Aston Villa's Natalia Arroyo becomes the WSL's first managerial casualty of the season after a disappointing start for the Villian's which see them sat in 13th place with just 2 points.

Whilst many fans have been focusing on the issues at clubs like Manchester United & Arsenal it has been easy to pass over other clubs who might not be performing as well as expected and it is Villa that have become the first club to look for a change in management, much to some fans surprise. 

Arroyo was appointed back in January 2025 and led the club to a 9th place finish last season, a few positions down from their 6th place finish in the 24/25 season (although the points margin was just a 5 point difference). This season though just doesn't seem to have gone to plan for the side with them picking up just 2 points from their first 4 games. 

The summer saw plenty of movement for Villa with 5 departures due to contracts ending and the loss of Kirsty Hanson to Tottenham Hotspur, they did however, bring in 8 new players from various teams across Europe who just haven't hit the ground running yet. Add into the mix club captain Rachel Daly being unavailable for the foreseeable due to her recent pregnancy announcement and a whole host of players carrying injuries who would usual be in the match day squad Arroyo's choices have been very limited and the squad she has had to work with may not be as strong as she had expected come the end of the transfer window.

Ultimately though the decision has been made very early on in the season that a change in the dugout is needed and this way at least it gives a new manager a chance to see what they have before the January transfer window when changes may be required player wise. There is plenty of opportunity for someone to come in make the team their own and hopefully change the fate for Villa this season. 

The club are on the hunt for a replacement but in the mean time Brian Sorensen (women's technical advisor) will be taking charge of the team. 

Will we see things change for the team or is the settling in period for a new manager going to take a while? Either way the club will just be hoping that they can soon start picking up points and get away from the drop zone.

Is Arroyo's departure going to be the only managerial departure before Christmas? With plenty of teams not performing as you may expect anything could happen this season.

The latest Lionesses squad is in and it is looking a little different than usual. Today's announcement sees Sarina Wiegman name her squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifying matches next month vs Greece. The 23 player squad will be hoping to win the two legged tie to progress to round 2 of the play-offs where they will compete for a spot at next years World Cup in Brazil. 

Noticeably missing from the squad is Ella Toone, Chloe Kelly & Aggie Beever-Jones. In place though we see Lexi Potter gaining her first call up for the senior team who has impressed so far this season for Chelsea. 18 year old Erica Meg Parkinson of the North Carolina Courage in the NWSL has also earnt a call up after impressing since joining the courage in the Summer. It is nice to see new names coming into a squad that until recently we have seen the same names called up over and over again. 

Looking at the defence it is nice to see a strong backline announced however, with Charles only playing her first game of the season last weekend are we relying too much on her too soon? I guess only time will tell. The full back positions are where the Lionesses often get caught out but could we see Greenwood over on the left and maybe Le Tissier in the middle getting the game time she deserves for her country? Uncapped Liverpool defender Fisk will also be wanting to make a name for herself so will we see her pick up her first cap for the senior team in this round of fixtures? Defence is what has let the Lionesses down the past few games and has changed a fair bit since their latest Euro win due to injuries and retirements so hopefully these next two games will show that the defensive line is looking stronger and that the players picked can communicate better than they have been doing especially looking back at their last game vs Spain when nothing seemed to be going right for them. 

In terms of the midfield for this round of fixtures the midfield options are a bit short however, there is plenty of quality on there. Blinkilde Brown has had a great start to the season at City so can she continue this in the qualifiers? Hopefully she gets the chance to prove herself with a good amount of game time. Potter is another one who we hope to see get some game time as she is really becoming a standout at Chelsea and has the potential to really make an impact on the Lionesses team. 

