When does the WSL and women’s European football return from winter break?

5th January 2026 Oliver Taliku

Manchester City could challenge Arsenal and Chelsea for WSL title

Fans have been without the WSL for three weeks now, but stars are coming back to training after the winter break with the return of club football imminent.

The WSL is back this weekend and the second half of the season gets underway with a blockbuster clash on Saturday.

WSL Matchday 12 Fixtures

Saturday, January 10th

  • Arsenal vs Manchester United: (12:30)

Sunday, January 11th

  • Chelsea vs West Ham: (12:00)
  • Tottenham vs Leicester: (12:00)
  • Aston Villa vs Brighton: (12:00)
  • Manchester City vs Everton: (12:00)
  • Liverpool vs London City Lionesses: (14:30)

What to look out for on matchday 12

Arsenal and Manchester United lock horns on Saturday afternoon in the first WSL clash of 2026.

The rivals are separated by just one point in third and fourth, with Arsenal holding sway ahead of their meeting. 

It is the Gunners who will be favoured to win this weekend with home advantage on their side. United could give a debut to exciting January signing Lea Schuller, who joined from Bayern Munich just last week.

Sunday’s early games begin with Chelsea vs West Ham which is expected to be a rout for the reigning champions. 

The same story goes for title hopefuls Manchester City who play Everton. The Toffees are in the midst of a relegation battle and with City looking to maintain their lead atop the table, they shouldn’t find any issues on their return to action.

Aston Villa play Brighton in the final early kick off of what is bound to be an exciting start to 2026 for the WSL.

London City Lionesses vs Liverpool rounds off matchday 12. Despite the Reds’ poor form before Christmas, London City didn’t look great going into the WSL winter break and they could be vulnerable to an upset.

Other Leagues returning after winter break

The WSL isn’t the only competition making its return from hiatus this weekend, as Liga F – the Spanish women’s first division – also kicks off on Saturday afternoon.

Fans in France, Germany and Italy will all have to wait slightly longer for women’s football to come back.

See below for the return dates of each major women’s league in Europe:

  • Première Ligue – January 14th
  • Liga F – January 10th
  • Frauen Bundesliga – January 23rd
  • Serie A Femminile – January 17th

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About Oliver Taliku 472 Articles
Olly Taliku has worked with highly respected sports and gambling websites where he has produced hundreds of articles, as well as being published with Burton Albion and Chesterfield FC. At Burton Olly worked closely alongside the women's team, producing mainly matchday content including reports and interviews. He also has experience as an accredited Premier League and EFL writer for Prost International where he worked during the 2021/22 season to produce matchday content as an on location reporter. Olly specialises in women's football as well as long form SEO content plus news and tips. While he enjoys writing about all football, Olly supports Arsenal passionately as a lifelong fan of the club.