With the WSL expanding to 14 teams in 2026/27, City will play four more league matches next season.
Birmingham City and Crystal Palace return to the top flight after gaining automatic promotion from WSL 2.
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They are joined by Charlton Athletic, who are set for their first WSL season after beating Leicester City in a play-off at the Valley in May 2026.
So let’s take a closer look at each of team...
Birmingham City
In the 2025/26 season, the Blues finished top of the pile in WSL 2 with 44 points.
We last faced the Midlands side in April as we came head-to-head in the Adobe FA Cup quarter-final.
City booked a semi-final date with Chelsea after beating the hosts 1-0 at St Andrew’s.
Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw fired City ahead inside eight minutes and also struck the post in an otherwise evenly-matched 90 minutes.
Their introduction will also see us travel to St Andrew’s again, the home of Birmingham City.
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Manager: Amy Merricks
Merricks was appointed in April 2024 on a three-year contract, replacing Darren Carter, and came within a whisker of leading the Blues to the title in her first season in the hotseat.
She’d complete the feat in her second season at the helm though, claiming the title on the final day with a win at Charlton Athletic.
Ones to watch
Lily Crosthwaite had a standout season in the WSL 2 last time around, recording eight goals and six assists landing her as top for both.
Veatriki Sarri recorded a combined total of nine goals and assists after joining the Midlands outfit ahead of the 2025/26 season.
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Crystal Palace
In the 2025/26 season, the Eagles finished second in the WSL 2, gaining promotion on the final day but missing out on the title on goal difference to Birmingham.
We last faced the Eagles on the final day of the 2024/25 campaign, running out 5-2 winners at the Joie Stadium.
Earlier in the season, we’d marked our 200th Barclays Women’s Super League fixture with a convincing 3-0 win over Crystal Palace.
A phenomenal Jess Park chip from distance set the Blues on our way on the stroke of half-time before Jill Roord confidently swept home number two soon after the restart.
Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw then completed the scoring when she headed home a third just after the 70-minute mark to put the tie to bed at Selhurst Park.
Manager: Jo Potter
The 40-year-old joined Palace following an impressive two-year spell in charge of Scottish Women’s Premier League side Rangers and a stint as assistant manager at Birmingham City.
Ones to watch
Bethany England left Spurs this summer as their all-time leading goalscorer in the WSL, bagging 32 goals in her three-and-a-half seasons in North London.
The Euro 2022 winner has shone on the international stage too, scoring 11 goals in 26 appearances for the Lionesses to date.
The prolific striker joined Palace having scored 89 WSL goals – a tally surpassed only by our very own Vivianne Miedema in the competition’s history.
Charlton Athletic
In the 2025/26 season, the Addicks finished third in the WSL 2, missing out on the title on the final day after defeat to Birmingham City.
They’d led the way for much of the campaign but ultimately missed out on automatic promotion by two points.
However, their fortunes turned in the play-offs when they faced Leicester City, who finished bottom of the WSL.
In a play-off fixture at the Valley, Charlton picked up a dramatic penalty shootout victory to return to the top flight.
We have never faced the newcomers before and their introduction will also see us travel to the Valley, which is the home of Charlton Athletic.
Manager: Karen Hills
Karen Hills was appointed Women’s First Team Head Coach in March 2021.
Hills previously helped transform Tottenham Hotspur from an amateur outfit into a WSL club over an 11-year stint in charge.
Ones to watch
Sophie Whitehouse kept eight clean sheets in the WSL 2, before pulling off some incredible saves against the Foxes in the play-off game.
Gillian Kenney was top scorer for Charlton last season while Kiera Skeels captains the side.
