Women's Super League

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It has been a difficult campaign for Rafaela Borggrafe since joining Liverpool in the summer.

The goalkeeper had a six-game ban for using discriminatory language towards a team-mate and has struggled to claim the number one shirt since, with Jennifer Falk impressing since joining on loan in January.

Falk's arrival dropped Borggrafe down the pecking order, while Liverpool still have young goalkeeper Faye Kirby and experienced stopper Rachael Laws in their ranks.

The loan move to Bayer Leverkusen allows Borggrafe a chance to play regular football and reignite a career that has stalled. Her long-term future is uncertain but she has at least another year on her contract at Liverpool.

It will mean Liverpool have work to do in the goalkeeping department in the summer with Laws' contract coming to an end, and Falk's loan agreement running out.

It is understood Liverpool are very keen to sign Falk on a permanent deal and there are various options in her loan contract that means they can explore that in the summer - but it will be the player's decision.

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal defender Cecily Wellesley-Smith has joined FC Rosengard on loan for the 2026 Damallsvenskan season.

The 2026 season in Sweden's top tier starts in March and runs until November.

Wellesley-Smith, who signed her first professional contract with Arsenal in June 2025, spent the first half of this season on loan at Leicester City.

However, the 19-year-old made just one appearance for the Foxes and was re-called from her loan spell at the start of January.

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham midfielder Anna Csiki has joined Roma on loan for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.

The Hungary international spent the first half of the campaign on loan at West Ham, where she made four Women's Super League appearances.

She scored her first WSL goal in the Hammers' 2-2 draw against Liverpool in December.

Csiki, 26, joined Tottenham from BK Hacken in August 2024 and made 13 appearances for the club last season.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Everton are set to bring in Roma midfielder Zara Kramzar on loan for the rest of the season.

There is an obligation-to-buy clause in the contract which Everton would be expected to fulfil in the summer.

The 20-year-old has spent the last year on loan at Italian club Como.

The Women‘s Super League transfer window closes at 23:00 GMT on Tuesday.

Image source, Brighton & Hove Albion FC

Brighton have completed the signing of 22-year-old forward Olivia Garcia from Denmark side HB Koge and will immediately send her on loan to the Swedish League.

The American striker scored 28 goals in 57 appearances in Denmark and will join AIK on loan until the end of June.

"We're delighted to welcome Olivia to the club and a really excited about her potential," Albion managing director Zoe Johnson said.

"She is a promising young forward who has shown strong progression at this stage of her career and brings qualities that we believe will add real value to our squad.

"We're confident that a loan spell in Sweden will provide her with an excellent opportunity to continue her development, gain valuable minutes and experience a different environment."

The obvious sign that things at Chelsea are not as harmonious as last season is the results.

But Chelsea's problems felt bigger on Sunday when, for perhaps the first time in her tenure, manager Sonia Bompastor dropped subtle hints of internal frustration.

She repeatedly highlighted the squad's lack of depth, insisting it was not what it was last season, and touched on how that limited her ability to switch things up tactically, or to rotate players to keep them fresh.

Pressed on whether she had wanted more from their summer recruitment, Bompastor smiled and simply said: "Without making too many comments on that, I would have liked to have been in a better place from the last transfer window."

A squad still packed full of talent and experience has looked bereft of ideas and lacking ruthlessness.

The 'mentality monsters' of recent seasons are no longer perceived to be invincible as they look more vulnerable defensively and less clinical up front.

According to Opta, they are underperforming their expected goals tally by more than any other team (24 scored from 29 expected) and in their 2-0 defeat by Arsenal, they had 18 shots but only one on target.

It was a rare sight to see Chelsea's players look so dejected at Etihad Stadium and they appeared to fall apart in a second half where City toyed with them.

Bompastor said she was not concerned, but with fans increasingly questioning her tactics and the players looking short of confidence, does she remain convinced she is the right person for the job?

"In the club, if people think I'm not the right person to stay in this job, then I'll be happy to go if they think that's the right thing. But I will never give up," she said.

Read the full analysis

In the past, Manchester City's title challenge has come undone due to inconsistency or injures to key players such as Khadija Shaw, Alex Greenwood and Lauren Hemp.

Shock defeats, or too many draws against teams in the lower half of the table have proven costly - but not this season.

Their 5-1 victory over Chelsea was their 13th WSL win in a row, they have scored in their past 28 games, and they inflicted the joint-largest defeat the Blues have ever suffered in the competition.

Their star players have made the desired impact too, with Shaw leading the goalscoring charts again and Kerstin Casparij and Vivienne Miedema providing the most assists.

The word 'consistency' is a favourite of boss Andree Jeglertz's and it has been the key ingredient to their success this season.

