Leicester and Liverpool locked in tense race to avoid WSL relegation playoff

The state of play at the top of Women’s Super League, with Manchester City 11 points clear of second-placed Manchester United, means jeopardy has to be found elsewhere.

There is excitement to be had in the likely scenario of a different name on the WSL trophy for the first time in seven years, but at this point we are watching a procession rather than a battle, despite Arsenal’s impressive 1-0 win over City last weekend.

The race for the third Champions League spot presents a bit of a peril but with familiar faces in contention there is little thrill to be had.

It is at the foot of the table where things are far more interesting, with five points separating bottom-placed Leicester, who have a game in hand over those above them, and Everton in ninth. Opinion on who is likely to finish 12th changes daily.

There is a hefty caveat to the threat for those sweating at the bottom, with next season’s league expansion meaning no team face an automatic drop. Instead, 12th will face a playoff against the third-placed team in WSL2 for a chance to remain in the top division.

Upsets in women’s football are rare. With professionalism in its infancy, a WSL team are less likely to lose to a second-tier club than a fifth-tier men’s side are to beat Premier League opponents. The chances of a WSL2 team beating the WSL’s worst side have historically been slim. However, with investment in WSL2 on the rise, three promotion places having proved an enticing carrot, a playoff fixture that previously would have been a foregone conclusion could be quite competitive.

As it stands, that WSL2 team would be Bristol City, with their fresh investment from Mercury 13, but they have Crystal Palace, Newcastle and Southampton on their heels, Newcastle with a game in hand. Charlton, the leaders, and Birmingham fill the top two places. None of those teams would be easy to beat, particularly after a bruising season and its impact on the morale of the lowest WSL side.

This weekend has already begun badly for Leicester after their 6-0 Friday-night mauling at City. Liverpool, just one place above the Foxes, take a daunting trip to Chelsea. Gareth Taylor’s side drew with the champions in the reverse fixture but the 9-1 revenge of the Blues in their League Cup quarter-final speaks to the eradication of any complacency.

Concerns for Liverpool have lessened a little after a strong January on and off the pitch, with Taylor named WSL manager of the month and four permanent signings and three loanees coming through the door, including Denise O’Sullivan from North Carolina Courage and the goalkeeper Jennifer Falk on loan from Häcken. Taylor has a bigger and better squad, in theory enough to keep them in the league. After this weekend they have their best opportunity to pick up the points needed to secure WSL survival, with Leicester, Brighton, Everton and West Ham their opponents before tough matches against Manchester City and Arsenal conclude their season.

For Leicester things are less rosy. The team are winless in 2026 and have scored only one goal, in a 2-1 loss to West Ham. The showdown against Liverpool on 15 March could have a huge say in where both teams finish. Rick Passmore’s side looked good in their 2-0 loss to Manchester United and caused the Champions League side real problems but, despite five signings in January, climbing off the bottom looks a big ask.

Everton host West Ham on Sunday with a chance to pull away. Both teams are in good form, the Hammers having come from two goals down against Brighton to secure a thrilling 3-2 win in the final eight minutes of last Sunday’s game. Before that came a narrow loss to Tottenham and a win over Leicester.

Their manager, Rita Guarino, appointed at the start of the winter break, has six points from a possible 12, more than half of their tally of 11. Three of Shekiera Martinez’s six goals have come in the past three games and there is energy to their play. There is no doubt the exit of Rehanne Skinner and fresh eyes of Guarino have made a difference. Despite Skinner operating for much of her tenure with both hands tied behind her back through a lack of meaningful support from the club, eventually the toll of that causes fractures. New players also help shift a spiralling mood, and the January recruitment of Ria Bose from Sporting Tuva Hansen from Bayern Munich, Ylinn Tennebø from Vålerenga and loan deals for Juventus’s Estelle Cascarino and Katie Zelem from London City Lionesses have contributed to the quality on the pitch and the dynamics and morale off it.

Everton’s turnaround has been less easy to pinpoint. The manager Brian Sørensen’s departure the day after their first home win was unusual timing, with the transfer window also in the rear-view mirror. Scott Phelan has come across from Everton’s Under-18s to take interim charge and earned a surprise win over London City in his first game, putting the club in a strong position. However, with only three loan additions in January (Hannah Blundell from Manchester United, Laila Harbert from Arsenal and Zara Kramzar from Roma) and others around them having recruited well, whether they will be able to maintain this new wind is the big question.

It is impossible to say who is likely to finish bottom and that is what makes this a race to watch.

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