Khadija Shaw Returns to Top of WSL Golden Boot Race as Five-Way Battle Takes Shape

The Golden Boot Battle Heats Up

One of the most intriguing storylines of the 2026-27 WSL season comes in the goalscoring charts. After just six matchdays, only three goals separate the league's five leading scorers, setting up what could be the most competitive Golden Boot race in recent years.

A weekend brace saw Khadija Shaw return to the summit (7 goals) as she helped propel Manchester City to six wins from six, ahead of Océane Hurtré (six). Victoria Pelova sits close behind on five, while Lauren Hemp and Lauren James have each found the net four times.

A Sharper Spread of Goals Than Last Season

The early competitiveness is in stark contrast to last season, when Shaw ultimately finished eight goals clear of second-placed Alessia Russo, though of course there is plenty of time for Shaw, or someone else, to pull away again.

By Matchday 6 last season, Melvine Malard led the standings with five goals, while Shaw, Aggie Beever-Jones and Sofia Vignola all sat on four. This year, there are already five players with four or more goals, reflecting both the increase in total scoring across the league and a greater spread of different players getting on the scoresheet.

Shaw's Aerial Dominance Continues

Shaw's presence at the top of the standings is hardly surprising. The City forward remains the league's most feared aerial threat, and was on target with her head once again this weekend. Her three headed goals are the most of any player in the WSL this season, while her latest effort extended her all-time competition record to 34 headed goals. It is a weapon few opponents have found an answer to throughout her career.

The last player to score seven goals after six matches of a WSL season was Shaw herself in the 2022-23 campaign, when she went on to win the Golden Boot.

Hurtré Emerges as a Breakout Star

Among the chasing pack, Hurtré has been one of the division's biggest success stories. Having scored just three goals in WSL 2 last season, the Birmingham City forward has already doubled that tally after only six top-flight appearances, and she has quickly established herself as one of the breakout performers of the campaign.