WSL 2025-26 fixtures revealed: Dates for your diary as Chelsea vs Man City showdown headlines opening weekend & Arsenal host newly-promoted London City Lionesses

The Blues won their sixth successive WSL title last term, ending the campaign unbeaten in a truly dominant year that also saw them lift the FA Cup and League Cup. Man City will be one of the teams out to dethrone them this season, alongside new European champions Arsenal, who start at home to newly-promoted London City Lionesses, and Manchester United, whose season begins with the hosting of Leicester.

A big opening weekend doesn't end there, either. There's a Merseyside derby that Liverpool will host at Anfield, plus a London derby between Tottenham and West Ham. The first round of fixtures are completed by Aston Villa's trip to Brighton.

The Guardian reports that Sky Sports, one of the main broadcasters of the WSL in the United Kingdom, intends to schedule the majority of the league's games this season at 12pm on Sundays. This is to develop an "around the grounds" narratives during matches, similar to the Saturday 3pm slot in English men's football.

For now, most of the WSL's stars are at major international tournaments or recovering from their exploits at them. The Women's Africa Cup of Nations final will be played between Morocco and Nigeria on Saturday, the Euro 2025 final between England and Spain follows on Sunday and then there is Copa America, which is still in its group stage.