By Rachael Fay, Second Year, Film and English
Barclays FA Women's Super League (WSL) is the top league in English domestic football. Under the WSL, the 15th edition of the League Cup Final will be taking place on Mother's Day at Bristol's own Ashton Gate Stadium, home to the Bristol City football and the Bristol Bears rugby teams. It will also be broadcast live on BBC One.
I'm so proud to be part of a city that continues to host major events in women's sport on the international stage and now the highest-level domestic football. Ashton Gate has hosted the Lionesses three times, the Red Roses twice in their World Cup campaign, including the semi-finals and quarter-finals last September. Ashton Gate is also included in England's 2035 FIFA Women's World Cup bid.
As the build-up to the final begins, Bristol is buzzing. Manchester United and Chelsea are set to go head-to-head in the Subway League Cup final this March. Some of the best footballers in the world will be heading to Bristol: big names including Chelsea's Lucy Bronze, Hannah Hampton, Millie Bright and United's Jess Park and Ella Toone.
I have secured front-row seats to this incredible final and am ready to see the WSL's top players at their best. The South Side of Ashton Gate Stadium will be buzzing now the WSL Fan Zone, alive with a DJ, photo oppurtunities with the League Cup and the mascots, face painting, programmes and filled with excited Man United and Chelsea fans (and me - a disgruntled Gunner). As a part of the WSL's Fan Choice trial, for the first time, fans will be allowed to drink in view of the pitch in a bid to draw the culture of the women's game to the men's, placing more trust in the fans.
The WSL hosts two trophies: the Women's Super League Trophy and the League Cup, two of the domestic treble, which includes the FA Cup. Chelsea completed the domestic treble last season, and, if successful in this final, will have won the League Cup seven times in total.
The team with the most points on the WSL scoresheet lifts the Women’s Super League trophy: we can be confident that Manchester City have won the race for top of the league, being 15 points clear of Manchester United, who are sitting in second place as of the time of publication. However, City were knocked out by Chelsea in the League Cup semi-finals, and Arsenal were knocked out by Manchester United (a personal tragedy for me).
First, second and third place in the WSL qualify for next season’s Champions League - the top club competition in Europe. It is safe to say that City are going to win the league. However, City have not qualified for the upcoming Champions League, whose quarter-finals kick off in April after finishing 4th last season. Now we are going into the International break as the international teams get ready for the World Cup Qualifiers and the Asian Cup, so the leaderboard will not change until play resumes on 15th March.
This WSL season has seen incredible growth from many of the teams: after the Christmas break, Liverpool had its first WSL win this season against Tottenham Hotspur, after a rocky start to the season. So many smaller clubs have done better in the table rankings this season. There have even been conversations about Spurs winning one of the European spots available, and although they might not get there, the fact that they are in those conversations is very exciting and speaks volumes to this new, reignited and energised side we have seen this season. Women's club football is growing constantly, and the fight for the top of the scoresheet becomes more intense as each WSL match passes.
The History of WSL
The WSL has been constantly evolving since its birth in 2o1o and the standard for the league rises with its evolution. The League Cup edition under the WSL has been played since 2011. When the WSL started, the players were only semi-professional. WSL 2 was introduced in 2015, and WSL 1 expanded to a 10-team league. For the 2018-19 season, the league became fully professional with 12 clubs now competing:
- Arsenal
- Aston Villa
- Brighton & Hove Albion
- Chelsea
- Everton
- Leicester City
- Liverpool
- London City Lionesses
- Manchester City
- Manchester United
- Tottenham Hotspur
- West Ham United
Next season, the WSL is expanding to 14 clubs, so the top two teams from WSL 2 will be promoted to WSL 1. However, the BBC reported in 2023 that some players are still earning as little as £20,000 a year. In a monumental moment for women's professional football, it was announced by WSL Football in September 2025 that minimum salaries are going to be introduced for both WSL and WSL 2 players (the top two tiers in professional football) for the first time.
After lots of conversations about the women's domestic calendar being overcrowded, it has been announced by UEFA that those who qualify for the Champions League will no longer compete for the League Cup after this season, so this final is the last time the biggest clubs in the country (such as Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Chelsea) will be competing.
This season's big signings
This season has seen a lot of big, exciting signings as the demand for women's football grows. The London City Lionesses (not to be confused with England's Lionesses) joined the other clubs competing in the WSL as the first independent team to qualify, not affiliated with a men's team. This marks a huge milestone for women's club football.
Grace Geyoro joined London City Lionesses this summer in a world record signing of £1.4m, making her the most expensive women's footballer ever, breaking this record for the third time this summer. Olivia Smith transfered to Arsenal on a £1m deal, joining Chloe Kelly, who joined Arsenal on loan from Manchester City last season and then went on to win the Champions League with them last season. Lizbeth Ovalle went to Orlando Pride on $1.5m and broke the record again. Women's football is on the up. For United, they have had one of the best transfer windows in years: signing England's incredible Jess Park at the last minute, who has been an outstanding asset to their side during their 2025/26 WSL Campaign.
The unbeatable Chelsea?
Last season, Chelsea rose victorious with a domestic treble: winning the WSL Trophy, the FA Cup and the League Cup. Chelsea have won the WSL Trophy eight times and have lifted the League Cup three times. They have now reached their seventh consecutive Women's League Cup final. In the previous 17 meetings, United have only won once against Chelsea. On 22nd February 2026 in the FA Cup at Kingsmeadow, Chelsea beat United 2-1. Chelsea will also be hoping to reclaim their League Cup crown, bidding to reclaim their treble title.
However, this season, Chelsea have faced a lot of criticism after consecutive messy performances after the Christmas break, losing to Arsenal and Manchester City. Instead, it is Manchester City who have had the strongest season.
It is everything to play for - the first final of a domestic football tournament of 2026. Bristol is ready.
Will you be heading down to Ashton Gate to watch?
Featured image: Instagram / Barclays WSL
