The Boar

The beginning of the Women’s Super League (WSL) 26/27 season is inching closer, with the opening match set for Friday 4 September. With four days to go, The Boar Sport is counting down to kick-off!

Every day leading up to the inaugural blow of the whistle, we will preview a pair of WSL sides facing off on opening weekend, analysing their summer business and setting expectations for the campaign ahead. On today’s agenda is Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham.

Tottenham Hotspur

Finishing in fifth place and tallying up the most points in club history in the WSL, Tottenham’s 2025/2026 campaign marked a dramatic turnaround from their disappointing second-from-bottom finish the season prior.

Their solid campaign was led by their newly appointed manager Martin Ho, who has been a key part in transforming the team from an innocuous mid-table (or even bottom of the table) team to legitimate competitors in the top half of the table. Narrowing the gap to the top of the table, Tottenham took points off both Arsenal and Manchester United, while a thrilling 7-3 victory over Aston Villa showcased their newfound high intensity and conviction – a stark contrast to their consistently lacklustre attack last season.

Similar to their quiet improvements on the pitch, their movements during this summer transfer window have gone under the radar. Their aim this season will surely be to challenge for Champions League spots, and their signings so far have made that clear. Despite being a smaller club compared to the top four, they have managed to attract high-level players.

Tottenham boast a squad that, on paper, could challenge for the top spots in the WSL

Following the departure of captain and all-time leading goalscorer Bethany England, Spurs were tasked with rebuilding their frontline. In response, they brought in Kirsty Hanson from Aston Villa, who finished as the WSL’s third-highest scorer last season after netting 43% of her former club’s goals. Combining immense quality with a relentless work rate, Hanson stands out as one of their most exciting additions and someone who could prove vital in consolidating Tottenham’s position among the league’s elite.

To strengthen squad depth, Spurs have also invested in bright young talent. Most notably, they paid a club-record fee for centre-back Alice Sombath from OL Lyonnes, who brings European experience alongside an aggressive, high-quality ball-playing style to boost the defence. She joins January signing Signe Gaupset, already recognised as one of the league’s most promising young prospects, in adding a fresh youthful spark to the squad.

Further bolstering the roster, Spurs secured former Arsenal midfielder Victoria Pelova, 25/26 West Ham top scorer Shekiera Martinez, Wolfsburg defender Caitlin Dijkstra, and goalkeeper Selma Panengstuen.

West Ham

Unlike the upward trajectory that Tottenham enjoyed, West Ham spent the larger part of last season stuck in a relegation battle that eventually saw them finish tenth.

The Hammers have so far brought in ten new faces to add depth to every area of the pitch

After winning only one match out of their opening 11, they sacked head coach Rehanne Skinner in December 2025. However, appointing former Juventus coach Rita Guarino did not bring them the so-called immediate ‘new manager bounce.’ Instead, Guarino gradually steadied the ship and instilled some much-needed defensive organisation. As a result, the latter half of the season won them some notable points, such as a dramatic 3-2 win over Brighton and a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Manchester United, helping the Hammers pull away from the relegation zone and into safety.

Following a deeply unsatisfactory season, West Ham embarked on a sweeping squad overhaul as contracts expired in June, parting ways with seven players, including Shelina Zadorsky, Verena Hanshaw, and former captain Katrina Gorry. In their place, the Hammers have so far brought in ten new faces to add depth to every area of the pitch.

A major priority was stability at the back. French international defender Estelle Cascarino made her return from Juventus permanent following her short-term spell, joining high-profile centre-back Laia Codina from Arsenal and French international goalkeeper Constance Picaud. Dynamic Swiss full-back Nadine Riesen and promising young defender Niamh Peacock complete the defensive additions.

In midfield, former Manchester United captain Katie Zelem also made her stay permanent after her loan spell, bringing leadership and composure alongside the youthful energy of teenage prospect Sienna Wareing, who signed her first professional contract this summer.

The London derby will serve as an immediate test for both revamped squads

To address a frontline that scored the second-fewest goals in the league, West Ham added significant pace and attacking threat. Versatile forward Ebony Salmon from Aston Villa and French international striker Kelly Gago from Everton arrived, bringing physicality and goalscoring ability to complement the squad’s emerging talent.

