Sky Sports columnist Laura Hunter breaks down the most pressing issues emerging from the latest Women's Super League fixtures, drawing readers closer to the pivotal narratives shaping the women's game today. Manchester City entered the weekend with the league title seemingly within reach. A victory on Wednesday could have secured the crown without the need for another match, provided Arsenal failed to overturn their own result against Leicester – an unlikely but mathematically possible scenario. In that hypothetical world, City’s points lead would have become unassailable with only a handful of games left.
That possibility has now evaporated, and the celebratory atmosphere surrounding a potential title party has been replaced by uncertainty. The shock 3-2 loss to Brighton over the weekend has reopened the race. Chelsea and Arsenal are now mathematically capable of matching City’s current tally of 49 points, although Sonia Bompastor’s Blues are effectively out of contention because of an inferior goal‑difference.
Arsenal, on the other hand, remain very much in the mix. What was once described as a one‑per‑cent chance for a title upset has swollen to roughly five per cent, even though Arsenal has yet to step onto the pitch this weekend.
Regular followers of Hunter’s column will recall the symbolic hand‑over of the trophy she suggested as early as February – a prediction that now feels perhaps premature. Despite the setback, it would still be a formidable task for City to see the trophy slip away.
As Fran Kirby quipped after the Brighton match, "We’re happy to keep the title race going for a little bit longer." Kirby’s brilliance in a free‑role position proved decisive, turning a potential rout into a stunning comeback before the final whistle. Andree Jeglertz’s side now requires a minimum of five points from their remaining fixtures to clinch the championship, and they cannot guarantee the title until the season’s final day, provided Arsenal wins all of its games in hand.
Jeglertz appears unfazed by the pressure, reminding readers that his side has suffered only a single defeat this term – that loss came at the hands of City. Any further slip‑ups could prove costly.
Looking ahead, City will host Liverpool before travelling to West Ham in their last two league outings, with a high‑stakes FA Cup semi‑final against Chelsea sandwiched in between. Neither opponent is a walk‑over; the psychological blow of a defeat that could have been settled in the first half still lingers. This marks the first occasion this season that City have surrendered points after leading, exposing a vulnerability that opponents will seek to exploit. Captain Alex Greenwood offered a measured post‑match assessment, highlighting her team’s resilience in the face of adversity.
She noted that, despite conceding a goal that "hurts because we were in control," the squad responded positively. Over the course of a remarkable 90 minutes at Brighton, City generated seven clear‑cut chances yet failed to convert any, a stark illustration of their recent lack of cohesion after a 19‑day international break.
The fixture schedule has been both a blessing and a curse for City. The absence of European commitments has allowed the squad to avoid the fatigue that often accompanies a congested calendar, yet the irregular rhythm of matches has sometimes disrupted their momentum. City’s roster was deliberately assembled to withstand the rigours of three‑game weeks, but the uneven gaps between fixtures have at times hampered their ability to find a consistent flow.
Nevertheless, panic is premature. City have been outstanding for the bulk of the 2025/26 campaign and deserve recognition for a level of consistency that no other side has matched.
Yet they cannot rest on their laurels; the spectre of a late‑season collapse still haunts players like Greenwood, Bunny Shaw and Lauren Hemp, who remember the anguish of missing out on the title to Chelsea on goal‑difference in 2023/24. The question now is whether history will repeat itself. Meanwhile, Manchester United endured an equally bleak weekend, not because they lost their match – a hard‑earned 0‑0 draw with Tottenham – but because they have lost their sense of initiative. Once viewed as strong contenders for second place behind their city rivals, United now appear destined to fight for a top‑three finish, if they can manage it at all.
Marc Skinner’s side have secured just one win in their last eight competitive outings, with goals becoming scarce and performance levels plummeting. The slump raises concerns about the depth of Skinner’s squad, which is smaller than those of their direct rivals, and whether external factors such as fixture congestion or injuries are to blame. United have yet to defeat any of the current top‑five teams, a group that includes Spurs, City, Arsenal and Chelsea, all of which are averaging roughly 1.5 points per game. This disparity suggests a genuine quality gap.
Even the return of Ella Toone from a long injury layoff failed to reignite United’s attacking spark. Spurs displayed worrying trends of their own.
Their offensive metrics were dominated by Martin Ho’s side, with an expected goals (xG) differential that resembled a whitewash – 2.58 for Spurs versus 0.47 for United. United required 56 minutes to register a single shot on target, while Spurs logged more than double the number of touches inside the opposition’s box (42 versus 20).
Goalkeeper Phallon Tullis‑Joyce emerged as United’s saviour, making crucial saves to keep the scoreline level. What does all this mean for Skinner? As the longest‑serving manager in the WSL, he is perpetually under scrutiny, especially given the expectations attached to the Manchester United badge.
A single poor result can trigger a chorus of criticism, and the recent run of form has certainly fed that narrative. Yet some of the criticism is self‑inflicted; Skinner himself has acknowledged that the team’s performances since the FA Cup loss to Chelsea, followed by the League Cup final defeat, have been insufficient. The squad appears to have run out of steam after attempting to balance a debut Champions League campaign with domestic obligations.
"We have to make some changes in the summer," Skinner admitted on Sunday, noting that he has one year left on his current contract. Whether those changes involve personnel, tactics or perhaps his own future remains to be seen.
In summary, both Manchester clubs face pivotal moments as the season draws to a close. City must rediscover the clinical edge that has defined their campaign, while United need to revive their attacking intent and tighten up defensively if they hope to climb back into the upper echelons of the table. The coming weeks will determine whether either side can overcome their recent setbacks and finish the season on a high note, or whether the weekend’s woes will echo into the final chapters of the 2025/26 Women's Super League.