West Ham enter the 2026-27 Women's Super League season on a more hopeful footing after manager Rita Guarino steadied a team that was in serious trouble last December, when they had just one win in 11 games and Rehanne Skinner was sacked. Guarino's arrival did not bring instant success, including a 5-0 defeat to Chelsea, but results steadily improved and West Ham finished the season strongly, ending 10th above Liverpool and Leicester. The club has now backed her with a busy and well-regarded summer transfer window, offering a genuine chance to progress despite long-standing concerns about limited resources.

West Ham picked up 14 points from their final 11 WSL matches under Guarino, including wins over Newcastle and Leicester and a notable 3-2 victory against Brighton, taking their total to 19 points. After 14 departures over the summer, including Shekiera Martinez, Katrina Gorry and Shelina Zadorsky, the club made ten new signings, among them forwards Kelly Gago and Ebony Salmon and defenders Laia Codina and Nadine Riesen. Concerns persist over the club's financial transparency and spending, with West Ham reporting the WSL's lowest agents' fees expenditure (£97,000) in the year to February 2026, though new signings have publicly praised Guarino and the club's direction. Guardian writers predict West Ham will finish 11th this season.