Honestly, if you're still looking at the Women’s Super League (WSL) as just a "growing" project, you're living in 2018. It's 2026. The landscape hasn't just shifted; it has been completely terraformed. We aren't talking about "potential" anymore. We're talking about a league that just saw Manchester City drop £600,000 to snag Sam Coffey from the Portland Thorns.
Think about that. A British club just paid over half a million pounds for a defensive midfielder.
That’s the reality of the 2025/26 season. It’s gritty, it’s expensive, and frankly, it’s getting a little chaotic—in the best way possible. While the "Big Three" hegemony of Chelsea, Arsenal, and City used to be a foregone conclusion, the middle of the table is starting to bite back. But let’s be real: City is currently making everyone else look like they’re playing in slow motion.
Why Manchester City is Breaking the League
It’s January 2026, and the table doesn't lie. Manchester City is sitting pretty at the top with 33 points from 12 games. Eleven wins. One loss. That’s it. Under Andrée Jeglertz, they’ve turned into a relentless possession machine.
Khadija "Bunny" Shaw is doing Bunny Shaw things. She’s already bagged 12 goals. If you leave her an inch in the box, the ball is in the back of the net before you’ve even processed the cross. But it’s not just the Shaw show. The arrival of Sam Coffey this month is a "tipping point" move. It’s a signal to the NWSL that the WSL isn’t just a destination for retiring stars—it’s where you go to win the biggest trophies in your prime.
Chelsea is chasing, of course. They’re six points back with 27. Sonia Bompastor has inherited a kingdom from Emma Hayes, but the transition hasn’t been without its hiccups. A 5-0 thumping of West Ham recently showed they still have that "Blue" DNA, but dropping points in draws against teams they used to steamroll has kept the title race closer than they’d like.
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The NewCo Revolution: Who Actually Owns the WSL?
Most fans don't realize that the Football Association (FA) isn't the boss anymore.
Since last year, the league has been run by WSL Football (the entity formerly known as NewCo). It’s club-owned. It’s independent. It’s basically the Premier League model but with fewer suits and arguably more ambition. This change is why we’re seeing massive broadcast deals—like the £65 million domestic partnership with Sky and the BBC that kicked off this season.
Nikki Doucet, the CEO, hasn't been shy about the roadmap. We’re looking at an expansion to 14 teams for the 2026/27 season. That means the stakes for the current campaign are weirdly high.
- Two teams from the second tier (now rebranded as WSL 2) get automatic promotion.
- The team finishing dead last in the WSL—currently Liverpool with a heartbreaking 4 points—doesn't just go down.
- They have to face a high-stakes playoff against the third-placed team from WSL 2.
It’s a brutal system. One bad afternoon in May could cost a club millions in projected revenue.
The Arsenal Dilemma and the Stanway Rumors
Arsenal is in a weird spot. Third place. 23 points. They’ve drawn five matches. In any other season, that would be "fine," but when City is winning 11 out of 12, "fine" is a death sentence for title hopes.
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Renée Slegers just signed a new deal through 2029, which shows the board trusts the process. But the fans are restless. The big talk in the North London pubs right now? Georgia Stanway. The England international is reportedly leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the season. Arsenal is leading the hunt. Bringing Stanway back to the Women’s Super League would be the kind of blockbuster move that shifts the power balance back toward the Emirates.
They’ve already added Swedish youngster Smilla Holmberg this window. They’re building, but they’re building while the house next door (City) is already a finished mansion.
Surprises and Disappointments
Let’s talk about Tottenham. They’re currently tied with Arsenal on 23 points. Martin Ho has them playing some of the most attractive football in the country. Lize Kop has been a wall in goal, racking up five clean sheets. They aren't just "Spursy" anymore; they're genuine contenders for a Champions League spot.
On the flip side, what happened to Liverpool?
Zero wins.
Eight losses.
Four points.
They’re bottom of the pile. Gareth Taylor moved from City to Liverpool back in August, and it’s been a disaster. They can’t score. They’ve only managed 8 goals in 12 games. In a league where the bottom-tier teams like West Ham and Everton are starting to spend, Liverpool looks like they’re stuck in the mud.
The Money Talk: Record Transfers are the New Normal
It wasn't long ago that a £50,000 transfer was "big news." Those days are gone.
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- Sam Coffey to Man City: £600,000.
- Oriane Jean-Francois to Aston Villa: £450,000 (A club record for Villa and a sale record for Chelsea).
- Naomi Girma to Chelsea: Over £1 million (The gold standard for defenders).
The Women’s Super League is becoming a financial heavyweight. With 13 new international media deals—spanning from Stan Sport in Australia to Movistar in Spain—the league’s global audience reached over 72 million last year. People are watching because the quality is undeniable. When you have players like Mariona Caldentey creating 30+ chances a season for Arsenal, the "product" sells itself.
How to Actually Follow the WSL Now
If you’re trying to keep up, the old "search for a pirate stream" days are mostly over.
In the UK, Sky Sports is showing up to 118 matches this season. The BBC has its share of exclusive TV games too. But the real game-changer? The Barclays WSL YouTube channel. If a game isn’t on a major network, it’s usually streaming there for free. They’ve even upgraded the camera setups for WSL 2, so the second division doesn't look like it was filmed on a Nokia 3310 anymore.
What’s Next: Practical Steps for Fans
The 2025/26 season is heading into its most volatile stretch. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, keep an eye on these specific developments:
- Monitor the Relegation Playoff Spot: Watch the gap between 12th-placed Liverpool and 11th-placed West Ham. The new playoff format means 12th place is a "trap door" that’s much harder to escape than previous years.
- The Stanway Watch: Follow the Tier 1 journalists (like those at Sky Sports or The Guardian) for updates on Georgia Stanway’s contract. If she signs with Arsenal before the summer, expect their title odds for 2026/27 to skyrocket.
- WSL 2 Promotion Race: Keep an eye on Charlton Athletic and Birmingham City. They are currently leading the charge for those automatic promotion spots. Their recruitment in this January window will tell you if they’re ready for the big time or just happy to be there.
The league is no longer a niche interest. It's a billion-pound industry in the making. Whether you're a die-hard fan or a casual observer, the current trajectory suggests that by the time the 14-team expansion hits next year, the WSL won't just be the best league in Europe—it'll be the undisputed center of the footballing world.