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

sportsmole.co.uk, 9 December 2022, 15:45
Liverpool Women will look to claim consecutive victories in the Women's Super League when they welcome Leicester Women to Prenton Park on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Foxes are still searching for their first points of the season after losing all nine of their WSL matches this term.

Match preview

After losing five straight league games, Liverpool have shown signs of improvement in recent weeks, picking up five points from their previous three WSL matches.

The Reds played out consecutive 3-3 league draws against Brighton and Reading, before they recorded a 2-0 victory over West Ham United last weekend.

Ceri Holland and Katie Stengel grabbed a goal apiece in the opening 20 minutes to end a seven-game winless league run, while they also kept their first clean sheet of the WSL season.

Although they lost 2-0 to Manchester City in the League Cup on Wednesday, Liverpool will head into Sunday's contest in a confident mood after avoiding defeat in their last three league games.

With eight points from their nine games, the Reds are comfortably clear of Leicester City, who sit bottom of the WSL table without a point to their name, but Matt Beard's side will be determined to extend that gap with a victory on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Leicester have been cut adrift at the bottom of the top-flight, with seven points separating them from safety.

Including last season, the Foxes have drawn one and lost 15 of their last 16 league matches, and they will be looking to avoid an 11th straight league defeat on Sunday.

Willie Kirk moved from his position as Director of Football to take over the reins from Lydia Bedford, who was sacked prior to Leicester's 4-0 defeat to Arsenal.

After beginning his reign with a disappointing result against the Gunners, the Foxes were narrowly beaten 1-0 by West Ham United following Izzy Atkinson's 88th-minute winner, but they were thrashed 8-0 by the reigning Champions, Chelsea, at the weekend.

While the defeat to Chelsea highlights their defensive issues, they are also struggling in the final third, with two goals from nine games making them the WSL's lowest scorers, and Kirk will be well aware that his side need to improve at both ends of the pitch if they are to stand any chance of closing the gap to the teams above them.

Liverpool Women Women's Super League form:

L

L

L

D

D

W

Liverpool Women (all competitions) form:

Leicester Women Women's Super League form:

L

L

L

L

L

L

Leicester Women (all competitions) form:

Team News

Liverpool are expected to be without the services of Rhiannon Roberts, while Charlotte Wardlaw could also miss out.

Melissa Lawley missed the midweek cup defeat to Man City due to an injury issue, but the Reds are hopeful that she could be could feature on Sunday.

Beard rotated his side on Wednesday, but he is expected to select the same lineup that started last weekend's victory over West Ham.

As for the visitors, they have a number of injury absentees, including Abbie McManus, Shannon O'Brien and Ashleigh Plumptre.

Josie Green, Lachante Paul and Jess Sigsworth are also sidelined, while Erin Simon is a doubt after picking up an injury against Chelsea last weekend.

If Simon is unable to feature on Sunday then Catherine Bott will come into the side, while Natasha Flint may be brought into the starting lineup.

Liverpool Women possible starting lineup:

Laws; Fahey, Flaherty, Campbell; Koivisto, Holland, Matthews, Hinds; Van der Sanden, Lawley, Stengel

Leicester Women possible starting lineup:

Lambourne; Bott, Howard, Brougham, Purfield; Whelan, Tierney, Pike; Goodwin, Jones, Flint

We say: Liverpool Women 2-0 Leicester Women

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