The Women's Super League 2 (WSL 2) is set for a dramatic, winner-takes-all finale, with Charlton Athletic and Birmingham City locked in a tense promotion battle.
Just one point separates the top three sides heading into the final weekend, leaving all of them within touching distance of a place in the topflight. The stakes are even higher this season due to changes in the league structure.
How does promotion work in WSL 2?
With the Women's Super League expanding from 12 to 14 teams, the top two sides in WSL 2 will earn automatic promotion.
Meanwhile, the team that finishes third will enter a playoff against the lowest-ranked WSL side for the final spot.
Promotion permutations:
Birmingham City, Charlton Athletic and Crystal Palace have secured the top three positions and are guaranteed either promotion or a shot at it. The trio sit seven points clear of fourth-placed Bristol City, ensuring the race is firmly between them.
Charlton looked like clear frontrunners for much of the campaign, going on an extended unbeaten run.
However, a dip in form at a crucial stage has allowed Birmingham to close the gap to just one point. Charlton still lead the standings on 42 points, but are just one point ahead of Birmingham and Crystal Palace are close behind on 41.
Birmingham missed the opportunity to seal promotion last weekend after a surprising 3-0 defeat to Ipswich Town. That result has set up a finely balanced conclusion, where a win for either Birmingham or Charlton -- who have the home advantage -- would guarantee automatic promotion.
A draw would also be enough for both sides to go up automatically, but that scenario depends on Crystal Palace. Level on points with Birmingham, Palace could disrupt those plans if they secure a victory in their own fixture. The south London side, relegated from the WSL last season, host already relegated Portsmouth and will be aiming to capitalise.
A win for Palace, combined with a slip from either Birmingham or Charlton, could see them leapfrog into one of the automatic promotion spots or even top the table in the event of a draw between their title rivals.
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The playoff route:
Whichever team finishes third will face Leicester City in the promotion playoff. Leicester have already been confirmed as the lowest-ranked WSL side following a heavy 7-0 defeat to Arsenal and have endured a difficult season overall, managing just two wins and three draws while finishing well adrift of the rest of the league.
So, when is the season finale?
All WSL 2 games will take place at the same time on Saturday May 2, at 3pm BST (10am ET). Palace host Portsmouth at VBS Community Stadium while Charlton host Birmingham at The Valley where a record-breaking crowd is expected.
Charlton have already beaten the club's record ticket sales for a league match in 20 years.
All of that sets the stage for a final day packed with tension, permutations and high stakes, as three clubs battle for two automatic promotion places and one last chance via the play-offs.