The depth created by such extensive recruitment should also increase competition for places and, in turn, raise standards across the squad.

Heading into their first full season under head coach Rita Guarino, the focus is on stabilising the team and moving away from the bottom-tier struggles of recent years. A mid-table finish is a realistic target, with the hope that these high-tempo additions will allow West Ham to dictate more matches rather than continually operate in survival mode.

The London derby between these two sides on Sunday, 6 September, will act as an immediate challenge for both transformed squads after the transfer window, putting to the test how chemistry between new recruits and established figures has developed over preseason.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, 29 June 2026

Bad Bunny has been releasing music for a decade, starting off with SoundCloud uploads. Since then, he has achieved a lot, including the number one spot for the most Spotify listeners in 2020, 2021, 2022, and then again in 2025. 2026 has been an impressive year for the Puerto Rican artist, who reached 98.6 million Spotify listeners, won awards at the Grammys, including Best Album of the Year, and even headlinedthe SuperbowlHalftime show. He also broke the digital and global streaming record with 4 billion views across platforms within the first 24 hours. So, is the hype worth it? After going to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday to see him perform, I can confirm that yes, it definitely is.

With about 50,000 fans gathering for each of the two nights, this marked the first Latin American artist to headline a UK stadium. Considering it was the DeBíTiRARMáSFOToSworld tour, the setlist for this three-hour performance was the perfect mix of the DTMF album and others. It of course included‘TitíMe Preguntó’ from 2022 and ‘Si Veo a Tu Mamá’ from back in 2020, as well as two of my favourite songs of all time:‘DÁKITI’ and ‘VeLDÁ’.

The whole performance had an electricatmosphere, featuringlasers across the stage and fireworks

Bad Bunny donned a red, white, and blue Adidas tracksuit, in line with his recent Adidas collab. With Benito bouncing around the stage and La Casita (a Puerto Rican-esque home and a second stage) whilst nonchalantly chewing gum, the whole thing appeared like a music video on the screen. The house party vibe was even complete with red plastic cups.Visually eye-catching, the whole performance had an electricatmosphere, featuringlasers across the stage and fireworks. He also briefly brought out Damon Albarn, who he collaborated with on ‘Tormenta’ by Gorillaz in 2023, and who is famous from both Blur and Gorillaz.

Lots of celebrities were in both La Casita and the general concert, including Matthew Broome from the My Fault: London films. Saturday night also saw Maya Jama, Margot Robbie (semi-incognito in an oversized bucket hat and sunglasses), and Novak Djokovic. Djokovic even introduced a song for the artist, who was seenin attendance at Wimbledon the following day. Lots of fans were dressed in Bad Bunny merch, shirts representing their Latin American country, or just generallyvibrant outfits. His fan interactions were also wholesome, as he took a designated break to shake hands and have conversations with fans at the front row opposite La Casita. Similarly heartfelt was his encouraging speech at the end of the concert, with his insistence that no matter what any one person might be going through, everyone should savour the simple things in life and cherish happy memories.

Bad Bunny doesn’t shy away from politics, previously excluding mainland America from his world tour to avoid his fans being targeted by ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) after his shows. His performance at the Superbowl Halftime show sparkedcontroversy, not only due to his criticism of ICE, but also due to his Spanish lyrics.

Bad Bunny also spotlighted incredible Puerto Rican talent with a 16-person salsa band

On his first night performing in London, Bad Bunny asked fans if they would prefer him to speak in Spanish or English between songs, and the stadium enthusiastically voted for Spanish. The album’s mascot, the critically endangered Puerto Rican crested toad, appeared on the screen and briefly taught the crowd Puerto Rican slang. Bringing the audience together, this also highlighted the importance of protecting Puerto Rican heritage and culture, as well as nature and the toad itself. Bad Bunny also spotlighted incredible Puerto Rican talent with a 16-person salsa band, along with the more sombre voicing of his support for those suffering from the Venezuelan earthquakes.

As he finished singing ‘DtMF’, he asked everyone in the crowd to hug a friend, as the cardboard cameras handed out to fans at the start illuminated the entire stadium. Even for those who didn’t speak Spanish, the language barrier couldn’t obscure the palpable togetherness of the crowd.