The Women's Super League returns for a new season featuring 14 teams, with women's football continuing to grow in stature and competitiveness. Manchester City are reigning champions and remain favourites, but Chelsea have invested heavily to try to reclaim the title, while Arsenal are aiming to win the WSL for the first time since 2019 after a significant summer of signings under head coach Renée Slegers.

Arsenal's new arrivals include Georgia Stanway, Ona Batlle, Selina Cerci, Géraldine Reuteler and Élisa De Almeida, with Canadian forward Olivia Smith – a then world-record £1m signing last summer – expected to make a bigger impact this campaign. Their opening fixture is away at Brighton, who enter the season under new head coach Arturo Ruiz following the surprise departure of Dario Vidosic just a week before the campaign began; Brighton will be looking to prove themselves more than mid-table also-rans capable of springing an upset.