His calm demeanour - whether they win or lose - is one of the many positive traits of his management, and his side have mirrored it in their performances.

When the hype was dialled up to the maximum on Sunday, with City supporters coming out in numbers to prepare for an early celebration, the players kept to their routine, stuck to the gameplan, and embarrassed the defending champions.

Jeglertz has given them flexibility in their playing style, urged his players to show personality and creativity, and made them feel like they are the world's best.

Chelsea, winners of the past six WSL seasons and current holders of all three domestic titles, looked like a team in headlights, completed overawed by City.

It was confirmation that City are the best team in the country this season, that they are the champions in waiting, and only have to seal it mathematically.

Read Emma's full piece

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal goalkeeper Anneke Borbe has been discharged from hospital and spent Sunday night at home after receiving the all-clear from doctors.

The 25-year-old was stretchered off in the final seconds of Arsenal's Champions Cup triumph over Corinthians after a worrying collision with team-mate Lotte Wubben-Moy.

The injury prompted a 10-minute delay to proceedings in the rain at Emirates Stadium and she was taken for tests after the game.

However, having been released from hospital, the Germany international is recovering at home.

Despite conceding two goals, Borbe had made several outstanding saves against the Brazilian champions and was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament, external.

Replacement Daphne van Domselaar wore Borbe's shirt in the presentation ceremony as a tribute to her team-mate.

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The scenes at full-time on Sunday at Emirates revealed plenty about Arsenal's approach to the Champions Cup.

They underlined just how valuable this competition was to a squad searching for momentum amid a challenging domestic season.

"It's not often that you can write history at Arsenal because history has been written so many times," goalscorer Lotte Wubben-Moy told Sky Sports after the triumph.

"We stand on the shoulders of giants. To come to this inaugural competition and win it and do it with all of our fans here in style - our fans are wonderful and that's who we do it for."

Sitting 13 points off leaders Manchester City in the WSL, the Gunners will turn their focus to defending their Champions League title when they face OH-Leuven in the last 16 later this month while they are also alive in the FA Cup.

And this victory will come as a shot in the arms for Renee Slegers and her players.

"It's football in all its ways today," Slegers said. "There was good football, duelling and momentum shifts. I'm proud of the team in the rain - we got over the line and found a way to win this game."

Read the full piece

A breathtaking performance from leaders Manchester City effectively ended the title hopes of defending champions Chelsea at Etihad Stadium.

Brazil forward Kerolin scored a hat-trick to add to strikes from Vivianne Miedama and Khadija Shaw. Alyssa Thompson offered the solitary reply for Sonia Bompastor's shell-shocked side.

The result moved City 11 points clear at the top, and 12 above last season's domestic treble winners.

A strong second-half performance propelled Manchester United up to second in the Women's Super League as two goals from Lisa Naalsund and one from Fridalino Rolfo saw off rivals Liverpool. Alice Bergstrom had briefly levelled before Gareth Taylor's struggling side capitulated to the Red Devils.

Liverpool's plight at the bottom was not helped by neighbours Everton finally getting a win at Goodison Park this season. They did it the hard way against Aston Villa, falling behind to Ebony Salmon's early goal with Martina Fernandez equalising before half-time. With the game seeming set for a draw, Fernandez got her head on a set-piece in the 89th minute to snatch the points.

It was the opposite for 11th-placed West Ham who started well against Tottenham and took the lead through Shekiera Martinez. However, Matilda Vinberg and a screamer from Olivia Holdt turned the game on its head in the second half and kept Spurs in the hunt for the Champions League.

Finally, Eder Maestre got his first win as manager at London City Lionesses, coming from behind to beat Brighton 2-1.

Jonty Colman
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton midfielder Bex Rayner has signed a new contract with the Women's Super League club.

Rayner, 26, has made 10 appearances for the Seagulls since making her debut in December 2024.

"Bex has had a challenging time since joining the club because of injury but her dedication and resilience throughout that period have been clear," said Brighton's women's and girls' managing director Zoe Johnson.

"She's a technically gifted player on the pitch and her character and professionalism off the pitch are a real asset to the squad.

"She's worked hard following her injury to make sure she can contribute to the second half of the season. We're excited to see what the future holds for her with us, and we're delighted that Bex has committed her future to the club."

Jonty Colman
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

London City Lionesses have recalled winger Paula Partido from her loan spell at DUX Logrono and sent defender Cerys Brown out on loan.

Partido spent the first half of the season in the Spanish top-flight and made 17 appearances in all competitions, scoring once and providing one assist.

She will now spend the remainder of the season back with London City.

Meanwhile, Brown will spend the remainder of this season on loan with Women's Super League 2 side Nottingham Forest having made just one league appearance for London City this season.