Looking at the attacking options this camp you would like to think that plenty of goals are going to be scored this camp however, only time will tell. Hemp has had an absolutely fantastic start to this season and hopefully she brings that across to the Lionesses as not only is she capable of getting the goals she can also provide plenty of assists. Hopefully we get to see Russo in her more natural role for the Lionesses too in the hopes of seeing her picking up her confidence after a bit of a rough start for Arsenal this season. Maybe a goal will help kickstart her season into another level and provide that boost that she can carry into performances for both club & country going forward. Hopefully we get to see Godfrey on the pitch in these fixtures too as we have all seen what she is capable of at London City Lionesses and she can really help push for goals for the Lionesses vs Greece and like Hemp she is more than capable of providing the assists too.

So here is how the squad for these games is currently looking...

Goalkeepers

Hannah Hampton - Chelsea

Khiara Keating - Liverpool

Anna Moorhouse - Manchester City (on loan from Orlando City) 

Defenders

Lucy Bronze - Chelsea

Jess Carter - Gotham FC

Niamh Charles - Manchester City 

Grace Fisk - Liverpool 

Alex Greenwood - Manchester City 

Maya Le Tissier - Manchester United

Esme Morgan - Washington Spirit

Leah Williamson - Arsenal 

Midfielders 

Laura Blinkilde Brown - Manchester City

Lucia Kendall - Aston Villa

Erica Meg Parkinson - North Carolina Courage

Lexi Potter - Chelsea

Georgia - Stanway - Arsenal

Keira Walsh - Chelsea

Forwards 

Freya Godfrey - London City Lionesses 

Lauren Hemp - Manchester City 

Lauren James - Chelsea

Beth Mead - Manchester City

Jess Park - Manchester United

Alessia Russo - Arsenal

It is going to be interesting to see if there are any changes due to injury in the run up to camp starting and who would be brought in as replacement if needed. This squad certainly has the potential to push the Lionesses to the next round of qualifying though so let's see how it plays out. The Lionesses take on Greece in Heraklion on Friday the 9th of October before playing the second leg at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday the 13th of October. 

Who will be one step closer to Brazil 2027? 

 

The WSL is finally back and this season it is bigger and better due to the leagues expansion. This season sees 14 teams in the league and plenty of exciting players joining thanks to a pretty impressive transfer window. It feels like forever ago that we saw Manchester City lift their first title in 10 years, can we see them lift another trophy this season? Only time will tell. Here is a look at this weekends fixtures...

London City Lionesses vs Manchester United

The season is kicking off with one of the teams all eyes are on this season... London City Lionesses. London City have invested heavily this season with them most noticeably bringing in Alexia Putellas from Barcelona, one of the biggest names in the game currently, are we going to see her help her team to their first 3 points of the campaign tonight and show what they are capable of or are we going to see a team now full of big names that need to learn to play together to maximise their full potential? As for their opponents Manchester United we have seen a lot of change for them this off season too with a managerial departure, plenty of players departing and maybe not as many incomings as we expected. This game is going to be a great one for neutral fans so let's see how it plays out.

Chelsea vs Aston Villa

Last season didn't go to plan for either of these teams so they will be coming out with a point to prove this season I am sure. Chelsea have made some strong signings this season and could we see Malard on the scoresheet in her first league game for the club? Chelsea finished 3rd last season and will be wanting to hit the ground running to improve on the ASAP as we all know how tight it can be at the top of the table each season. As for Aston Villa they ended up in the 9th position last season and will be really wanting to prove they can do better but are up against a big test vs Chelsea for their first game. We have seen Villa cause upsets before can they do it again on the opening weekend?

Brighton vs Arsenal

Brighton are one of those teams that just seem to be hovering midtable year after year but could we see this change? Towards the end of last season we saw Brighton really hit a good run of form and saw them cause plenty of obstacles in the title race and they open their campaign against Arsenal, a team they had mixed results against last season. With both these teams bringing in plenty of players but losing a few too we are going to be in for an interesting game which could go either way, again a game perfect for neutral but one that may have fans of either of these teams on the edge of their seats. The question is how will Brighton recently losing their manager effect them for their opening game?

