Champions Chelsea kick off their 2025/26 Women’s Super League season against 2023/24 runners-up Man City live on Sky Sports, on an opening weekend which also features a televised Merseyside derby.
The Blues will host City at Stamford Bridge on September 5 in a showpiece opening to the new campaign, in which all six opening-weekend fixtures will be shown on television, and five on Sky Sports.
Liverpool face Everton at Anfield on Sunday, September 7 in one of four 12pm kick-offs, with Tottenham’s London derby with West Ham at Brisbane Road also live on Sky Sports.
Man Utd’s curtain raiser with Leicester and Brighton’s home game with Aston Villa will also be broadcast.
London City Lionesses’ first game in the WSL top flight sees them travel to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal on September 6.
Last season’s top two will go head to head for the first time on match day eight, when Chelsea visit the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal on November 8.
The first Manchester derby of the season comes the following weekend, with City hosting United at the Etihad Stadium on November 16.
There could be plenty of drama reaching as far as the final day of the season with Chelsea hosting Man Utd, who they pipped to the WSL title in 2022/23 by just two points, at Stamford Bridge on the weekend of May 15-17, 2026.
Opening weekend fixtures in full
Friday September 5
Chelsea vs Man City – kick-off 12pm, live on Sky Sports
Saturday September 6
Arsenal vs London City Lionesses – kick-off 1.30pm
Sunday September 7
Brighton vs Aston Villa – kick-off 12pm, live on Sky Sports
Liverpool vs Everton – kick-off 12pm, live on Sky Sports
Man Utd vs Leicester – kick-off 12pm, live on Sky Sports
Tottenham vs West Ham – kick-off 12pm, live on Sky Sports
Sky to show 90 nearly per cent of all WSL games from 2025/26
Sky Sports will be embarking on a new five-year partnership with the WSL, showing nearly 90 per cent of all Women’s Super League matches from the 2025/26 season.
Reigning champions Chelsea will be aiming to secure a record-extending seventh straight WSL title – but they will likely face a major challenge from European champions Arsenal, who have made a summer statement by signing Liverpool’s Olivia Smith as the first £1m player in women’s football.
The two Manchester sides City and United will be hoping to compete as well, with City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur among the clubs beginning new eras with new managers.
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Take a look at some of the best goals from the Women’s Super League 2024/25 season with strikes from Vivianne Miedema, Sandy Baltimore, Janice Cayman and more!
There is also a new face in the WSL in the form of London City Lionesses, who became the first independent club to be promoted to the women’s football top-flight.
But with new relegation rules ahead of a league expansion to 14 teams, this WSL season promises to be unlike any other.
The key dates for 2025/26
July 27: UEFA Women’s European Championship final
September 6: Opening weekend of the WSL season
December 22-January 4: WSL winter break
January 10: WSL resumes after winter break
May 17: Final weekend of the WSL season
What are the new relegation rules?
The FA have given their approval to the Women’s Super League expanding to 14 teams from the 2026/27 season – which has an impact on how many teams are relegated from the top-flight this season.
The current league format sees one team relegated from the women’s football’s top tier, but it will now change to two teams relegated and promoted every season.
In order to reach 14 teams for the 2026/27 campaign, the top two teams in the second tier – the Women’s Super League 2 – will be automatically promoted to the WSL.
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Flo Lloyd-Hughes from The Cutback reacts to the news the Women’s Super League is set to expand to 14 teams from the 2026/27 season
The final 14th spot will be decided by a relegation play-off at the end of the season between the 12th-placed team in the WSL and the third-placed team in the Women’s Super League 2.
From the 2026/27 season, the last-placed 14th team in the league will be automatically relegated, with the 13th-placed team facing a play-off with the WSL 2 runners-up.
Sky Sports remains the home of the WSL
From the 2025/26 season, most Women’s Super League matches will kick-off at 12pm on Sundays – subject to stadium availability – giving fans a regular and accessible viewing window.
Sky Sports will broadcast matches concurrently across channels, including Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports+ and the Sky Sports app, offering greater choice and visibility.
Under a new five-year deal, Sky remains the home of the WSL, showing nearly 90 per cent of all matches, including 78 exclusively – over three times more than before.
