LONDON CITY LIONESSES OPEN 2026-27 SEASON AGAINST MANCHESTER UNITED

London City Lionesses will begin the 2026-27 Women's Super League season against Manchester United on Friday 4 September. The big-spending club, owned by Michelle Kang, will host United at Hayes Lane in the opening fixture. The match will mark the return of goalkeeper Mary Earps to the WSL after two years with Paris Saint-Germain. Earps will face her former club in what becomes her debut for London City Lionesses.

London City Lionesses have made significant signings this summer, recruiting both Earps and two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas. Defending champions Manchester City will begin their title defence against newly-promoted Birmingham City on the same opening weekend. The WSL has expanded to 14 teams for the first time, with Birmingham, Charlton and Crystal Palace all promoted to the top flight. The fixture list required 1.5 billion scheduling iterations to accommodate stadium availability and broadcast windows across the Premier League, EFL, men's National League, FA Cups, League Cup and Champions League competitions.

Other opening-weekend fixtures include Arsenal against Brighton, Tottenham hosting West Ham, and Chelsea welcoming Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge. Charlton will play Liverpool at home, whilst Crystal Palace mark their return to the WSL against Everton. The WSL2 season will begin with Watford hosting Burnley at Vicarage Road.