Crystal Palace Women earn WSL promotion in Sutton 2026

Key points

• Crystal Palace Women have earned automatic promotion back to the Women’s Super League (WSL), securing their return to the top tier of English women’s football at the first time of asking under manager Jo Potter.
• The Eagles finished second in the Women’s Super League 2 (WSL2) table with 44 points, two points behind champions Birmingham City, whose plus‑9 goal difference secured them the title.
• Palace sealed promotion with a 6–1 home victory over already‑relegated Portsmouth at the VBS Community Stadium in Sutton on 2 May 2026, overturning an early deficit to run out emphatic winners.
• The 2026‑27 WSL season will begin over the weekend of 4–6 September, with the summer transfer window running from 15 June to 31 August, giving Palace a narrow window to reshape their squad.
• The WSL is expanding from 12 to 14 teams from this coming season, meaning Palace will face a longer, more congested fixture list and consistently stronger opposition.
• A significant proportion of the promotion‑winning squad are expected to depart this summer, including several loan players whose temporary deals are set to expire.
• Eighteen‑year‑old midfielder Lola Brown, who recorded three assists in the 6–1 win over Portsmouth, is on a season‑long loan from Chelsea and is widely expected to return there after the campaign.
• Goalkeeper Eve Annets (on loan from Manchester City) and defender Lucy Newell (on loan from Manchester United) have each played three games for Palace this term, with their loans also due to end in the summer.
• Several first‑team players are entering the final months of their contracts, which could yet unravel the core of the side that climbed back into the WSL if departures are not met by new signings.

Crystal Palace’s (South London News) May 7, 2026 own media, Crystal Palace Women have been presented with a great opportunity to build on the success of Jo Potter’s first season in charge after winning promotion back to the Women’s Super League at the first time of asking.

The story comes from the VBS Community Stadium in Sutton, where Crystal Palace Women’s 6–1 victory over Portsmouth on 2 May 2026 confirmed their return to the top tier just one season after relegation. Earlier in the afternoon, Birmingham City’s 2–0 win at Charlton Athletic meant that Palace would finish second in the Women’s Super League 2 on 44 points, securing one of two automatic promotion spots.

What does this promotion mean for Palace?

As highlighted by BBC Sport, Birmingham and Palace are the two sides promoted to the WSL

“following an exhilarating conclusion to the second‑tier season”,

while Charlton Athletic drop into the promotion‑play‑off position. The Women’s Super League is set to grow from 12 to 14 teams from the 2026‑27 season, extending the fixture list and broadly raising the competitive level Palace will face week‑in, week‑out.

In Palace’s maiden WSL campaign, they won only two games, drew four and lost 16, reflecting how far the club had to travel in preparation and recruitment before being consistently competitive at that level. The club’s own feature article on

“How Crystal Palace Women bounced back to the WSL”

notes that the initial season was “ultimately disappointing” after the euphoria of first‑time promotion, but also stresses that the objective under Potter – win promotion back at the first time of asking – has now been met.

How did Palace secure promotion in front of a jubilant South London crowd?

At the VBS Community Stadium, Jo Potter’s side needed a win to guarantee an automatic return to the WSL, and they delivered emphatically.

As detailed in Palace’s match report, Pompey’s Meg Hornby curled a corner directly into the top corner after three minutes to give the visitors a shock lead, but Palace were quickly on the front foot.

Molly‑Mae Sharpe equalised on 11 minutes with a close‑range finish after a scramble in the box, and the Eagles began to dominate territory and chances. At half‑time it was 1–1, but the introduction of 18‑year‑old Lola Brown on the bench transformed the second half.

Brown provided a perfectly timed through‑ball for Ashleigh Weerden, who rounded the goalkeeper to restore Palace’s lead inside two minutes of the restart.

Brown then teed up Weerden again for a composed finish on 55 minutes before laying on a third assist for Kirsty Howat, whose low, powerful strike from the edge of the box made it 4–1 on 57 minutes.

Annabel Blanchard cut in from the right and added a fifth, before Brown’s cross‑field ball found Elise Hughes at the back post, who headed in for a 6–1 scoreline. The rout ensured Palace would finish second in the table, with Palace’s feature article noting that the result wrapped up promotion “in emphatic style” and set the tone for a return to the WSL at the first attempt.

