Man City must act like champions as WSL rivals strengthen
Manchester City won the 2025-26 Women's Super League title — their first WSL crown in a decade — and also lifted the Women's FA Cup last season. They now face a strengthened field as the WSL heads into the 2026-27 campaign.
City secured the title with a game to spare and finished six points clear of second-placed Chelsea, ending Chelsea's six-year dominance of the league. The triumph was the club's first major trophy under manager Andree Jeglertz in his debut campaign in England, and the squad benefited from not participating in the Champions League, a deep roster and sustained player fitness. Captain Alex Greenwood said the players learned "How to become champions," after that run.
Manchester City have added England internationals Beth Mead and Niamh Charles to their squad, while top-scorer Khadija Shaw signed a new contract, avoiding a potential switch to Chelsea. City did lose Brazilian forward Kerolin to Barcelona, leaving the club to balance incoming reinforcements with departures as they prepare for a return to European competition and a busier fixture schedule.
Arsenal have recruited Spain full-back Ona Batlle and England midfielder Georgia Stanway, and Chelsea are aiming to respond after a disappointing campaign. Outside the traditional top four, London City Lionesses signed two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, Tottenham strengthened with Kirsty Hanson and Shekiera Martinez, and Brighton have been described as "on the rise" under manager Dario Vidosic.
Greenwood emphasised the importance of maintaining standards within the squad, saying: "Continuity is important, culture is important and the language that you use is important. When you hear the same thing often, it becomes a norm." She added: "You act like a champion and perform like one. We all locked into that last year and were fully committed."
On dealing with competitors closing the gap, Greenwood said: "I think the reaction is from the teams who have tried to get into the top four and haven't quite got there. It's amazing though. I love seeing players come to this league and want to test themselves. In my opinion, it's the best league in the world in women's football. I don't think any game you play in the WSL is easy. We'll see when the season starts how things look. I concentrate on this team and where I'm at."
Reflecting on her captaincy during the title season, Greenwood said: "It was those big moments of pressure - I was interested to see how I would handle those situations. I've been in winning teams where we've won trophies but I was captain last season so it did feel a little bit different in terms of responsibility. I really enjoyed it. I tried to embrace it as much as I could. I relied on people to help me in situations where I felt I needed it and I don't think that's a bad thing. I'm not perfect and I don't have all the answers just because I wear the armband. I did learn a lot about myself. I learned to enjoy it along the way too because it gets tense!"
City enter the new season balancing domestic title defence with a return to European football and heavier fixture demands, while Greenwood also aims to help England go far at the Women's World Cup in Brazil next summer.
