Crystal Palace Women head into the 2026/27 Barclays Women’s Super League season with a familiar attacking threat but a new cutting edge. Bethany England joins the club fresh from scoring 87 WSL goals elsewhere, giving Jo Potter’s side a proven finisher to pair with last season’s 44-goal machine. Palace finished second in WSL2 last term, sealing promotion with a 6-1 win over Portsmouth on the final day.
What shaped Palace’s promotion-winning attack?
Palace’s 3-4-1-2 system relied on width from midfield and quick combinations in the final third. Ashleigh Weerden set a WSL2 record with 10 assists from 61 chances created, while Kirsty Howat and Abbie Larkin each scored eight goals. Behind them, Annabel Blanchard linked play as the number 10, creating seven chances in a single match against Portsmouth - the joint-most by any player in WSL2 last season.
The Lions controlled possession, pressed aggressively and scored often from outside the box. Their low PPDA reflected a clear tactical identity: suffocate opponents, force errors, punish them. Palace lost only once in their final 14 games after a slow start, showing resilience as much as attacking flair.
Why the step up to the WSL matters
Palace know the margins tighten at the top. In their only previous WSL campaign, in 2024/25, they won just two league games while shipping 65 goals. The step up demands fewer mistakes, sharper finishing and defensive steel against teams that punish lapses. London City Lionesses proved immediate stability is possible after promotion, but Palace must improve their goal difference from -10 if they’re to avoid a repeat of that heavy defeat run.
League standing: 15th in Premier League, 45 pts, 11W-12D-15L from 38 games, recent form LDLDL. With 40 points behind leaders Arsenal, every attack must deliver more than last season’s 41 goals scored.
Who will lead the line for Palace?
England arrives with elite WSL pedigree and an instinct for the big moment. Her arrival means Potter no longer relies solely on Weerden’s creativity and Howat’s finishing. Lexi Lloyd-Smith, the WSL2 Golden Boot winner, adds pace and direct running, giving the Lions another way to break defensive blocks.
The front three now reads England, Weerden, Howat or Lloyd-Smith, with Blanchard pulling the strings behind them. If the new signings click with last season’s core, Palace’s attack could become more than a promotion weapon - it could be a WSL differentiator.
What comes next for Potter’s side?
Palace have strengthened, not overhauled. England’s goals, Lloyd-Smith’s runs and Weerden’s creativity form a trio capable of troubling top-flight defences. The real test starts when the Barclays WSL curtain rises, with Palace facing stiffer opponents who punish mistakes far quicker than WSL2 ever did.
Jo Potter’s side kicks off their WSL return with a squad built for the step up. Goals scored last season: 41. Goals conceded: 51. The Lions must do better in both columns to survive - and England’s presence gives them the clearest path yet to do so.
