Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Chelsea celebrate their 2024/25 Women's Super League title win.Alamy Stock Photo FreeDates For The Diary Chelsea handed Manchester City test to open WSL title defence Newly-promoted London City Lionesses start their top-flight campaign against European champions Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. 10.20am, 25 Jul 2025 Share options CHAMPIONS CHELSEA WILL begin the defence of their Women’s Super League title at home to Manchester City after fixtures for the new season were released. Sonia Bompastor’s side, who romped unbeaten to a sixth consecutive crown in her first season in charge, will welcome the team that finished a disappointing fourth last campaign to Stamford Bridge on the evening of 5 September, in a match broadcast live on Sky Sports. Newl- promoted London City Lionesses face a trip to the Emirates Stadium to play European champions Arsenal the following day live on BBC One, promising a stern test for the WSL’s first fully independent club in their first ever top-flight fixture. Renee Slegers’ side are looking to build on their stunning victory over Barcelona in May which saw them lift the Champions League trophy, as they seek to end Chelsea’s WSL monopoly and become champions for the first time since 2019. This season marks the beginning of a new five-year broadcast deal in which every match will be made available live on either the BBC or Sky Sports. For the first time, all WSL2 matches will be broadcast live on YouTube, with Sky Sports and the BBC also having the right to select any second-tier matches for broadcast. Advertisement Ireland and Arsenal star Katie McCabe.Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Anfield will host its first Merseyside derby of the season on 7 September when Everton visit to kick off the campaign, whilst last season’s third-place finishers Manchester United welcome Leicester to Leigh Sports Village. Brighton v Aston Villa and Tottenham v West Ham round out the opening weekend’s fixtures. Last season’s top two Chelsea and Arsenal meet for the first time at the Emirates on 8 November with the first Manchester derby taking place at the Etihad Stadium on 16 November. This season will be the last in which the WSL uses its current 12-team format, with the division set to expand to 14 from the 2026-27 campaign. Two clubs are set to be promoted from the new WSL2 – formerly the Championship – with the WSL’s bottom side playing off against the side that finishes third in the second tier. The league have also committed to ensuring that Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United will be given two clear days’ rest after domestic matches in order to prepare for midweek Champions League games. You can view the full list of WSL fixtures here Press Association Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Chelsea handed Manchester City test to open WSL title defence”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Chelsea handed Manchester City test to open WSL title defence”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Dates For The Diary News in 60 seconds FreePodcastThe 42 GAA Weekly Clifford v Murphy, Jack v Jim, Kerry v Donegal: Who wins the green and gold final? 16 mins ago FreeCycling Cattle cull forces change to Tour de France stage 19 route FreeOn the Line 'We're expecting a war' - Martin Johnson hands out Lions jerseys 'I ran out of gas': Venus Williams bows out of DC Open after tennis return aged 45 Pádraig Harrington in early contention at Senior Open How the dream team of ROG, Biggar, Harrison, and Warburton works Murray Kinsella Reports from Melbourne Cork City's swift decline goes hand in hand with steady build up of anger David Sneyd Ireland's Kate O'Connor wins gold at World University Games Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan has died aged 71 Alexander Isak tells Newcastle he wants to explore move away from club - reports 'At 18 years of age I would have done anything for football, at 21 I wanted an excuse to stop' Declan Bogue more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine TG4 Entertainment Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account