Tottenham vs West Ham

West Ham struggled last season and we didn't see anywhere near the best from them however, they have really invested this off season and it is possible we are going to see them improve on their 10th place finish last season if the team settles down quickly. This should be a good test for both these teams and it should show others what they are going to be capable of. Tottenham have had a fair few ins and outs so again it is going to be interesting to see how those newcomers impact the overall performance.

Crystal Palace vs Everton

Everton has finished 8th in the past 3 seasons so they will be wanting to be hitting the ground running this season to try finish above previous seasons. We have seen that they can often take a while to start picking up the points however, with the summer signings could we see them start the campaign on the right note? Their opponents are Crystal Palace newly promoted back to the WSL. Palace didn't have a good time in their last WSL appearance however, this summer they have added to their ranks, most notably getting Bethany England into the squad. Could we see England get her new team those vital points on opening weekend?

Charlton vs Liverpool 

Newcomers Charlton are hosting Liverpool this weekend, can they pick up their first 3 points of WSL life or will Liverpool spoil the party? Both these teams have lost a fair few players for this season but have also added a few to their ranks but are any of the newcomers going to provide an instant impact? Only time will tell but it is safe to say Charlton will be out there wanting to prove their place in the WSL after playoff victory last season. There may not be a lot of outsiders backing Charlton to do well this season so will they be proving people wrong in week one or will Liverpool show them what top flight football is all about?

Manchester City vs Birmingham

Birmingham possibly have the biggest game of all the newcomers as they head to the Joie Stadium to face the title holders but can they provide the biggest upset of the weekend? Birmingham will be wanting to make their mark on the league early on whilst Manchester City will be wanting to prove they are going to do everything possible to retain their title. Manchester City have been hit by plenty of injuries for the start of the season however, they have shown time after time their squad depth holds plenty of talent for when those injuries hit so will some big names missing be as troublesome for the team as people are making out? This game has the potential to be a high scorer or an upset so which way will it end up going?

Are we going to see any upsets in week one? I guess only time will tell but with it being the opening weekend and teams still getting used to each other anything could happen! Here at Edge of the Area we are so glad the league is back and we are looking forward to covering it throughout the course of the season. Get used to previews, wrap ups and so much more WSL content. 

It is safe to say the transfer window is in full swing and we have seen some fantastic moves across the top flight already. Teams are really looking to build upon previous years and we are seeing some silly money being paid to ensure the teams are getting those players they really think are going to help them improve on last seasons campaign. Some teams have also lost some of their key players to the NWSL after long periods of service, it is safe to say there is a lot of change all round in the league for the upcoming season which is going to be exciting to see how teams cope with those previously key players moving on. 

There has already been some great transfers take place across the league and here are my top 5 so far...

From : Manchester City To : Aston Villa (Season long loan) 

Injury seemed to hinder Murphy's game time in Manchester City's league winning campaign last season so the loan move definitely makes a lot of sense. At just 20 year old Murphy is already showing a lot of potential however, with game time hard to come by at City the chance to play in a competitive Villa side is going to be super beneficial for her career progressing. City must see the potential in Murphy with this being a loan move, sending her out for valuable game time and experience rather than just selling her. Playing in the left wing position we have seen in the past just how much impact Murphy can have on the team both in attack and defence and I believe we can see Murphy become a key part of the Villa team for the upcoming season.

From : Chelsea To : Manchester City   

After the departure of Ouahabi at the end of last season a lot of people were left wondering who would fill the left back role, Katie McCabe's name was thrown around a lot however, after her signing for Chelsea this put Charles in the prime position for the move up north. This was quite a funny move with how it all played out, first you had the fans speculation, then her name was added to the players section on shirts to buy, it was quickly removed... then weeks later the announcement finally came. It is going to be interesting to see how Charles settles in up north and how she can help City retain their title. We know from her time at Chelsea and from her time in the England shirt she can provide the team with plenty of opportunities and can get back and put those all important challenges in so let's see how the season plays out for her. 

