Beyond the Top Four: Battleground at the bottom
Breakthroughs for Liverpool and Everton, but all teams are searching for consistency as WSL survival race enters a key period
Manchester City are now 11 points clear at the top of the WSL, so the most meaningful battles over the remaining weeks of the season are likely to unfold at the other end of the table.
Over the past fortnight, the theme has been inconsistency: for many sides beyond the top four, it has been a case of one win and one defeat, and the race to avoid this season’s relegation playoff is tightening with every result.
Liverpool finally ended their long wait for a first league victory in dramatic fashion, Mia Enderby on target as two stoppage-time goals sank Spurs. Tottenham responded with a 2–1 win over West Ham, thanks to goals from Matilda Vinberg and Olivia Holdt, showing both their fragility and their quality.
Everton also lifted a weight off their shoulders, claiming their first three points at Goodison Park. Their comeback 2–1 win over Aston Villa, sealed by an 89th-minute winner from Martina Fernández, could provide the confidence boost they have been searching for after months of frustration on home soil. Similarly, West Ham found a breakthrough moment of their own, as Rita Guarino secured her first WSL win as manager with a 2–1 victory over Leicester.
Meanwhile, only a late goal prevented London City Lionesses becoming the first side since the opening weekend of the season to deny Man City a league win, and they followed up that performance by edging Brighton 2-1 — with a bit of luck and another fantastic Freya Godfrey goal. This season’s newcomers are now in the top six.
The bottom of the table is incredibly tight: Liverpool have seven points, West Ham eight and Leicester nine, with Everton fourth-bottom on 11 points. With the margins so small, next week’s fixtures already have a pivotal feel. London City host Everton, Liverpool face Villa, West Ham meet Brighton, and Leicester welcome Manchester United — all opportunities for teams to pull off an upset and give their survival hopes a lift.
Fifth-placed Spurs face Chelsea and will aim to add to Chelsea’s recent slump of back-to-back losses while also hoping to overtake Arsenal on points (the sides are currently level on 26, albeit Arsenal have a game in hand). Martin Ho’s side are just one point behind Chelsea and two behind second-placed United, so the battle for Champions League places is still alive. London City are seven points off Spurs in sixth.
The WSL expands to 14 teams next season, so finishing last in the league does not mean immediate relegation. Instead, the top two WSL2 sides will be promoted automatically, while the team finishing 12th in the WSL will enter a playoff against the third-placed WSL2 side to decide the final spot for 2026-27.
New Transfers
Delphine Cascarino - San Diego Wave to London City Lionesses
Alisha Lehmann - Como to Leicester City
Katie Zelem - London City Lionesses to West Ham (loan)
Tuva Hansen - Bayern Munich to West Ham
Ylinn Tennebo - Valerenga to West Ham
The next few weeks in the WSL will be crucial as the season takes shape beyond the title race and becomes more competitive. With the bottom four separated by only a handful of points as it stands, every result now carries real weight in the fight to avoid relegation. As the league heads into a decisive stretch in the next two weeks, expect more upsets, more drama, and a clearer sense of which teams are ready to pull away.