WSL Power Rankings: Manchester City aim to defend their title with Chelsea and Arsenal close behind

WSL comes to CBS Sports and Paramount+ as some of the biggest names in the women's game get set for England's season to begin Sep 2, 2026 at 12:47 pm ET • 5 min read A brand new season of the Barclays Women's Super League kicks off this weekend. The 2026-27 campaign opens with London City Lionesses hosting Manchester United on Friday in a season that has expanded from 12 clubs to 14 for the first time. Birmingham City, Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic secured promotion from WSL 2, and moving forward in Barclays WSL, the top three finishers now qualify directly for the Champions League, with the bottom club relegated outright and 13th facing a play-off against the WSL 2 runner-up.Manchester City enter the new year as defending league champions, after ending a six-year title run by Chelsea FC, and Arsenal remain a favorite to complete the league's most powerful trio. With the new season just days away, it's the perfect time to queue up some power rankings. The latest list offers a chance to comment on roster builds, squad depth, and momentum heading into matchday one. Make sure to check back as the season progresses and keep up with all the matches across CBS Sports platforms. CBS is the home of Barclays Women's Super League, and fans can watch all the latest games. Paramount+ will live stream all 183 matches each season, the most matches ever made available in the competition's newly expanded format. CBS Sports Network will additionally air one match per week, with select fixtures also broadcast on CBS Sports Golazo Network.Now onto the rankings:1. Manchester CityLast season's league winners get the honor of kicking off the power rankings. They managed to handle big offseason business by re-signing Khadija "Bunny" Shaw to a new contract, and notable additions in Beth Mead and Niamh Charles boost the roster.2. Chelsea FCThe Blues settled for third place last season, a bit of a drop considering the club's stranglehold on the league in recent years. But this is a different era for Chelsea, especially after so many player departures. Still, manager Sonia Bompastor has talent on the roster, added Katie McCabe from Arsenal, but there's little room for errors and dropped results this year. 3. ArsenalThe loss of Katie McCabe and Beth Mead is significant, but the addition of Georgia Stanway will soften the blow. She returns to England after four years in Bayern Munich, and how the group fares against a tough early schedule might determine what the Gunners are made of. 4. Manchester UnitedAt times last season, Manchester United seemed to take a step forward, but instead they missed out on a Champions League spot and parted ways with Marc Skinner. Now it's up to Eva Olid to take the team in a new direction, backed with a developmental pedigree and a stable defense anchored by centerback Maya Le Tissier and goalkeeper Phallon Tulis-Joyce. How high they can go is truly up to them.5. London City LionessesAfter a headline-stealing offseason, now it's time for London City Lionesses to put everything on the line. Owner Michele Kang signed two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas after a long, successful stint with Barcelona. They finished sixth last season, but that was before adding Putellas, along with Mary Earps, Kadidiatou Diani, Mapi Leon, and Grace Geyoro. Pressure is on. 6. Tottenham HotspurSome classic middle position in the rankings or league table; that's the sweet spot for Tottenham. Head Martin Ho took the squad from near the bottom of the league to a respectable fifth-place finish last season. They added Victoria Pelova from Arsenal and Shekiera Martinez from West Ham, and might play spoiler against other top teams.7. Brighton & Hove AlbionWas much higher on Brighton, but with a recent coaching shakeup ahead of the year, there are some unknowns. Dario Vidosic is out a week before the season with rumors he's headed to NWSL, and Arturo Ruiz is acting coach on short notice. New signing Lia Waiti adds more quality, along with Gabby George and Nadia Krezyman, but uncertainty overshadows what some predict to be a breakout year for the club.8. LiverpoolMaybe it's foolish to place Liverpool this high, but it's hard to ignore their late-season push last year. Now manager Gareth Taylor has added more players to the roster, including Japan international Mao Itamura from Feyenoord, and England goalkeeper Khiara Keating from Manchester City. 9. EvertonAfter an eighth-place league finish last year, Everton seemed to turn a corner following their mid-year coaching change. Scott Phelan has moved from interim to full-time head coach and has more work to do over a longer season with minimal acquisitions, though a historic transfer of Rylee Foster-Inman from the Northern Super League stands out, and Australian forward Holly McNamara.10. West Ham UnitedManager Rita Guarino and the squad will have to get off to better start this season if they want to avoid a similar fate from last year. Replacing Shekiera Martinez will be tough, but adding Kelly Gago from Everton will help, and they'll need to find more consistency moving forward.11. Aston VillaWhere the goal scoring will come from is the biggest question for Aston Villa heading into the new season. They said farewell to Kirsty Hanson and brought in 20-year-old prospect Kamilla Melgard and veteran Amalie Vangsgaard to boost the roster. But manager Natalia Arroyo needs to improve results in her third year in charge. 12. Crystal PalaceFresh off promotion and back in the league is Crystal Palace, led by Jo Potter. Of the three promoted teams, they seem like the best-positioned of the elevated sides to stay above the relegation line after a statement signing in Bethany England. 13. Birmingham CityThe champions of WSL 2, they were among the lower division's best, and now they've added Lisa Naalsund to the mix from Manchester United. There will be lessons to learn from a first top-flight season in years. 14. Charlton AthleticThe most exciting arrival to the league after being promoted via a play-off battle against Leicester City on penalties, there's nowhere to go but up the rankings for Charlton Athletic. Manager Karen Hills might have a relegation battle to manage down the line, but for now, enjoy the big leagues.