From : Manchester United To : Birmingham City

Birmingham are finally back in the top flight of English women's football and they are working on building a team to keep them up there beyond the 2026/27 season. The addition of Turner to the back line is going to massively help with the defensive aspect of their game whilst giving them a chance at scoring from set pieces. The move shocked a lot of people as Turner has been with United since day 1 however, last season things just didn't work out between player and club with Turner not getting the game time she deserved. There is definitely things going on at United that are going to impact the women's team in the long run but that is a whole post in itself, Birmingham are definitely capitalising on these issues at United though as they have got a solid defender who maybe if times weren't challenging wouldn't have been wanting the move. Turner is one of those players who gives it their all each game and could this move see her finally getting those England call ups she definitely deserves?

From : Tottenham Hotspur To : Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace have got themselves an absolutely brilliant player in Beth England who has shown that she still has plenty to give in the WSL. Palace will be hoping to avoid the drop in their first season back and with a proven goal scorer like England they are definitely improving their chances of staying in the top flight beyond the 26/27 season. England has a great footballing brain and I feel like we could see some standout performances from her throughout the season as she cements her place in her new team. Palace are definitely learning from past mistakes from previous promotions and it is going to be great to see how England helps push Palace to a solid season back in the WSL.

From Manchester United To : Chelsea

Chelsea lost Sam Kerr at the end of last season and needed to find a replacement and one player they have picked up to help with reinforcements is Malard from Manchester United. This move seemed to shock a lot of people as it seemed to come out of nowhere but looking back now it seemed to be a move that really brought the troubles at Manchester United into focus for people. Chelsea didn't cheap out on this purchase and if played in the correct position Malard could really become a valuable asset in Chelsea's push to get back to the top spot after a disappointing season last time around. United never seemed to utilise Malard to her full potential so it is possible that we may see Malard's best season in the league under Bompastor's management. This is definitely one to keep an eye on to see how the season progresses with Malard up front for Chelsea could we see her scoring more goals in her first season with Chelsea than she scored in a United shirt?

Those are the top 5 picks of the transfer window so far however, with plenty of the window left to go there is a strong possibility we could see a lot more movement before the start of the season. Keep an eye on the site as once the transfer window has ended there will be a whole new post where we look at the best transfers for every WSL team. There are also plenty of other transfer posts coming looking at the WSL2 & other leagues. If the transfers we have already had are anything to go by then we are going to be in for a very interesting and competitive season.

What are your top 5 transfers so far this transfer window for the WSL? 

Finally the 2026/27 is upon us and it is safe to say here at Edge of the Area I am are ready to make this season my biggest yet. The past few seasons have been spent on the pitch however, the boots were hung up at the start of the year and I am already to bring the site back to what it once was and beyond. 

The 2026/27 is going to see me heading back to where it all started... Bradford City Women, which means that the team may be a big focus on the site although the plan is also to add plenty of WSL content into the mix alongside the Lionesses content I used to love posting. The FAWNL & WSL are going to be the big focuses however, I am going to try my best to also keep up with all the cup competitions too, something I haven't been able to due to commitment clashes in the past. 

So here is a bit of a break down of what you can expect over here for the 2026/27 season...

Match Previews

These were a firm favourite when I did them in the past, just looking at matches ahead especially when they were derby days. So the plan for the season is to do at least one match preview a week, maybe a WSL game and a Bradford City Women game or even a Bradford City Women game and a few WSL games, I just need to find a way to do these especially when it comes to the WSL. I am hoping to do midweek games too rather than just weekends to keep content flowing.

Match Reports

Match reports are always my favourites and are where it all started for Edge of the Area so it is only right these make a comeback. The plan for the season is a report on all the games I watch... whether it is a Bradford City game in person or a WSL on TV the site is going to be filled with match reports by the end of the season.

