Stories, scheduling & spectacle - five takeaways from 2025-26 WSL

Breaking news from the world of sport: Stories, scheduling & spectacle - five takeaways from 2025-26 WSL Figure caption, Manchester City lift WSL trophy after win at West HamByJoe BradshawBBC Sport senior journalistPublished21 minutes agoTen months ago, Lionesses fever gripped the nation as England's women lifted another international trophy by beating Spain on penalties to win Euro 2025. That latest silverware for the national team and a bumper new TV deal for the Women's Super League ensured extra momentum behind the game in the UK. The 2025-26 WSL has played out against that backdrop.

To unpick the action, Sport answers five prevalent questions. Are Man City the new dominant force? Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Manchester City's Khadija Shaw has been the WSL's top scorer for the third successive seasonAfter six years of total Chelsea rule, there is a different name on the WSL trophy.

Match Details

Manchester City wrapped up their first title for a decade before the final game. It has been well deserved and their ascension is potentially a sign of the division's growing competitiveness. Andree Jeglertz's side boast the most wins, the most goals and the second-best defence, as well as arguably the league's best player in top scorer Khadija Shaw.

Under the Swedish manager's careful tutelage, they have leapt from a fourth-placed finish last season to first, seizing top spot in week eight and maintaining control ever since. "You can have success one year but if you want to build something for the future you need to create an environment where everyone says: 'Wow, I don't want to go home from work'," he told Sport. "The best teams, that succeed, are ones that enjoy going to work.

"City's players have clearly enjoyed life this season - but can their success last? No Champions League football helped ease the load on the squad, with Shaw for example, playing nearly 800 minutes fewer than Arsenal's Alessia Russo. Adapting to European fixtures next season will be a new challenge.

Reactions and Expectations

They will expect a rebound from their rivals too, especially Chelsea, whose win total of 15 was their lowest in a full season since 2018-19. Similarly, contending across five competitions this season caught up with Arsenal, who gave themselves too much to do when faced with a myriad of games in hand. Then, there is the future of Shaw, out-of-contract in the summer and heavily linked with a switch to Chelsea.

The 2026-27 season could look quite different. Inside Man City's WSL title-winning season Published6 MayWhy summers of change beckon for WSL giants Published1 day agoChampions League challengers have work to do Figure caption, Spurs head coach Ho on improvementAfter promising starts this season, both Manchester United and Tottenham slipped out of European contention before the clocks went back. For Spurs, boss Martin Ho inspired a big improvement on 2024-25 to move up from 11th place and achieve their record WSL points total.

The story has climbed to the top of the sports agenda, with fans and analysts following closely.