What changes will the expanded WSL bring for Palace?

The 2026‑27 season is set to begin over the weekend of 4–6 September, with the summer transfer window running from 15 June to 31 August, giving Palace a tightly packed period to recruit and reshape their squad.

As noted by BBC Sport, the WSL will expand from 12 to 14 teams, increasing the number of fixtures and the average quality of opposition across the board.

For Palace, who admitted only two draws in their last six WSL2 matches and went unbeaten in the league from November onwards, the step up is both a reward and a test.

The club’s feature on their bounce‑back campaign under Potter stresses that the side showed a “complete turnaround in form and fortunes” after a poor start to the season, but also implies that the standard of the WSL will demand a deeper, more physically and tactically robust squad.

Why is summer turnover likely to be extensive?

Despite the euphoria at the VBS, Crystal Palace’s hierarchy and Potter’s backroom staff are bracing for a period of upheaval.

As implied in Palace’s own coverage of the campaign, a “significant proportion” of the promotion‑winning squad may depart this summer, with no official announcements yet made and several players operating under short‑term or expiring contracts.

The most prominent example is 18‑year‑old midfielder Lola Brown, who spent the season on loan from Chelsea. In the decisive 6–1 win over Portsmouth, Brown recorded three assists, keeping alive her own chances of a Golden Boot challenge and demonstrating why she may be central to Chelsea’s plans in the coming WSL campaign.

As reported by Palace’s own journalists, her stay at the VBS was described as a “season‑long loan”, and there is no indication in their coverage that Palace are in a position to convert that into a permanent deal.

At the same time, goalkeeper Eve Annets has been on loan from Manchester City and has featured in three matches for Palace this term, while defender Lucy Newell, also on loan from Manchester United, has played three league games. Their parent clubs are likely to recall them for pre‑season preparations, meaning Palace will need to secure at least one first‑choice goalkeeper and one central defender if they are to strengthen their core in the top flight.

Which established players are at risk of leaving?

Beyond the loan contingent, several first‑team regulars are approaching the final months of their contracts. Palace’s internal feature on the season notes that January saw defenders and forwards such as Shanade Hopcroft, Emma Watson and Isabella Sibley depart the club, suggesting that the club is already comfortable with a high‑turnover model in the lower‑tier setup.

With the club’s ambition now firmly set on WSL survival, the same pattern may be repeated this summer, this time at the higher‑category level. Club‑sanctioned reporting indicates that “a significant number of the promotion‑winning squad are set to depart South London this summer”, although the identities of those players have not been formally disclosed.

Jo Potter, in her own club‑issued reflections, has stressed the need to “build on the strong side” that earned promotion, but also acknowledged that the club will need to “address” the potential exodus if they are to stand any realistic chance of consolidating in the WSL.

Background on Crystal Palace Women’s development

Crystal Palace Women’s journey into the professional era has been a relatively recent one, with the club adopting a fully professional structure ahead of their first WSL campaign in 2023‑24.

That season, they secured promotion as Women’s Championship champions on 28 April 2024, replacing Bristol City and marking their debut in the top flight of English women’s football.

However, that first WSL season was punishing: Palace won only two matches, drew four and lost 16, finishing bottom of the table and suffering relegation. The club responded by appointing Jo Potter on 24 June 2025, with assistant Remi Allen and former Palace captain Annabel Johnson joining the first‑team setup to oversee the rebuild.

The revamped WSL2 structure, which allowed up to three teams to be promoted (two automatically, one via a playoff), eased Palace’s path back to the top tier.

Under Potter, the Eagles reshaped their squad with signings and loans, including Kirsty Howat, Ruesha Littlejohn and young talents such as Lola Brown and Emma Watson, gradually building the spine of the side that went on a 13‑match unbeaten run in the league.

Prediction: How this development could affect Crystal Palace and its supporters

For Crystal Palace as a club, the immediate task will be to stabilise the squad during a short transfer window, ensuring that key contributors from the WSL2 campaign are retained or adequately replaced. If Potter and the club fail to plug gaps left by potential departures – especially in central defence, midfield and the goalkeeper position – Palace could find themselves in a similar situation to their previous top‑flight season, where they were often over‑matched over the course of 22 matches.