Interviews

The interviews are back and I already have plenty of them lined up to kick start the season. I am hoping that there will be an interview piece go up each month but we shall see how that one goes. The interviews will be with people from all levels of the game so keep your eyes out for who I chat to throughout the season.

Opinion Pieces

Back in 2020 opinion pieces were a big part of the site due to me being unable to attend games and then they just dropped off into the background. This season though they are back and the plan is to have one opinion piece going up each week which could literally be about anything, maybe what has happened during the weekends matches, transfers or so much more.

Football shirts

It is no secret that I absolutely love football shirts as they have always been a big part of the site and social media so there is definitely going to be a lot of football shirt content coming this season which means I can add more into my collection whilst claiming 'it's for content'. I need to work out a plan of what sort of football shirt content to add but there will be plenty over the course of the season.

Fact Files

Fact files are something I have wanted to do for the longest time on here however, I have never really had time to piece these together as they do take a lot of work to put together with research, fact checking and so much more. I am hoping to do a few fact files each month as I know that with everything else going on one a week may be a tough ask but this could be the start of something for sure.

The site is so back which means that the busy weekends and late nights are back but it is all going to be worth it and I am super excited to be back creating for Edge of the Area once more. Now let's see what the season has in store.

 

We recently saw the 3rd installment of the World Sevens Football series in Brentford and it is safe to say that the tournament was a hit bring a different side of the Women's game to England. The 3rd installment brought the World Seven's to England for the first time with WSL teams previously heading out to Portugal to attend the tournament against teams from various different leagues, this time though with the tournament on home soil the focus was on the 2025/26 WSL teams where 8 of them stepped up for the 3 day fast paced action. Originally the thought of seeing these teams face each other again after watching a season of match ups didn't appeal however, after one game it was clear that this was going to be totally different.

With these games being 7 a side on a much smaller pitch the game was a much faster pace to normal with players not having as much space and as much time on the ball as usually. Games were also just 30 minutes each with 15 minutes being played each half, so a lot needed to happen in a short period and they definitely made the minutes count with some very high scoring games. What was also interesting was to see how players coped with the smaller goals, again a noticeable difference from the usual league games but the players seemed to cope well with all the changes. There were also rolling subs in the tournament which again was great to watch. All the substitutes would be lined up at the side of the pitch holding bibs to swap in and out easily, sometimes just one or two would run off however, sometimes it was a whole outfield change... it was a bit like watching the ice hockey with this element but it had you keeping your eyes on the pitch at all times to see who was on or off. At the end of the game if it was a draw the teams dropped to 5 a side until a winner was determined, making it harder for teams as a bit more space was created but again it was still very fun to watch.

It was great to see how players adapted to the smaller sided games however, it was outside of the games that seemed to capture the audiences. The whole tournament had a great atmosphere in the stands, a DJ was playing throughout and even in breaks of play you saw the players having a little dance a long, just a bit of fun after a long season. The atmosphere never dropped and only seemed to get better and better as the competition progressed. The real highlight of the tournament though was the walkouts from teams before the games. This really got everyone involved and there really should have been added points for the best walkouts, each team got creative and as the competition progressed you could see players getting more comfortable with the antics. We had Sonia Bompastor being held in the air by the Chelsea team, Marc Skinner being Bad Bunny with the team and staff dancing alongside him & then you had plenty of acrobatics. Possibly the best walkout though was Everton's funeral with Hannah Blundell in a coffin (a suitcase) pop out in a Man Utd shirt before switching to an Everton shirt who she was actually representing in the Seven's, what made this great was this happened as they played against Man Utd who all laughed along with the walkout. It was great to see whole teams coming together having fun, even the referees got involved which was brilliant to see a different side to them on the pitch.

