It's Wednesday 11 November in the UK, France and the Americas, although some of you further east are already enjoying Thursday 12 November. Wherever you are in the world, one thing is certain: the men's Premier League is taking an international break this weekend, but English domestic women's football clearly didn't get the memo. Welcome to Women's Super League Matchweek 10 and Women's Super League 2 Matchweek 8, taking place on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November 2026. We've got a top-of-the-table showdown, four major local derbies, promotion battles and enough overlapping kick-offs to make your television remote consider industrial action. And before anyone asks where the Premier League has gone, don't worry. It's only away on international duty. The women's game has kindly agreed to keep the lights on. -------------------------- SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER: GRAND SLAM SATURDAY Saturday brings four Women's Super League fixtures, beginning with Manchester United hosting Crystal Palace at 12:45 GMT. At 13:30 GMT, however, comes the headline attraction: Chelsea against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. Let's get one important detail straight. Manchester City are the defending Women's Super League champions, having finished the 2025/26 season on 55 points. Arsenal finished second with 51 points, while Chelsea came third with 49. Yes, Chelsea finished third last season. No, that isn't a typo. And now the reigning champions are back on top, with Manchester City leading the 2026/27 table on 25 points after nine games, two clear of Chelsea on 23. Chelsea were held 1-1 by Everton last weekend, while Manchester City casually decided that five goals against West Ham would be a reasonable way to prepare for a title showdown. Bunny Shaw has already scored 12 league goals this season, while Chelsea have conceded only five in nine matches. Something has to give. Preferably not the Stamford Bridge goal nets. A City victory would extend their advantage to five points. A Chelsea victory would send the Londoners top by one. It's a genuine six-pointer, although the league will stubbornly insist on awarding only three points. Later, Tottenham Hotspur host Everton at 15:00 GMT before Brighton & Hove Albion face Liverpool at 17:15 GMT. Four fixtures, one Saturday and plenty of opportunities for the league table to shuffle itself around. The men's Premier League might be enjoying a weekend off, but the Women's Super League is very much on a roll. -------------------------- SUNDAY 15 NOVEMBER: DERBY DAY STACK If Saturday is all about the title race, Sunday is about local rivalries. Four derbies kick off simultaneously at 14:00 GMT. That's right. Four derbies. One kick-off time. Whoever invented the ability to open multiple browser tabs deserves a medal. -------------------------- Aston Villa vs Birmingham City — The Second City Derby Villa Park hosts the return of one of English football's most recognisable regional rivalries. It's the first Women's Super League meeting between these clubs since May 2022. Birmingham were relegated at the end of that campaign, but returned to the top flight this season after winning the 2025/26 Women's Super League 2 title. Aston Villa finished ninth in last season's top flight, while Birmingham are currently 13th following a difficult return to the division. Villa themselves sit ninth. The sides have already met in the Subway Players Cup this season, drawing 1-1 before Villa won the penalty shootout. So there's already unfinished business. Birmingham's Océane Hurtré has contributed seven league goals and two assists this season, making her one of the players Villa will need to watch. Expect tackles, tension and absolutely no neighbourly discounts. -------------------------- West Ham United vs Charlton Athletic — The London Derby Over at Victoria Road, West Ham welcome Charlton Athletic for another capital confrontation. Charlton earned promotion to the Women's Super League after beating Leicester City on penalties in May's promotion/relegation play-off. Unfortunately, their return to the top flight has been rather unforgiving. Nine matches. Nine defeats. Zero points. They came agonisingly close to changing that last weekend, only to surrender a 2-1 lead against Crystal Palace and lose 3-2. West Ham aren't exactly arriving with smiles either, having suffered a 5-0 defeat against Manchester City. Both teams desperately need a response. Someone is leaving with points, and Charlton will be hoping the league table finally discovers the number one. -------------------------- Sunderland vs Newcastle United — El Lassico Now we head to the Stadium of Light for arguably the most consequential derby in Women's Super League 2 this weekend. Sunderland against Newcastle United. The Wear-Tyne Derby. Or, as