London City Lionesses have won promotion to the Women\u2019s Super League (WSL) for the first time.<\/p>\n
London City, owned by Washington Spirit and Lyon Feminin owner Michele Kang, will be the only fully independent club in the 2025-26 WSL, with all 12 teams in this season\u2019s top flight attached to a Premier League club.<\/p>\n
The club secured their promotion after avoiding defeat against second-placed Birmingham City on the season\u2019s final day.<\/p>\n
London City had taken a 2-0 lead shortly before the hour mark at St Andrew\u2019s through Izzy Goodwin\u2019s spectacular solo effort from 20 yards out and a glancing Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah header.<\/p>\n
But Birmingham fought back, halving the deficit on 63 minutes via Emily van Egmond, before Cho So-hyun levelled the scores with four minutes remaining with a sweetly-struck volley to set up a grandstand finish. However, London City saw out a nervous ten minutes of stoppage time to cue an outpouring of celebration at full time.<\/p>\n
The match also marked a first in the UK with Sky Sports, the leading sports broadcaster, carrying a Women\u2019s Championship game live for the first time.<\/p>\n
\nSee you next season, @BarclaysWSL<\/a> \ud83d\udc4b pic.twitter.com\/VT0V4eLPFH<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 London City Lionesses (@LC_Lionesses) May 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Kang announced in December 2023 she had acquired London City<\/a> and stated her ambition was to take the club to the WSL.<\/p>\n
The club made significant moves ahead of the 2024-25 season, appointing former Paris Saint-Germain boss Jocelyn Precheur as their new head coach and completing the ambitious signings of Sweden international Kosovare Asllani and forward Goodwin, the Championship\u2019s top scorer from the previous campaign, who has led the league\u2019s scoring charts again this term. They also announced the purchase of a new 23-acre training facility in June.<\/p>\n
London City won 13 of their 20 league games this season, losing just three times.<\/p>\n
Since being beaten 3-2 by Durham in November, they have embarked on an 11-game unbeaten league run, winning eight times, to move ahead of Birmingham.<\/p>\n
London City will face a significant challenge in the WSL next term, with newly-promoted teams typically struggling in the top flight in recent seasons. Bristol City were relegated during the 2023-24 campaign after winning just once all season, with Crystal Palace following them this time around having won just twice.<\/p>\n
U.S. businesswoman Kang, 65, has been a consistent investor in women\u2019s sport. In addition to her multi-club model, she made a $30million pledge to U.S. Soccer in November \u2014 the largest donation towards women\u2019s and girls\u2019 programs in the federation\u2019s 111-year history \u2014 and following this with a further $25m investment in April<\/a>.<\/p>\n
(Photo: Molly Darlington \u2013 The FA\/The FA via Getty Images)<\/p>\n