Are Liverpool genuine top-four contenders in the WSL? We look at the transformation behind their impressive start, the performance that almost earned them a result against Man City, and how their players are helping to drive renewed hope.
Just four months ago, the idea of Liverpool challenging for a UEFA Women’s Champions League place would have seemed improbable.
The Reds finished 11th in the Women’s Super League in 2025-26, ending the season eight points clear of bottom-placed Leicester City but recording their second-lowest finish in the competition.
Their 2025-26 campaign began in disastrous fashion under the former Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor, as the Reds failed to win any of their opening 12 league matches (D4 L8).
A six-game losing streak at the start of the season set the tone, including an opening weekend loss to rivals Everton at Anfield (4-1) followed by a shock defeat at Leicester City on MD2.
Liverpool found themselves rooted to the foot of the table across the winter break with just three points collected, and facing serious questions about their future direction.
Their struggles continued into the start of 2026 as Liverpool’s winless league run reached 15 matches, the longest in their WSL history.
Yet, even amid the poor results, there were signs they could compete.
During that difficult run, Liverpool lost to both Arsenal and Man City by just a single-goal margin, with both winning goals coming in the final four minutes. It was enough to suggest that the gap to the league’s elite was not quite as wide as the table implied.
There were also off-field circumstances surrounding the club that cannot be ignored when looking back at Liverpool’s 2025-26 WSL campaign.
The passing of former manager Matt Beard in September 2025 cast a shadow over the season. Beard was one of the most influential figures in the club’s history, overseeing 106 WSL matches across two spells and guiding them to back-to-back league titles in 2013 and 2014. Against that backdrop, Liverpool’s struggles became easier to contextualise.
Taylor’s first WSL victory with the Reds came at home against Tottenham in January, and while Liverpool won only three more league matches across the campaign, it proved enough to secure survival.
Now, less than a year later, the picture looks very different.
Liverpool began 2026-27 with a convincing 4-0 victory over Charlton Athletic, their first win in a season opener since 2023. The four-goal margin was also their biggest in a WSL match since a 4-0 victory over Leicester in May 2024.
They followed that with a 1-1 draw against Tottenham on MD2, a result that arguably failed to reflect the balance of play, before pushing Man City all the way on MD3. An unfortunate 89th-minute own goal by Jenna Clark is showing encouraging signs.
Against Man City, Clark tracked Shaw relentlessly, producing a series of crucial defensive interventions, while Fisk repeatedly put her body on the line, including a vital late block that prevented Shaw from doubling her tally of the evening.
If Endemann has raised Liverpool’s ceiling, Fisk and Clark are helping provide the platform.
And that balance may be the most encouraging sign of all.
Four months ago, Liverpool were celebrating survival after their second-worst season in WSL history. Now, they sit within touching distance of the top four, armed with a clear identity, exciting new attacking talent and growing confidence that they can compete with the division’s best.
If their opening weeks of the season are anything to go by, forcing their way into the WSL’s established top four no longer feels like an unrealistic ambition for Liverpool.
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