Sunderland have nicknamed it, El Lassico. And no, this isn't just about deciding which side of the North East gets the bragging rights. Newcastle are unbeaten league leaders with 19 points from seven games. Sunderland are second on 16 points. First against second. Three points separating them. Promotion ambitions on both sides. Newcastle have scored 19 league goals and conceded just three. Sunderland have scored 16. The Magpies have generally enjoyed the better of recent league meetings, but Sunderland won their Subway Players Cup encounter 1-0 last month thanks to Katie Kitching. Newcastle's Martha Thomas has seven league goals, while Sunderland's Elise Hughes has five. This could become a significant afternoon in the promotion race. For Newcastle, victory would open a six-point advantage. For Sunderland, victory would draw them level on points. Forget the neighbourhood watch. This is the neighbourhood showdown. -------------------------- Nottingham Forest vs Leicester City — The East Midlands Derby And how could we forget the East Midlands? Nottingham Forest welcome Leicester City to the City Ground, where two clubs with very different recent fortunes meet. Forest are unbeaten in the league after seven matches, sitting fourth with 13 points following three wins and four draws. They arrive after a convincing 4-1 victory over Wolves. Leicester, meanwhile, finished bottom of the 2025/26 Women's Super League and were relegated after losing the play-off to Charlton Athletic. They're now ninth in Women's Super League 2 with seven points, having struggled to maintain their promising start to the season. Forest haven't lost a league game. Leicester desperately need to rediscover how to win one. And it's been more than eight years since these two clubs last met. The East Midlands certainly hasn't been short of football rivalries, but this one is overdue for a reunion. There may be no men's East Midlands Derby for now, but the women's teams have the region covered. -------------------------- AND SUNDAY ISN'T FINISHED YET At 16:30 GMT, Arsenal host London City Lionesses at the Emirates Stadium. Here's another fixture that looks fascinating when you consider last season's final standings. Arsenal finished second in the 2025/26 Women's Super League, while newly promoted London City Lionesses finished an impressive sixth. This season, London City are currently third with 19 points, six ahead of sixth-placed Arsenal. Arsenal have Alessia Russo in excellent goalscoring form, while London City have already registered six league victories. And after four simultaneous afternoon derbies, this match provides a fitting finale. Apparently, the football calendar has decided that Sunday evenings are for recovery. Just not yet. -------------------------- THE INTERNATIONAL BREAK DOESN'T MEAN A DOMESTIC FOOTBALL BREAK There's a wider point worth making here. With the men's Premier League absent, this weekend gives the Women's Super League and Women's Super League 2 a chance to attract attention from supporters who might not normally follow either competition. And there are genuine sporting stakes throughout the weekend. Manchester City are defending their title. Chelsea are trying to reclaim top spot. Newcastle and Sunderland are competing at the summit of the second tier. Birmingham, Charlton and Leicester are adjusting to very different circumstances following the promotions and relegation of 2025/26. This isn't simply football filling a vacant television schedule. It's a weekend of significant fixtures in its own right. -------------------------- FULL VIEWING AND LISTENING GUIDE COMING FRIDAY I'll be putting together a dedicated weekend guide on Friday 13 November, covering where supporters can watch and listen to the matches in the United Kingdom, including television, streaming and radio commentary. I'll also include information on how international audiences can follow the action, with relevant broadcasters and streaming options around the world. For now, the three official previews are well worth reading: Official WSL and WSL2 Derby Weekend Preview Tyne-Wear Derby Preview: Sunderland vs Newcastle United Second City Derby Preview: Aston Villa vs Birmingham City -------------------------- So, whether you're staying up late, waking up early or enjoying the matches at a perfectly civilised hour, there's plenty of domestic football to keep you entertained. The men's Premier League is taking a break. The women's domestic game is putting its foot on the accelerator. Grand Slam Saturday. Derby Day Stack. No match too big, no rivalry too small. -------------------------- Which fixture are you most looking forward to this weekend? Chelsea vs Manchester City, El Lassico, the Second City Derby, the East Midlands Derby, or something else entirely?   submitted by   /u/MonthRemarkable9919 [link]   [comments]