Chelsea To Face Manchester City In Women's Super League Opening Match On September 5

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Chelsea will face Manchester City in a highly anticipated match to kick off the 2025-26 Women's Super League season. The reigning champions, Chelsea, will host City at Kingsmeadow on September 5. Last season, Chelsea secured a domestic treble without losing a game. In contrast, Manchester City finished fourth, trailing Chelsea by 17 points and missing out on Champions League qualification.

European champions Arsenal begin their campaign against London City Lionesses at home on September 6. This marks the first time an independent club features in the WSL. A Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton is scheduled for September 7 at Anfield. Last season, Liverpool ended just one point ahead of Everton, finishing seventh while Everton came eighth.

Other matches during the opening weekend include Manchester United hosting Leicester City, Brighton facing Aston Villa, and West Ham visiting Tottenham. These fixtures promise an exciting start to the new season.

Chelsea's fixtures against Arsenal are set for November away and January at home. Their return match with Manchester City will occur in February. The Manchester derbies are scheduled for November 16 and March 29. Additionally, Manchester United will play at Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium on October 12, although Everton will mainly use Goodison Park for home games.

The WSL is expanding to include 14 teams from the 2026-27 season. Consequently, the team finishing 12th this season won't face automatic relegation but will compete in a play-off against the third-placed team from WSL 2.

Season Structure and Breaks

The WSL will have a winter break from December 22 to January 10. The season is set to conclude on May 17. This structure allows players some rest during the colder months while ensuring a competitive league throughout.

The full list of opening weekend fixtures includes Chelsea vs Man City, Arsenal vs London City Lionesses, Brighton vs Aston Villa, Liverpool vs Everton, Manchester United vs Leicester City, and Tottenham vs West Ham.