The best way to describe the Seven's is that is was a bit like on of those preseason tournaments you take part in as a kid, where you spend all day on and off the pitch having a laugh with your teammates, it was a breathe of fresh air really to see the fun side of the game come back for a few days and see those players really enjoying themselves. The tournament seems to have reached a new audience too granted a few people were a bit outspoken about it making a mockery of the game and why women shouldn't be treated the same however, a lot of people saw the intent of the tournament for what it was and really got on board with it. People who normally have nothing to do with the women's game were actually sharing content like the walkouts saying how fun it looked. I feel like whilst Chelsea may have been the overall competition winner it was the format that was the overall winner bringing in a good audience thanks to social media and Sky's coverage. 

Going forward it really would be great if we could get this tournament over in England more often, maybe yearly but have it in different places each year to get more of the country involved. That been said the countdown is already on for the next installment.

Foudy's are once again proving how committed they are in helping grow the women's game with their brand new store opening on Deansgate, Manchester on June 25th. 

Since being founded in 2020 Foudy's have been true pioneers of the women's game and this store opening just goes to show how they have progressed since the company started. From online to a physical store, this just shows how passionate the company are to get the women's merchandise out there as all us fans know, it isn't always easy to get our hands on merchandise for the women's team with the men's always being the main priority in major stores. When the store opens on the 25th of June fans will be able to walk in and get their new shirts with their favourite players name on the back in the correct font not having to settle for generic club name-sets or being fobbed off with the Premier League font, an all important step in getting the representation increased going forward. Female players will also be able to get their hands on boots for their own matches whilst there will also be some football related fashion available to purchase. Foudy's are also the only place in the UK where you are able to get official NWSL merchandise so this store is going to open a new league to a whole new fan base.

A huge selling point for the store though is that it is going to have an event space, somewhere for the women's football community to build and expand with hopefully some great events taking place to bring new and old fans together under one roof. Community is a huge part of the women's game so to have a space in a store for fans from all clubs to mix is going to be brilliant and it is going to be great to see what sort of events the store holds in the future.

In the stores announcement Foudy's said 'For far too long, women's football has been unreserved in sports retail. We're building a space that reflects the scale, ambition, and future of the women's game.' I think from the announcement it is safe to say Foudy's are going to go all in on making this the space every women's football fan has wished for and with it being the worlds first dedicated women's football store this will hopefully only be the beginning of the women's game being pushed out more in the physical retail space. Foudy's are really paving the way for others to follow however, hopefully this is only the beginning for the Foudy's physical stores and who knows maybe one day we could see different stores all over the country in the future. 

This is exactly what the fans need and it has been long overdue so thank you Foudy's for taking that first step and give the fans what they need to feel included within the game. 

Foudy's are hoping to open the store at 293 Deansgate, Manchester on the 25th of June 2026, keep an eye on their Instagram to keep up to date with how the progress of the store is going.

The WSL is finally back this weekend and we are in the business end of the season with only a handful of games left to play for each team. It is all to play for at the top of the table for those all important Champions League spots whilst at the bottom of the table it is all to play for in the fight for survival. Some teams have games to catch up on whilst others know exactly where they stand for the best outcome of their season. This weekend sees some great games which are...

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester City 

Manchester City need just 5 points to win their first league title in 10 years so 3 points from Brighton would be ideal. We have already seen Brighton cause an upset recently though when they knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup so could be seeing another upset and them put a pause on any league celebrations when Man City play their final home game next weekend? This one is certainly going to be a good watch.

Everton vs Chelsea

This is bound to be another good match up as Chelsea push for 3 points to gain a bit of an advantage in those Champions League spots. It is tight between 2nd and 4th place and with Arsenal having games in hand every point counts. Everton are a team that could cause an upset though and with nothing to lose they will definitely not be sitting back, they will put up a fight.

London City Lionesses vs Leicester City

A win for London City Lionesses could really push Leicester further into the danger zone if the results around them don't go their way. Neither of these teams have had the season they have expected and with injuries it feels like this could be a closely contested game which could be good for neutrals to tune into. Leicester really need to be pushing for all 3 points from this game to try avoid that play off game for safety.

