The Women's Super League is almost back. Liverpool finished second-bottom of the WSL last season, but the only way is up for Gareth Taylor's team, who did reach last year's FA Cup semi-finals. So, ahead of the new campaign, whether you're a diehard fan or brand-new to the women's game, here is your comprehensive guide.
When is WSL fixture release day?
The Women's Super League fixtures will be released at 10am on Thursday 30 July.
When does the new WSL season begin?
The opening weekend of the Women's Super League season is the 5 and 6 of September.
What are the other key WSL dates?
Teams' final WSL fixture of 2026 will take place on the weekend of 19 and 20 December, followed by a winter break, with action returning on the 9 and 10 of January.
The final day of the Women's Super League season will take place on Sunday 22 May.
What is new about the WSL this season?
The WSL has expanded from 12 to 14 teams. This means each club will now play 26 league games, and increase from 22. WSL2 champions Birmingham City, runners-up Crystal Palace and play-off winners Charlton Athletic are all newly-promoted into the expanded division.
What does each spot in the WSL represent?
1st and 2nd place qualify for the UEFA Women's Champions League league phase, while third place enter Champions League qualifying, required to win a two-legged tie to join them.
The side who finishes bottom is relegated to WSL2, formerly the Championship, while the 13th place finisher will face the WSL2 runners-up in a play-off to decide who will be in the top-flight next season.
Where will Liverpool play their WSL fixtures?
Liverpool's primary home BrewDog Stadium, having signed a ten-year agreement with St Helens R.F.C. in the summer of 2024. The Reds though have confirmed that three matches will take place at Anfield, Last season, Everton, Manchester City and Arsenal visited Anfield, with Liverpool losing all three matches, scoring three goals but conceding nine. Taylor will be hoping for better next season, that is for sure.
Who is in the WSL and where do they primarily play their home matches?
- Arsenal - Emirates Stadium (60,704).
- Aston Villa - Villa Park (42,640).
- Birmingham City - St Andrew's (29,902).
- Brighton & Hove Albion - Broadfield (6,134).
- Charlton Athletic - The Valley (27,111).
- Chelsea - Stamford Bridge (40,044).
- Crystal Palace - Gander Green Lane (5,013).
- Everton - Goodison Park (39,414).
- Liverpool - BrewDog Stadium (18,000).
- London City Lionesses - Hayes Lane (5,000).
- Manchester City - Academy Stadium (7,000).
- Manchester United - Leigh Sports Village (12,000).
- Tottenham Hotspur - Brisbane Road (9,271).
- West Ham United - Victoria Road (6,078).
What other competitions will Liverpool compete in?
Liverpool will feature in the FA Cup, hoping to go one better than last season when they reached the semi-finals, beaten by Brighton, despite leading 2-0 at one stage. The Reds will also feature in the new-look Subway Players Cup, the details about which were released on Tuesday.
For the first time, the League Cup will not feature clubs competing in UEFA competition, namely WSL champions Manchester City, world champions Arsenal and Chelsea, who have reached each of the last seven Conti Cup Finals. Thus, this really opens the tournament up for everyone else.
The new competition format is confusing, but here is our best attempt to explain it. The remaining 23 (great start having an odd number) WSL and WSL2 club will be divided into north and south to minimise travel costs.
Subway Players Cup regional split
- Northern: Aston Villa, Birmingham, Burnley, Durham, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United & Sunderland.
- Southern: Brighton, Bristol City, Charlton, Crystal Palace, Ipswich, Leicester, London City Lionesses, Southampton, Tottenham, Watford, West Ham & Wolves.
Each club will play six matches in the league phase, three at home and three away. The usual three points for a win will be awarded but, if a match ends in a draw, a penalty shootout will decide which teams earns a bonus point. This is something we've seen in the Conti Cup before.
The top eight will progress to the knockout stages, where 1st will face 8th, 2nd will host 7th, 3rd will take on 6th and 4th will be up against 5th. The top four clubs will be at home in the quarter-finals. From there, it is a straight knockout, with the final at a neutral venue.
Since Liverpool won the WSL back in 2014, between them, Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal have won 34 of the 35 domestic honours up for grabs. No one else has ever won the League Cup since the competition's inception in 2011. The only side to breakup this triopoly was Manchester United, who won the FA Cup in 2024.
Thus, everyone in this season's Subway Cup should view this as a golden chance to claim some silverware, and that certainly includes Liverpool.
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