GW11: The Final WSL Games of 2025

As 2025 draws to a close, so too does the WSL. Well, until January that is. Unsurprisingly, the final game week before the winter break was full of big moments. But, before England's sides came up against one another, three were playing on the European stage.

UWCL CHELSEA V ROMA (6–0)

Chelsea headed into their final home game of the year off the back of a disappointing loss against Everton in the WSL, notably their first defeat after 585 days. While that game resulted in some sour faces, coming up against Roma at Stamford Bridge in the UWCL was a typical display of the Blues’ skill, talent, and impressive squad depth.

With four goals created from open play, one from a penalty, and one Roma own goal, five separate Chelsea players got their names on the scoresheet: Wieke Kaptein, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Sjoeke Nüsken, Maika Hamano, and Lucy Bronze. Midfielder, and goalscorer Kaptein, joked with us post match, “I think we have three starting XI’s.” The Dutch international added of the current squad dynamic, “It’s really good that we push each other, we help each other. It doesn’t matter who plays, we’ll be there for each other.”

The victory has taken the London team up to third in the current UWCL standings sitting behind OL Lyonnes and Barcelona. If they secure a win against Wolfsburg this week, Chelsea will obtain automatic qualification for the quarter-finals.

As for Arsenal and Manchester United, the two other English clubs in the competition, the former won 1–0 against FC Twente, the latter lost 0–3 to OL Lyonnes. They currently sit eighth and ninth in the standings respectively.

GW11 REPORT

Fresh off the back of a shocking victory against Chelsea last weekend, Everton hosted Arsenal at Goodison park. And although the Gunners eventually won with three goals achieved by Katie McCabe, Alessia Russo, and Olivia Smith respectively, Everton still shone at moments. It was Honoka Hayashi, the Japanese international who scored the single goal against Chelsea, who found the back of the net once again.

Chelsea are back to their winning WSL ways, now one game unbeaten, with a dominant 0–3 success against Brighton. Sandy Baltimore and Alyssa Thompson created two of those three goals, with the third the result of a Brighton own goal courtesy of Caitlin Hayes. Although it’s a positive way for the Blues to end the year, they now find themselves six points behind league table leaders Manchester City.

Speaking of Manchester City, they hosted Aston Villa at the Joie Stadium with Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw netting four goals – the opening being her 100th for City across all competitions – to seal her club’s lead of the league heading into 2026. Additional goals came from Aoba Fujino and Vivianne Miedema. It’s a big loss for Villa who are currently eighth in the table, above Leicester City but below Brighton. The second half of the season will be vital for them, as well as the other mid-tier clubs, to avoid potential relegation battles.

West Ham and Liverpool currently find themselves in that battle, one that saw them come together at the Chigwell Construction Stadium in a frustrating draw. Liverpool remain winless in the 2025/26 WSL season, with a red card shown to Gemma Bonner less than 20 minutes into the game certainly not helping morale. The Hammers, with goals from Riko Ueki and Anna Csiki, were seemingly going to take victory. However, a last minute equaliser from Liverpool’s Beata Olsson means the Reds are only two points behind at the bottom of the table.

What happens in 2026? We’ll have to wait and see.

OTHER GAMES ACROSS THE WEEKEND

Leicester City V London City Lionesses

1–0

Manchester United V Tottenham

3–3