Tottenham vs Manchester United

Tottenham don't have much to play for now this season however, they have proved they can create upsets and are not a team to be taken lightly where as Manchester United have it all to play for. With them being just 2 points away from 2nd place Chelsea and Arsenal having those games in hand a win for United will keep the push for Champions League football alive, they will certainly be hoping for a Chelsea slip up too. This game will definitely be a good one for neutrals as Tottenham won't sit back whilst Manchester United have a lot to play for.

Liverpool vs West Ham

This game is a big one for the bottom of the table. A win for West Ham will leave them just a point below Liverpool with some big games still to play to keep pushing away from Leicester who are currently close to relegation (via a play off game). Liverpool will want to make sure they are pushing further away from the bottom spot just to prove their season hasn't been a total right off. Again as we approach the end of the season this should be a good watch.

Arsenal's game has once again been rearranged as they have progressed to the next round of the Champions League which means they have plenty of games in hand and those are all going to be squeezed in over the next few weeks. The season may be coming to a close however, the action is certainly not slowing down. With plenty of games to watch and a lot still to play for this weekend should be a great one. 

Back when I started watching the NWSL there were only 8 teams in the league flash forward to this season and thanks to the latest expansion there are now 16 teams competing in the league which shows the massive growth of women's football within the country. With the addition of more teams we should be seeing an even more competitive league, something that keeps on improving season after season. With some leagues across the globe you see one team constantly running away with the league (Chelsea we are looking at you) however, the NWSL really does have an air of unpredictability around it. We have seen over the years how easily the league can change week after week plus with the NWSL we get the added bonus of once the league ends the play-offs of the top teams starting. Therefore you might win the league but you might not win the Championship, adding even more entertainment for the fans. 

Looking ahead to this season we should be in for another action packed league with teams adding to their roster in the off season whilst also retaining some of the standouts from last season. Unfortunately over the past few years due to timings and licensing I haven't got to watch anywhere near as much of the league as I would have liked but this changes this season. The plan is to really delve into the world of the NWSL this season so what better way to start than to do our predictions before the kick off. With me not knowing much from the past couple of seasons this is a bit of a shot in the dark in terms of where I think teams will be finishing as it is mainly based off highlights I have seen & moves made in the transfer window. So here are my predictions at the start of the season...

As I say with me not following the league as closely these could really be way off but with the start of any season things could go either way as teams need to settle new recruits and get to the correct standard that coaches expect from them. After seeing Gotham in the recent Women's Champions Cup I think they could just about pip the other teams to winning the league but I feel as though it could be a close call with not many points in it. Down at the other end of the table I think the Royals could end up struggling but it really is all to play for.

I am really looking forward to seeing how this season plays out as I should be able to watch so many more games over the course of the season due to the timings being better for us UK fans and the NWSL + showing them all. With the WSL running down to the business end of the season the addition of the NWSL just means women's football is going to be on the TV all year round which is perfect for our household. 

I can't wait to get stuck into the league and create plenty of content around the upcoming season, it really does feel like I am going back to my roots by delving into the league so let's see how it all plays out. Will these predictions be way off or will I have got a few right? I guess we will find out at the start of November before those all important playoffs begin. 

How do you think the league will look by the end of the season?

Here we go the 2026 NWSL is almost ready to kick off and it is safe to say here at Edge of the Area we are excited to delve into the NWSL world once more. What better way to kick off the 2026 coverage than with a post about our top 10 favourite shirts (or jerseys) for the upcoming season. It is no secret that we love a good shirt and the NWSL clubs this year have pulled it out of the bag with some brilliant designs which some may find questionable whilst we actually like how unique they are. What we like is how most of the shirts have meaning behind them not just some random template design you often see these days. 

It was quite difficult to narrow this list down to our final placements and some great shirts have missed out however, here are our top 10 shirts for this season...

