Manchester City will kick off their campaign as defending champions of the Women's Super League by taking on newly promoted Birmingham City, while the London City Lionesses have already opened the 2026/27 season with a high‑profile clash against Manchester United, broadcast live on Sky Sports. The full fixture list for the upcoming season has now been released, complete with kick‑off times and broadcast allocations for the first four weekends.
This year the league features an expanded roster of 14 clubs – up from 12 – after Birmingham City, Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic earned promotion from the second tier, WSL 2. The increase in teams means more matches on the calendar than ever before.
Sky Sports has committed to televising roughly 90 percent of all WSL fixtures, delivering 163 live games plus the end‑of‑season play‑off. In addition to the main channel, selected matches will be streamed on the Sky Sports WSL YouTube channel, giving fans multiple ways to watch. The broadcaster also promises greater scheduling flexibility, reducing the number of games that start simultaneously and allowing supporters to follow more of the action live.
The London City Lionesses, who made headlines this summer by signing two‑time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, will launch the new season in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Friday, 4 September, when they travel to face Manchester United. Two days later, on Sunday, 6 September, defending champions Manchester City will host newcomers Birmingham City in what promises to be a marquee double‑header featuring five live games across the day. Other opening‑day fixtures include last season’s runners‑up Arsenal travelling to Brighton, Tottenham Hotspur hosting a London derby against West Ham United, Liverpool taking on newly promoted Charlton Athletic, and Crystal Palace – who bounced straight back to the top flight – facing Everton. Chelsea, eight‑time league winners, will open their season at home against Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, 5 September.
Manchester United will face a tough start, with their second match scheduled at home against Chelsea on Sunday, 13 September, before heading to the Emirates Stadium to meet Arsenal on Saturday, 19 September. Both of those encounters will be shown live on Sky Sports, as will Arsenal’s home game against Chelsea on Sunday, 27 September. The schedule also highlights the first Merseyside derby of the season, with Everton travelling to Anfield to play Liverpool on Sunday, 27 September, a match that will be streamed live on Sky Sports.
Relegation will remain in force despite the league’s expansion. The team finishing at the bottom of the table will be automatically relegated to WSL 2, while the club finishing 13th will enter a play‑off against the runners‑up from the second division to retain their top‑flight status.
Key opening‑weekend fixtures and times are as follows: - London City Lionesses vs Manchester United, kick‑off 7:00 pm – live on Sky Sports - Chelsea vs Aston Villa, kick‑off 12:30 pm - Brighton vs Arsenal, kick‑off 12:00 pm – live on Sky Sports - Tottenham vs West Ham, kick‑off 12:00 pm – live on Sky Sports - Charlton vs Liverpool, kick‑off 2:00 pm – live on Sky Sports - Crystal Palace vs Everton, kick‑off 2:00 pm – live on Sky Sports - Manchester City vs Birmingham City, kick‑off 2:30 pm – live on Sky Sports Additional fixtures for the following weeks include: Saturday, 12 September: - West Ham vs London City, 12:45 pm - Manchester United vs Chelsea, 12:00 pm - Birmingham vs Brighton, 2:00 pm - Everton vs Charlton, 2:00 pm - Liverpool vs Tottenham, 2:00 pm - Aston Villa vs Manchester City, 6:30 pm - Manchester City vs Liverpool, 7:00 pm Saturday, 19 September: - Chelsea vs Birmingham, 12:45 pm - Arsenal vs Manchester United, 5:30 pm - Brighton vs Aston Villa, 2:00 pm - Crystal Palace vs Tottenham, 2:00 pm - West Ham vs Everton, 2:00 pm Saturday, 26 September: - London City vs Brighton, 5:00 pm - Manchester United vs West Ham, 1:00 pm - Birmingham vs Crystal Palace, 2:00 pm - Liverpool vs Everton, 2:00 pm - Tottenham vs Aston Villa, 2:00 pm - Chelsea vs Arsenal, 4:30 pm The season will run from the opening weekend on 4 September through to the final round of matches on 22–23 May, with a play‑off scheduled for 29–30 May. A winter break is slated from 21 December to 3 January, giving players a brief respite. Sky Sports’ mobile app now offers vertical video highlights, comprehensive match centres with live scores and statistics, and free access to all fans.
Full‑match highlights for every WSL game will continue to be available on the Sky Sports website and app at no cost. Moreover, the broadcaster has launched a dedicated WSL YouTube channel, the exclusive home for live streams of selected games, match highlights, player interviews, and behind‑the‑scenes content that showcases the league’s biggest personalities. Overall, Sky Sports will broadcast over 1,500 live matches across the Premier League, the English Football League, the Women’s Super League, and the Scottish Premiership in the 2026/27 season, including 215 Premier League fixtures shown exclusively on the network. With the return of the iconic Super Sunday 4:30 pm slot and expanded Friday and Monday night coverage, Sky Sports aims to deliver the most compelling football moments from the opening whistle to the final word of each weekend.