Crystal Palace Women have secured promotion back to the Women's Super League for the 2026-27 season. They are one of three clubs joining the top flight as it expands from 12 to 14 teams, alongside Birmingham City and Charlton Athletic.
They are six points behind the early leaders, Manchester City.
Crystal Palace Women spent just one season in the second tier before securing an immediate return. They recorded only four defeats in WSL 2 last term, a joint-best defensive record shared with fellow promoted side Charlton Athletic. Their attack was spearheaded by Kirsty Howat and Abbie Larkin, who each netted eight league goals, placing them among the division's top scorers.
Head coach Jo Potter has expressed confidence in the squad's readiness. "We're feeling in a privileged position," Potter said. "We're looking good and we've strengthened in the right areas." A significant summer addition is former Tottenham forward Bethany England, one of the WSL's all-time leading scorers with 32 goals across four previous top-flight seasons.
Birmingham City returns after a four-season absence, having clinched the WSL 2 title on the final day. They claimed the league's best goal difference, scoring the second-most goals while conceding the second-fewest. Key players include WSL 2 Player of the Year Lily Crosthwaite and Neve Herron, who made the Team of the Year. They have recruited experienced defender Millie Turner, who will also captain the side.
Charlton Athletic's return ends an 18-year top-flight exile. They secured promotion via a dramatic play-off win over Leicester City, drawing 0-0 before winning 2-1 on penalties. Goalkeeper Sophie Whitehouse was the hero, saving four spot-kicks. "I think we will continue to be defensive and then we build from that," Whitehouse stated. "We're not only here to make up the numbers - we're here to compete."
Data analysts Opta project a tight battle at the bottom, with the three promoted sides predicted to finish in the lower half. Their model places Birmingham City ninth, Crystal Palace Women 11th, and Charlton Athletic 12th. The entire projected bottom six is expected to be separated by fewer than one-and-a-half points, suggesting every match will be critical.
Historical trends offer some hope for the newcomers. Only three promoted sides have suffered immediate relegation since 2014, and over the past five seasons, just one relegation spot has been available. Birmingham City defender Neve Herron captured the collective mindset. "There's going to be challenges, there's going to be moments, highs and lows," Herron said. "But come that first game of the season, we're going to be ready."
The 2026-27 WSL season is now underway, having kicked off on Friday evening. Crystal Palace Women will look to improve on their early form, with their next fixtures detailed on our fixtures page. The club's full squad list for the campaign is available on our squad page.
