Women’s Super League 2025-26 Previews No 12: West Ham

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 11th (NB: this is not needfully Sophie Downey’s prediction but nan mean of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 9th

Prospects

Consistency and stableness person been halfway elements of West Ham’s off-season arsenic Rehanne Skinner hopes to build connected nan advancement her broadside made past campaign. After taking clip to find their feet pinch affirmative performances not ever matching their results, nan Hammers went connected an unbeaten tally that kept them successful nan image for 5th place. In nan end, they vanished conscionable 5 points disconnected Brighton who claimed that spot.

Their move successful fortunes very overmuch came pinch nan return of Shekiera Martinez from her indebtedness spell astatine Freiburg. The 24-year-old spearheaded nan attacking line, processing a narration pinch nan influential Viviane Asseyi, who enjoyed 1 of her champion seasons successful eastbound London. In 12 appearances, Martinez scored 10 goals and vanished conscionable 2 beneath associated Golden Boot winners Bunny Shaw and Alessia Russo pinch a changeable conversion complaint of 32%.

The Germany guardant will beryllium integral erstwhile again this play and nan club’s expertise to clasp connected to her and astir of Skinner’s preferred 15 players was important complete nan summer. While location person been important outgoings pinch players specified arsenic Dagny Brynjarsdóttir, Shannon Cooke and Kirsty Smith departing, nan mostly were connected nan fringes pinch constricted crippled time.

One interest will beryllium nan comparatively fewer number of signings that person been made this window. Yu Endo brings acquisition to nan backmost statement while nan Wales world Ffion Morgan has proved her talent aft 4 years astatine Bristol City. Sarah Brasero , brought successful from Estoril, and Leila Wandeler, who arrives from Lyon, are breathtaking youngsters astatine a cardinal shape of their improvement arsenic footballers.

A pre-season circuit to Prague provided valuable mentation for nan run ahead. That was followed by a triumph complete Liverpool and nonaccomplishment to Arsenal successful readiness for an opening-day derby astatine Tottenham, a crippled that has traditionally proved to beryllium entertaining and competitive.

The manager

Skinner is entering her 3rd play astatine nan nine and is starting to spot nan rewards of her rebuild. Before past season, she brought up nan rumor of short-term contracts starring to precocious subordinate turnover and nan nine person responded. Honest pinch her players and consenting to speak astir wider issues successful nan game, she has worked to build an industrious squad that is bully successful possession and ever looking to attack. Smart recruitment has brought successful Katrina Gorry, Manuela Pavi and Martinez, each of whom person helped nan squad progress.

Off-field picture

West Ham are successful talks to waste a liking successful their women’s squad to Monarch Collective, nan world’s largest female-dedicated athletics fund. The backstage equity group, which is hoping to bargain 49% of nan nine – weighted astatine astir £55m – and has a beardown history of investing successful NWSL clubs. The Hammers’ existing ownership would clasp a controlling interest. Should nan woody spell through, further money for nan playing squad would beryllium prioritised, thing that has been lacking successful caller years, arsenic good uncovering a solution to nan London Stadium issue. The nine are nan only WSL squad not to clasp immoderate fixtures astatine their main stadium owed to rental costs.

Star signing

Endo mightiness not beryllium a sanction galore WSL fans would person heard of earlier her signing for West Ham but nan 27-year-old brings pinch her a wealthiness of experience. The Japan full-back made nan move to England aft 9 years pinch Urawa Reds wherever she made 171 appearances. She helped nan Saitama broadside summation promotion to nan W-League successful 2020 earlier going connected to triumph back-to-back convention titles and lifting nan 2023 AFC Women’s Club Championship trophy. Technical, tenacious and consistent, she besides has nan expertise to play successful nan mediate of nan park.

Yu Endo successful action successful a pre-season friends against Arsenal successful August. Photograph: Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images

Stepping up

The 20-year-old Sarah Brasero earned her WSL move this summer, signing a three-year woody pinch nan club. The England youngster arrived from Estoril aft a play playing successful Portugal’s apical division. A imaginative and diligent midfielder, she started her profession astatine Ipswich earlier moving to Lewes. She has played for England astatine under-19 and under-23 level, making nan measurement up to Emma Coates’s under-23 broadside towards nan extremity of 2024.

It was a bully summertime for …

Leila Wandeler was 1 of nan breathtaking young talents that played a domiciled successful Pia Sundhage’s Switzerland squad astatine this year’s European Championship. The 19-year-old made 3 appearances from nan chair for her federation who went connected a historical quarter-final run. Experiencing a location Euros will person been hugely memorable for nan forward, who made her move to West Ham from Lyon successful August. “It was crazy, amazing,” she told nine media. “I couldn’t judge it astatine first because I hadn’t really been successful nan nationalist squad that overmuch … The games were truthful amazing, I had chills each clip I saw nan Switzerland fans.”

Leila Wandeler successful action for Switzerland successful nan Euro 2025 quarter-final against Spain. Photograph: Sports Press Photo/Getty Images

Main inaugural to pull much fans

The women’s squad proceed to play astatine Dagenham & Redbridge’s Chigwell Construction Stadium and tickets are connected waste for their first 5 matches, location and away. The nine person been gathering feedback astir nan providing coach recreation for distant fixtures.