Story by‘The gap is closing’ – Newcastle United ready to test themselves against West Ham says OxtobyWSL Full-TimeThu, January 15, 2026 at 8:42 PM UTC·3 min readNewcastle United head coach Tanya Oxtoby says that the gap between Barclays WSL2 and the top tier is closing. The Magpies face Barclays Women’s Super League opposition when they play host to West Ham United in the fourth round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup on Friday night. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhen speaking to the media in the pre-match press conference, Newcastle United boss Oxtoby said that the gap between the top two divisions is closing and that The Magpies can measure their progress against West Ham United.“I think the gap is closing, I know that much,” Oxtoby said. “When you look at the investment that goes in at WSL2 level around that top three or top four; in terms of squad depth, facilities and all that goes with it, the gap is definitely closing.“There’s probably a physical gap that clubs are aware of and we are working really hard to make sure that we are in a position to impact on [that]. When you are talking about the quality of players and all of the things that go around it, I think the gap is definitely closing between WSL1 and WSL2.