Ten months after England's women lifted the Euro 2025 trophy by beating Spain on penalties, the Women's Super League has concluded a campaign shaped by that wave of enthusiasm and a significant new television deal. The 2025-26 season delivered a new champion, a few spectacular individual results and some searching questions about the overall health of the division.

Manchester City end Chelsea's six-year reign

The headline story is straightforward: Manchester City are WSL champions for the first time in a decade, ending six consecutive years of Chelsea dominance. Manager Andree Jeglertz oversaw a dramatic turnaround — City finished fourth last season and then sprinted to the summit in week eight, never relinquishing top spot from that point on. They finished with the most wins and the most goals in the division, while their defensive record was the second-best in the league.

Central to everything was Khadija Shaw, the WSL's top scorer for a third successive season. She played nearly 800 fewer minutes than Arsenal's Alessia Russo — partly because City were not involved in European competition — and that fresher pair of legs may have proved decisive across a congested campaign. Jeglertz has spoken about building an environment players want to come to every day, and the results suggest that culture is well and truly established.

The big caveat, of course, is whether it lasts. Champions League football arrives next season, bringing a heavier fixture schedule. Chelsea, whose 15 league wins were their lowest in a full campaign since 2018-19, will be determined to respond. Arsenal, meanwhile, found the sheer volume of games this season overwhelming. And then there is Shaw herself, whose contract is up in the summer with strong reported interest from Chelsea. The 2026-27 WSL could look very different.

United and Spurs fell away in the European race

Both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur began the season with genuine hopes of cracking the top four. Ultimately, both slipped out of European contention before October was out. For Tottenham, head coach Martin Ho still deserves credit: they improved significantly on their 11th-place finish in 2024-25 and set a new record for points in a WSL season for the club. Ho has made clear he wants Spurs to be recognised among the best in Europe, not merely the best of those outside the established elite — an ambitious target that will require sustained investment.

At United, the scrutiny on long-serving manager Mark Skinner intensified as their push for a top-three berth faded. A Champions League quarter-final run earlier in the club's calendar underlined what is possible, but the squad depth required to compete across all fronts simply is not there yet. Reinforcements will be essential this summer.

Entertainment in flashes, but the broader picture is mixed

Isolated results were genuinely thrilling. City hammering Chelsea 5-1 felt like a symbolic passing of the baton. Tottenham winning 7-3 at Villa Park was extraordinary. Chelsea edging Aston Villa 4-3 — with six goals in 35 first-half minutes — was the sort of match that keeps neutrals tuning in.

Yet the aggregate statistics tell a more cautious story. The 2025-26 season produced only 384 goals across the campaign, making it the lowest-scoring season since 2021-22. There were also ten goalless draws, more than in any season this decade. Shots were down too, again only marginally better than that same 2021-22 benchmark. Whether that reflects tactical evolution, fixture congestion or something else is worth monitoring as the division expands to 14 teams next season.

Relegation settled too early

The lack of tension at the top was mirrored at the bottom. Leicester City, despite a January transfer window that included the high-profile signing of Alisha Lehmann, were the division's weakest side for much of the campaign and their relegation to the play-off was confirmed mathematically with two games still to play. Under the new format, only the bottom club faces the drop — via a play-off against the third-placed side in WSL 2 — which arguably reduced the overall sense of jeopardy across the table.

What does next season hold?

The WSL moves into 2026-27 with genuine momentum behind it — a new TV deal, growing attendances and an England national team that remains in fine health after Euro 2025. But City's title, compelling as it was, came with caveats, and the division's mid-table clubs must close the gap if the league is to grow its European reputation. The summer recruitment window will tell us a great deal about who is serious about that challenge.

Frequently asked

Who won the WSL title in 2025-26?
Manchester City won the Women's Super League title in 2025-26, their first championship in a decade, ending six consecutive years of Chelsea dominance under manager Andree Jeglertz.
Is Khadija Shaw leaving Manchester City?
Khadija Shaw's contract at Manchester City expires in the summer of 2026, and she has been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea, though no transfer has been confirmed.
Who got relegated from the WSL in 2025-26?
Leicester City finished bottom of the WSL and face a relegation play-off against the third-placed side in WSL 2. Their fate was confirmed mathematically with two games remaining in the season.