Durham vs Southampton
Sunday 6th September, Maiden Castle Sports Park, 12:00pm
Five of the gameweek one fixtures take place on Sunday, starting with a clash between Durham and Southampton at midday.
The home side had a challenging 2025-2026 season but escaped relegation after finishing 10th in the BWSL2 table. Despite this, their 0-1 win over Newcastle on the final day may give them confidence heading into September. The summer transfer window resulted in significant change, as midfielder Mollie Lambert departed the club. The 28-year-old was Durham’s joint second highest goalscorer last season and regularly played the full 90 minutes, creating a notable absence within the club. However, midfielder Beth Hepple remains with Durham following a successful campaign that earned her a spot in the BWSL2 team of the season – there is plenty of talent within their squad which could certainly help them climb the league table from week one.
Southampton sat fifth in last season’s league standings, signing off with a 0-3 win away to Nottingham Forest, and will likely be seeking a spot in the top half of the table once more. A key player to look out for is attacking midfielder Mary Bashford, Southampton’s top goalscorer last season. One question heading into the weekend yet to be answered is who will be taking on the captaincy role as former captain Atlanta Primus departed the club in June 2026. As a key piece to Southampton’s success, it will be interesting to see which player steps into her leadership role. The summer transfer window saw Welsh international Laura Hughes join the Saints, having recently won the A-League with former side Melbourne City for the third time. Could her impressive history of silverware help put Southampton on track for success heading into their opening fixture?
Whilst last season’s standings would suggest that Southampton are the stronger of the sides, the head-to-head history between these clubs show that this clash could go either way. Last season both meetings ended in a draw, most recently 0-0 in March but also 1-1 back in November. Will Sunday’s fixture break this pattern, allowing either side to earn three points to kick off their season?