Charlton Athletic kick off WSL season with home game against Liverpool - with champions Manchester City heading to SE7 before the end of opening month
Addicks face rematch of last season's FA Cup quarter-final at The Valley
Charlton Athletic will start their first season back in the Women’s Super League with a home match against Liverpool on Sunday, September 6 (2pm).
The Addicks returned to the top flight after their penalty shootout victory over Leicester City in May.
Their opening fixture looks, on paper, to be one of their less challenging assignments considering Liverpool finished just above the rock bottom Foxes in the 2025-26 table.
Charlton’s players celebrate promotion to the WSL in May/Picture: Paul Edwards
Karen Hills’ side also took the Reds into extra-time in their FA Cup quarter-final tie in SE7 in April. Zara Shaw’s goal in the 115th minute eventually shaded a contest in which the visitors had plenty of possession but struggled to find openings.
Charlton’s first away match is at Everton on September 13 and they follow that with the visit of big-spending London City Lionesses on September 19.
Reigning WSL champions Manchester City are next up at The Valley on September 26 followed by a trip to Brighton on October 4.
Charlton’s first match against Chelsea, one of the dominant forces of the women’s game, will take place in SE7 on November 1.
Other key home dates are October 18 (Manchester United), December 20 (Arsenal) and January 31 (Crystal Palace).
The Addicks had a record home crowd at The Valley of 3,979 for the dramatic decider with Leicester City at the end of last season but that attendance is set to be comfortably broken when they face some of the big-hitters in WSL.
By way of an example, London City’s average home attendance last season for league matches was 3,176 but they had 5,414 watching their fixture against Arsenal and 4,820 for Chelsea.
Charlton have made two signings this week.
Forward Lorena Azzaro has arrived on loan from Paris FC. The 25-year-old has made appearances for France at U19 and U20 level.
She penned a three-year contract with Paris after joining from Strasbourg in May 2025.
“I’m a competitive person, and I love a challenge,” said Azzaro. “Charlton represents exactly that for me. It’s a club with a rich history and an ambitious project.”
The Addicks have also added defender Ashleigh Neville from Leicester City. The 33-year-old played against Charlton in last season’s play-off decider at The Valley.
Neville has previously played for Addicks boss Karen Hills at Tottenham.
She has made more than 100 appearances in the WSL.
Charlotte Newsham has signed a new contract until the summer of 2027.
The 26-year-old is recovering from a knee injury sustained against Birmingham City on the final day of the regulation season.
"Last year I was in the leadership group, so that’s something I'm going to try and continue even though I’m not playing,” Newsham told the club’s official website.