Manchester City have wasted no time in showing their intentions this season.
Five games into the 2026-27 campaign, Andree Jeglertz’s side are the only team in the Women’s Super League with a 100% record, having won all five of their opening fixtures.
Their latest victory was perhaps the most significant yet.
City beat Arsenal 4-2 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, maintaining their perfect start and opening up a two-point advantage over Chelsea at the top of the table.
But while five wins from five is an impressive statement, does such a start actually point towards another league title?
History suggests City have every reason to be optimistic.
How Rare Is a Five-Game Winning Start in the WSL?
Manchester City have become the 10th team in WSL history to win their opening five league matches.
However, doing so does not guarantee a title.
Of the previous nine teams to achieve the feat, only three went on to become champions.
Manchester City are one of them, having won the title in 2016 after beginning the campaign with five consecutive victories.
Arsenal and Chelsea are the other two.
Chelsea's most recent example came in 2024-25, when Sonia Bompastor's side won their opening nine WSL matches before eventually lifting the trophy.
That run matched Arsenal's record for the best start to a WSL season, set in 2018-19.
Arsenal's perfect opening five games have also produced a couple of less encouraging examples.
The Gunners won their first five matches in both 2020-21 and 2022-23, only to finish third on both occasions.
So while a perfect start puts City in impressive company, it certainly does not guarantee what comes next.
The table below shows the teams that have won their opening five WSL matches and where they eventually finished that season.
| Teams | Season | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 2011 | 2 |
| Manchester City | 2016 | 1 |
| Manchester City | 2017-18 | 2 |
| Arsenal | 2018-19 | 1 |
| Arsenal | 2020-21 | 3 |
| Arsenal | 2021-22 | 2 |
| Arsenal | 2022-23 | 3 |
| Manchester United | 2022-23 | 2 |
| Chelsea | 2024-25 | 1 |
| Manchester City | 2026-27 | - |
Source: Opta Analyst
When Manchester City’s Fast Starts Have Led to WSL Titles
There is, however, another reason for City supporters to be encouraged.
The club have already demonstrated that they can turn an unbeaten start into silverware.
In 2016, Nick Cushing's Manchester City won their first six WSL matches before finishing the campaign five points clear of Chelsea to claim the title.
Interestingly, City actually made an even stronger start the following season.
They won their opening seven matches in 2017-18 but ultimately finished second.
That serves as an important reminder that momentum in September and October does not necessarily translate into success the following spring.
City will be hoping this season follows the 2016 script rather than the 2017-18 one.
How Strong Starts Have Predicted WSL Champions
Looking beyond the opening five matches, history provides another interesting benchmark.
Excluding the 2017 Spring Series, just one of the previous 15 WSL champions collected fewer than 10 points from their opening five matches.
That exception was Liverpool in 2014.
The Reds took just six points from their first five games after recording one win, three draws and a defeat.
What followed was an extraordinary turnaround.
Liverpool eventually finished level on points with Chelsea and were crowned champions on goal difference.
For almost every other champion, however, a strong opening five has been a common feature.
And City have gone well beyond that benchmark.
Manchester City Have Started Better Than Their 2025-26 Title Season
Perhaps the most encouraging statistic for City is the comparison with their own title-winning campaign.
The reigning champions did not have a perfect start last season.
They won four of their opening five matches and lost one, collecting 12 points before eventually going on to secure the WSL title.
This time around, they have already taken 15 points.
That puts them in an even stronger position than they were in during their championship-winning campaign.
History also shows just how difficult it is for a team to recover from repeated early defeats.
Only six WSL champions have ever lost one of their opening five matches, while no team has gone on to win the title after losing more than once during that period.
City have avoided that problem altogether.
Can Manchester City Turn Their Perfect Start Into Another WSL Title?
There are still 21 league matches to play, meaning plenty can change between now and the end of the season.
Chelsea remain within touching distance, while Arsenal, along with the rest of the chasing pack, will have plenty of opportunities to close the gap.
City themselves will face difficult periods of the campaign, particularly once domestic and European commitments begin to pile up.
But the early signs are certainly encouraging.
Five wins from five.
A two-point lead at the top.
A 4-2 victory over one of their biggest rivals.
And a start that is already better than the one which preceded their most recent title triumph.
History does not guarantee Manchester City another WSL crown.
But if the past is anything to go by, Jeglertz's side have given themselves an excellent platform as they target back-to-back WSL titles for the first time in club history.
