Evie Mansell

For the first time in nearly a decade, Chelsea’s grip on the Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) title looks genuinely under threat. Following recent WSL fixtures, fans have been left stunned by how dramatically the table has shifted ahead of the 2025/26 season. As it stands, Manchester City sit eleven points clear at the top, while Chelsea hold only a one-point advantage over Arsenal. After eight years of Chelsea dominance, the league suddenly feels wide open — and far less predictable.

Birmingham City Women turned a tight first half into a runaway win, beating Nottingham Forest 5–1 at St Andrew’s. Blues pressed aggressively from the start and went ahead through Veatriki Sarri, whose shot deflected in on 22 minutes. Forest levelled right on half-time through Joy Omewa, on her debut, making it 1–1 at the break. The second half was one-way traffic. Wilma Leidhammar restored the lead just two minutes after the restart with a close-range header.

Chelsea’s Six Year Reign As WSL Champions, But Is It All Over? For the first time in nearly a decade, Chelsea’s grip on the Women’s Super