WSL news

Arsenal captain Kim Little has signed a new one-year deal with the club, taking her name off the long list of those out of contract with the Gunners this summer. The reigning European champions had more than 10 first-team players whose current deals were set to expire at the end of the season but Little is officially staying put, the club announced on Thursday.

Lionesses star Ella Toone is not expected to return from injury until after the April international break, dealing a significant blow to both England and Man Utd. It's a delay that means the playmaking midfielder will miss United's upcoming games with Manchester City and Bayern Munich, as well as the Lionesses' crucial clash with Spain in World Cup qualifying.

Two England prospects have made the Women's NXGN 2026 list, but that is just scratching the surface when it comes to the talent coming through in one of the best and most successful nations in women's football. Sarina Wiegman's Lionesses have won back-to-back European Championship trophies and reached the final of the most recent World Cup, and it looks like they are set up for future success with the quality coming through the pipeline.

Renee Slegers has lauded her Arsenal side for their "clinical and ruthless" performance after securing a vital 3-1 first-leg win in their Women's Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea. The Gunners boss was full of praise for how her team handled the pressure of a high-stakes London derby at the Emirates.

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has hit out at the standard of officiating following her side's 3-1 Women's Champions League quarter-final first-leg loss to Arsenal. Despite a spectacular Lauren James effort, the Blues were undone by a ruthless Gunners side at the Emirates. Bompastor insists her team "deserved better" after seeing a crucial goal disallowed, leaving them with a mountain to climb in next week's return leg.

Manchester United's season is likely to be defined by events in the next eight days. The Red Devils have enjoyed some real highs this year, reaching a Women's Champions League quarter-final on their main draw debut and a first League Cup final, but if Marc Skinner's side don't get some big results over the course of this next week, they could have very little to show for their efforts.

The annual NXGN lists are back for 2026, as GOAL ranks the world's top teenage talents in men's and women's football, crowning winners that will follow in the footsteps of the likes of Jude Bellingham, Lamine Yamal, Lena Oberdorf and Linda Caicedo in being recognised as the best young footballers on the planet.

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has insisted the London club will remain a dominant force in women's football even if legendary figures Millie Bright and Sam Kerr depart this summer. The Blues boss faced direct questions regarding the futures of two of the club's longest-serving stars ahead of their crucial Women's Champions League quarter-final showdown against Arsenal, but refrained from giving a definitive answer.

Arsenal will be without Leah Williamson when they host Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash on Tuesday night. The England captain is dealing with a hamstring issue that kept her out of the Gunners' win over West Ham at the weekend and she is not going to recover in time for the next chapter of her side's European title defence.

Beth Mead's clever reverse pass and Stina Blackstenius' clinical finish will forever be etched in the minds of Arsenal fans as the move that delivered the Gunners an incredible Champions League title in 2025. The north London side were huge underdogs against three-time winners Barcelona, but they fought hard and found a way to get the better of the Catalans in Lisbon last May, capping a European run for the ages.

Switzerland forward Alisha Lehmann finally opened her account for Leicester City, but her first-half strike was not enough to prevent a devastating 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa. Despite taking an early lead, the Foxes collapsed in the second half, suffering their sixth consecutive Women's Super League loss and deepening their fears of a looming relegation battle.

Swiss international forward Alisha Lehmann has hit back at her critics, firmly denying claims that she prioritises social media over her football career. After cutting short a stint in Italy to join Leicester City's relegation battle, the 26-year-old insists her focus remains entirely on the pitch, relying on her strong work ethic to prove the persistent doubters wrong.

Manchester City striker Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw has been hailed as "the best in the world" after her brilliant hat-trick against Tottenham on Saturday. The centre-forward scored the quickest hat-trick in Women's Super League history as City beat Spurs 5-2 in a thumping victory.

Chelsea's hopes of retaining the Women's Super League title were all but ended at the hands of the London City Lionesses on Saturday afternoon, with the Blues pegged back to a 1-1 draw at The Den. Despite taking the lead early in the first half, Sonia Bompastor's decision to leave her heavy hitters on the bench cost her, with the hosts stepping up their efforts in the second half to claw back a point.

Khadija Shaw's record-breaking hat-trick fired Manchester City to a dominant 5-2 win over Tottenham on Saturday, allowing the Women's Super League leaders to maintain their seven-point cushion at the top with just four games to go. It took Shaw just 21 minutes from kick-off, and 13 minutes between goals, to net her treble, setting two new competition records, and that was added to by Kerolin's strike and an own goal from Amanda Nilden as City bounced back from last week's disappointing draw at Aston Villa.

When Emma Hayes' time at Chelsea was coming to a well-publicised end in the final few months of the 2023-24 season, ahead of her move to the United States to take over its iconic national team, the revered manager took a moment in one of her final press conferences to ponder what the Blues' team might look like in the future, given the progress being made in the women's youth set-up and the work being done to try bridge the gap between the academy and the first team.

Alisha Lehmann is only a matter of weeks into her spell at Leicester City, but the WSL outfit have been warned that on-field struggles could lead to the “commercial titan” beating a hasty retreat. Switzerland international Lehmann returned to English football in January following stints in Italy with Juventus and Como Women. Emile Heskey has told GOAL what she offers to the Foxes.