trophy as we prepare for kick-off on Friday. Players have had a proper break over the summer, with no major international women’s tournament for the first time in six years (Covid delays pushed back the Tokyo Olympics to 2021 and the European Championship to 2022, followed by the 2023 World Cup, 2024 Paris Olympics and Euro 2025). As a result, managers have had a full pre-season with all available players for the first time in more than half a decade, too.
In many respects, this is the most mouthwatering and unpredictable WSL season of recent years. At the top end, the title race is wide open from the outset. The holders, Manchester City, have perhaps the most settled squad and a potent attack spearheaded by the winner of three back-to-back Golden Boots, Bunny Shaw.
However, they will also be juggling their league and FA Cup title defences alongside Champions League football, which they avoided last season through a fourth-place finish in the league the preceding year. That will be counteracted somewhat by Champions League teams no longer competing in the rebranded League Cup, which also opens the door to domestic silverware for those outside the top three. Arsenal and Renée Slegers have no excuses for a poor season, after two disappointing and costly starts to WSL campaigns were somewhat understandable due to the tight turnarounds following the major tournament exploits of many players, and Champions League qualifying campaigns in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 season.
The Gunners have overhauled the squad in the summer and lowered the age profile, adding experienced top-level talent such as Georgia Stanway, Ona Batlle, Géraldine Reuteler and Selina Cerci. Chelsea have embarked on their own squad evolution, after a transitional season where they sought to strike the balance between making changes and retaining that winning spirit synonymous with the side. Some hugely influential and longstanding players have departed in Millie Bright, who has retired, Guro Reiten, Sam Kerr, Catarina Macario, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Niamh Charles.
Melvine Malard, who has reunited with Sonia Bompastor having played under her at OL Lyonnes, has already hit the ground running with two goals from the bench in the team’s 5-2 win against Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier. Where playing in Champions League qualifiers was a burden in seasons following major international tournaments, this campaign it could be an advantage for the Blues who have a chance to shake off any rust before they kick off their title challenge. It perhaps feels a little unfair to drop Manchester United out of the title challengers and to place them in with “the best of the rest” but, with a nine-point gap between them and Chelsea last season, a lack of serious backing from the club and a so far underwhelming transfer window, this season could be a tough one for the Red Devils.
Marc Skinner’s exit after a frustrating five years in Manchester was welcomed by sections of their fanbase but the manager arguably helped the side to punch well above their weight, with a comparatively small wage bill despite a competitive turnover. Eva Olid is an exciting young manager, having led Hearts from the bottom of the Scottish Women’s Premier League (with the team avoiding relegation only because of league expansion) to the title before her exit at the end of last season. However, if fans are hoping for a fresh start they should perhaps temper their excitement, with the club leaning into Olid’s reputation for player development and their four summer recruits so far not doing anywhere near enough to offset the loss of their outgoing players.
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