Beyond the Top Four: Shocks, stalemates and shifting form
As 2025 closes, the WSL middle ground remains wide open.
As we head into 2026, the WSL’s middle pack has rarely felt this alive. The reshaping of the table over the last few weeks shows that the league has become less about the dominant top four and more about the highly competitive standard of every single match.
Everton produced the shock of the season, ending Chelsea’s 34-game unbeaten WSL run, handing Sonia Bompastor her first league defeat as manager. Everton’s manager Brian Sørensen said that the win came down to “defensive discipline, great heart, and determination from the girls. It’s everything we want to see from them.”
West Ham finally collected their first win of the season, lifting themselves off the bottom and leaving Liverpool as the only side yet to take three points. The two teams faced each other this weekend, which resulted in a 2-2 draw thanks to Liverpool’s Beata Olsson’s late equaliser. Even so, Liverpool look a different, much-improved team: a resilient 1-1 draw with Chelsea followed by a narrow 2-1 defeat to Arsenal shows that their defensive structure is starting to gel.
Spurs are back in fifth after beating Aston Villa and London City have fallen to sixth after losing to Brighton and Leicester City. Tottenham are just one point behind Manchester United but will be disappointed after letting a 3-0 lead slip to a 3-3 draw. For the rest of the season, Spurs will be without Jess Naz, who has sadly suffered an ACL injury in her right knee. It is the second time she has had an ACL injury in her career, the first being in her other knee.
Villa looked on course to earn one point against Spurs, but a stoppage-time winner from Olivia Holdt snatched that away from them. Villa beat Liverpool 3-0 in their rescheduled fixture from earlier in the season with two goals from Rachel Daly and one from Kristy Hanson. However, they were significantly beaten by Manchester City a few days later, losing 6-1 in their final game of the year.
Leicester City, who were struggling for consistent wins, won their first match in weeks against London City. Shannon O’Brien scored the game-winner as the Foxes won 1-0, and she has now scored three crucial goals in her last four WSL games.
Manager Rick Passmoor, who was appointed at the beginning of the season, reflected: “You always enter at a stage where you continually need to strive for competence in strategies on the pitch, and how we act off the pitch, which we are aware of. There’s been quite a few changes over recent seasons, and we came in late this season, but we’ve looked at the squad and its needs in terms of collectively and individually. It’s a journey of growth and learning and we’re all aligned to ensure that we match our intentions, which is, over the long term, to be a sustainable and regular WSL 1 team that people respect and value.”
Standout performances
The last few weeks have seen fantastic performances for the WSL goalkeepers. Everton’s Courtney Brosnan, who only recently returned from a knee injury, made some excellent saves, even in the final seconds of the match, to deny Chelsea a goal and give her team a historic victory. Similarly, in another 1-0 win, Brighton’s Chiamaka Nnadozie made five important saves against London City.
News
London City Lionesses have unveiled a new third kit for the season which features their slogan, “Everyone Watches London City”, in partnership with their sponsor Togethxr’s message “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports”. Read more about the design here.
London City’s Isobel Goodwin has signed a contract extension with the team until 2028. The 22-year-old has started all 10 matches so far this season and scored three goals, proving she is a key player in their attacking line-up.
What’s next
The WSL returns on 10 and 11 January and if the past month is any indication, all is to play for across the middle of the table. Champions League places are still within reach for Spurs and London City, and the battle at the bottom is just as finely poised. With momentum shifting quickly and points proving difficult to come by, every match feels significant.
Importantly, the January transfer window is approaching, so new signings can inject fresh energy and reshape the narrative of their season. Follow The Cutback for all the latest transfer developments and how they could impact the WSL landscape.