Charlton Athletic return to the Women’s Super League on Sunday when they welcome Liverpool to The Valley for their opening match of the 2026/27 season.
The Addicks are back in the top flight for the first time since 2008 after winning promotion last season and have strengthened considerably ahead of the step up. Liverpool arrive with positive preseason momentum under Gareth Taylor, having won all five of their warm-up matches.
Charlton’s defensive organisation was central to their promotion, making Liverpool’s new-look attack an immediate test of whether that strength can translate to the WSL.
Charlton vs Liverpool match information
| Competition | Barclays Women’s Super League |
| Date | Sunday 6 September 2026 |
| Kick-off (UK) | 2:00pm BST |
| Kick-off (Central Europe) | 3:00pm CEST |
| Venue | The Valley |
| TV/stream (UK) | Sky Sports+ |
| Matchweek | 1 |
How to watch Charlton vs Liverpool
Charlton against Liverpool will be available to watch on Sky Sports+ in the UK, with kick-off scheduled for 2:00pm BST. The match begins at 3:00pm CEST for viewers in Central Europe. Try the BWSL YouTube or W-Sport from outside the UK.
Broadcast arrangements outside the UK vary by territory, so supporters should check their local Women’s Super League broadcaster.
Charlton team news
Charlton have not announced any specific injury absences ahead of their first WSL fixture of the season.
Karen Hills has plenty of new players to choose from after an active summer, with Ashleigh Neville, Emily van Egmond, Leah Davidson, Grace Johnston, Lorena Azzaro, Paula Partido, Linda Líf Boama and Anna Koivunenamong the additions who could make competitive debuts.
Charlton have also strengthened right up to opening weekend. Former West Ham defender Hawa Cissoko completed her move from Parma on Saturday, while Leighanne Robe has also joined the club. Given how little preparation time they have had with their new teammates, it would be a surprise if either immediately started against Liverpool.
Neville has already made an impact during preseason, scoring twice as Charlton completed their preparations with a 3-1 victory over Wolves.
Predicted Charlton lineup
Whitehouse; Neville, N’Dow, Davidson, Hutton; Van Egmond, Humphrey; Partido, Boama, Lobato; Azzaro.
Charlton’s lineup is the more difficult of the two to predict because of the number of summer additions and the late arrivals of Cissoko and Robe.
Liverpool team news
Liverpool will definitely be without Anna Josendal, Sophie Román Haug and Mao Itamura at The Valley. Josendal is sidelined with a hamstring injury, while Itamura is recovering after abdominal surgery. Román Haug has returned to full training but still needs to build up her training volume before returning to competitive action.
Mari Ward is a doubt, while Lucy Parry is close to returning but is unlikely to be ready for Sunday’s squad. There is better news surrounding Marie Höbinger, who is available again after recovering from the ACL injury that kept her out for much of last season.
Taylor also has new attacking options, including Vivien Endemann, although Beata Olsson has made a strong case to lead the line after scoring a seven-minute hat-trick in Liverpool’s 7-1 preseason victory over Durham.
That result completed a perfect preseason for Liverpool, who won all five of their matches and scored 20 goals while conceding only twice.
Predicted Liverpool lineup
Keating; Kerr, Agrez, Fisk, Bernabe; Ramos, Höbinger; Bergstrom, Kapocs, Endemann; Olsson.
Olsson’s preseason form makes her difficult to leave out, while Endemann gives Taylor another option around the forward line.
What to expect from Charlton vs Liverpool
This should provide an immediate test of one of the main reasons Charlton earned promotion. The Addicks conceded fewer goals than any other team in WSL2 last season and recorded the most clean sheets. Their organisation was also evident when these teams met in the FA Cup quarter-finals at The Valley last season, with Liverpool needing extra time to secure a 1-0 victory.
Liverpool will now arrive with considerably more attacking momentum. Twenty goals across five preseason victories is encouraging, while the competition between Olsson and Liverpool’s new attacking options gives Taylor different ways to approach the game.
Charlton are unlikely to give them much space easily. Hills’ side should again prioritise defensive organisation, while their summer recruitment has added more WSL and international experience for the step up.
The question is whether Charlton can maintain that defensive strength against top-flight opposition while also creating enough threat of their own.
Charlton vs Liverpool prediction
Charlton’s first WSL game back at The Valley should provide a difficult environment for Liverpool, and last season’s FA Cup meeting showed how effectively the Addicks can frustrate them.
Liverpool, however, arrive in excellent preseason form and have more attacking options available to change the game if Charlton succeed in keeping things tight.
Prediction: Charlton 1-2 Liverpool
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