Preview: Leicester Women vs. Manchester City Women - prediction, team news, lineups

The visitors have not lost a game since September, and they will be looking to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to 16 matches.

Match preview

After experiencing a 16-game winless run in the WSL - which included 15 defeats - Leicester ended their long wait for a league win with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Brighton.

Goals from Aileen Whelan, Sam Tierney and Monique Robinson helped Leicester beat the Seagulls and claim their first points of the WSL season.

Since their first league win of the season, Leicester have lost 1-0 to Saturday's opponents in the League Cup, while they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Reading last weekend.

With the score level at 2-2 after extra time, the Foxes were subsequently beaten on penalties, leaving Willie Kirk's side to focus on their battle to remain in the topflight.

Leicester are currently bottom of the WSL table, with four points separating them from safety, and although they will want to close that gap on Saturday, their head-to-head record suggests that may prove difficult, as Leicester have lost all seven competitive meetings with the Citizens.

Manchester City are unbeaten in 15 matches in all competitions, but they have dropped points in two of their last three league games.

In their final league game of 2022, Gareth Taylor's side played out a 1-1 draw with Manchester United, before they began the new year with a narrow 1-0 win over Leicester.

The Citizens were held to a 1-1 draw by Aston Villa in their most recent league outing, leaving them in fourth position and two points adrift of third-placed Arsenal, who have played a game less.

Man City have since responded to their frustrating result against the Villans with two comfortable victories over Championship sides, thrashing Bristol City 6-0 in the League Cup before hammering Sheffield United 7-0 in the FA Cup last weekend.

Before Man City can focus on Wednesday's League Cup semi-final against Arsenal, they will be looking to claim an eighth consecutive away win when they face Leicester on Saturday.

Leicester Women Women's Super League form:

L

L

L

L

L

W

Leicester Women form (all competitions):

Manchester City Women Women's Super League form:

W

W

W

D

W

D

Manchester City Women form (all competitions):

Team News

Leicester are expected to be without the services of Jess Sigsworth, Lachante Paul, Josie Green and Abbie McManus due to injury issues.

After joining on loan from Man City, Ruby Mace made her debut last weekend, but she is ineligible to play against her parent club on Saturday.

Fellow January arrivals Georgia Eaton-Collins and Courtney Nevin also made their debuts, featuring as substitutes in the FA Cup meeting with Reading, and they are expected to be on the bench once again.

As for Man City, Demi Stokes has been missed the first five games of 2023 through injury, but she could return to the matchday squad on Saturday.

While Stokes could be fit enough to feature among the substitutes, Esme Morgan remains sidelined for the Citizens.

With 16 goals to her name in as many appearances across all competitions this season, Shaw will look to continue her impressive form when she leads the line.

Leicester Women possible starting lineup:

Leitzig; Bott, Howard, Plumptre, Purfield; Cain, Whelan, Pike, Tierney, Baker; Goodwin

Manchester City Women possible starting lineup:

Roebuck; Aleixandri, Kennedy, Greenwood, Ouahabi; Coombs, Hasegawa, Castellanos; Hemp, Kelly, Shaw

We say: Leicester Women 0-2 Manchester City Women

Leicester have shown signs of improvement in recent weeks, and after strengthening their squad in January they will believe that they can close the gap to safety.

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