10. North Carolina Courage Away

9. Bay FC Third

8. Racing Louisville Third

7. Chicago Stars Home

6. Angel City Home

5. Portland Thorns Home

4. Kansas City Current Third

3. Orlando Pride Home

2. Utah Royals Third

1. Orlando Pride Away

So there you have it those are our top 10 shirts for this seasons NWSL season. What we are loving the most though is that due to Foudy's here in the UK it is much easier to get our hands on the shirts at long last, no paying silly shipping and customs charges like we once had to. I guess this could be a bit of a dangerous thing for us too as we love to grow out football shirt collection with our favourites. At least one of these shirts is going to be purchased to add into the collection but it wouldn't be a surprise if over time even more get added. 

Which shirt is your favourite for this upcoming NWSL season?

 

Last night Arsenal took on AS FAR in their first game of the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup which just so happened to be the semi-final of the competition, with the winner going on to play Corinthians in the final on Sunday after their earlier 1-0 win over Gotham FC.

This game was one we didn't really know what to expect as we didn't know much about AS FAR but it is safe to say Arsenal showed us just what they were capable of running away with the game finishing 6-0 winners to book their place in Sunday's final.

It took Arsenal just 8 minutes to get their first goal of the night, a brilliantly worked corner found its way back to Blackstenius who headed the ball towards goal. At first it looked like AS FAR managed to defend the header well and clear the ball off the line however, thanks to the technology used in the game it was found that the ball had crossed the line and Arsenal were in the lead.

Just 4 minutes later Maanum doubled the lead with a brilliant strike on the turn from close range. This came from yet another great cross into the box and Smith setting the ball up nicely for Maanum to take the strike with some real power. In the 19th minute it looked like Arsenal were going to get their first however, a deflection left the 'keeper clearing it behind for a corner. This run of play saw VAR in action for the first time though as the corner was then changed to a penalty due to the deflection coming off the AS FAR players arm, this should certainly have been picked up by the referee on the field however, luckily thanks to the addition of VAR it was given correctly as a penalty which Caldentey stepped up to take in the 21st minute and converted nicely to extend Arsenal's lead to 3.

Arsenal didn't sit back even when 3 up and had some great chance which just didn't find the back of the net, AS FAR kept pushing through and created a few chances of their own too however, there were no real threats and Arsenal were on the front foot still. All the pressure paid off in the 41st minute though when Smith extended the lead to 4-0 a great run saw her break through the defence with ease before a low drilled strike shook the back of the net. This rounded off a great first half which saw Arsenal head in to the break with a 4-0 lead through 4 different scorers. 

It was very much more of the same in the second half for Arsenal, they came out hunting for more goals not looking like they were just going to just sit back and hold their lead. In the 66th minute just 6 minutes after entering the game Russo put Arsenal 5 goals ahead. Again though they didn't sit back and 10 minutes later in the 76th minute Russo doubled her tally for the evening scoring Arsenal's last goal of the night giving them a huge 6-0 win to reach the finals on Sunday. In the second half the game seemed to flow more in the favour of it being all Arsenal as they showed everyone just what they were capable of.

Whilst this was a great win for Arsenal it also feels like it highlighted the gap in the leagues around the work and how growth is still needed for the game in some places as with it being a Champions Cup you would really have liked to see a bit of a closer contest. AS FAR did look good though when passing the ball around in some passages of play and in the first half they continued to hunt for a goal even when 4-0 down, it just seemed like they sat back a bit in the second half. 

The game really did highlight the depth in the squad for Arsenal though as they made some changes going into the game but still had a positive first half and game overall even after making changes which can sometimes disrupt the flow of the game whereas these changes just took them from strength to strength. Arsenal really used this game though to show just what they were capable of as they didn't sit back once and kept pushing to get themselves more goals rather than just defending their lead which we have seen from them in the past.

Arsenal will face Corinthians on Sunday after their win over Gotham, who is going to win the inaugural competition? We don't have long to wait.

Are we finally seeing the rise of Manchester City after watching them struggle last season?