Manchester City enter the 2026-27 Women's Super League season as reigning champions and the bookmakers' favourites to retain their crown, having secured a league and cup double last term under head coach Andrée Jeglertz. The Swede's debut season in Manchester could hardly have gone better, and expectations are now firmly on him and his squad to prove that success can be sustained rather than a one-off.
Central to City's optimism is the retention of Khadija "Bunny" Shaw, who was the division's leading scorer and outstanding performer in 2025-26. The Jamaican striker appeared destined to depart on a free transfer before performing a late change of heart in May, committing her future to the club on a new four-year deal. Her decision to stay is widely regarded as a significant boost to City's hopes of a repeat title triumph.
The squad has otherwise been reshaped only modestly. Brazilian forward Kerolin has departed for Barcelona, but her creative influence should be replicated by the arrival of Beth Mead, who joins from local rivals Arsenal after nine years at the Emirates. Mead, the WSL's all-time leading assist provider and the Golden Boot and player-of-the-tournament winner at Euro 2022, signed a three-year contract as City's marquee summer addition. At 31, questions remain over whether she can rediscover her peak form, but her pedigree - including 81 England caps - gives City fresh attacking options.
Defensively, City have also moved to cover the departure of left-back Leila Ouahabi by signing Niamh Charles from Chelsea. Right-back Kerstin Casparij, who provided the joint-most assists in the WSL last season, remains a key outlet down the flanks, an area where City excelled throughout their title-winning campaign.
One notable statistical strength was City's efficiency from set-pieces, where they scored at least double the number of goals of any other WSL side last season, underlining a clear tactical weapon that rivals will need to address if they hope to dethrone the champions.
Jeglertz, 54, arrives with an extensive coaching résumé, including a European title with Swedish side Umeå in 2004, though his most recent role in charge of the Denmark women's national team was considered underwhelming. In Manchester, he has impressed with a calm, assured touchline presence and has been praised for handling media duties smoothly, all while preaching squad rotation to cope with a busier fixture schedule.
"Our biggest challenge this year is to continue winning and, at the same time, compete in other competitions and also want to win those," Jeglertz said, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live. "Winning in one year is one thing, but being able to win in the next year, that is even tougher... we have good enough players to be able to play with one starting XI on Saturday and do a couple of changes on Wednesday and still win. That was our biggest challenge last year - we had too many good players that were not playing enough games, so this year we will have the possibility to explore the whole squad. Each player will be more important than they've ever been for the club."
City begin their title defence at home against promoted side Birmingham City before a highly anticipated clash with Arsenal on 4 October, a fixture that could offer an early signal of the season's title race. Their home fixtures will largely be played at the 7,000-capacity Joie Stadium, though two league games - against Arsenal and Manchester United - will be staged at the Etihad Stadium. City remained unbeaten at their regular home ground last season, a run stretching back to a 4-3 defeat to Arsenal in February 2025.
Off the pitch, the club has also invested heavily in infrastructure, unveiling a new £10 million training facility designed specifically with female athletes in mind, complete with underwater treadmills and dedicated recovery amenities - a marked upgrade from previous arrangements that saw the women's squad occasionally share facilities with the men's academy.
With strength across the squad, a proven manager, and renewed ambitions in both domestic and European competition, Manchester City appear well-equipped to defend their WSL title, even as they adjust to the psychological shift of being the team every rival wants to beat.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football.