WSL team news: Kirby still missing for West Ham trip

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2026-02-07T06:00+00:00

Fran Kirby could return in time for Albion's FA Cup tie against the Hammers later in February.

Albion will be looking to return to winning ways on Sunday when they travel to the Chigwell Construction Stadium to take on West Ham United, kick off 12 noon.

Team news

Albion have no fresh injury worries but Fran Kirby is still out, although interim head coach Chris Roberts hopes she will be back when Albion face the Hammers on 22 February in the FA Cup. Marit Auee could return before then but Maelys Mpome and Aisha Masaka are still missing.

Chris Roberts' pre-match press conference

Stats and facts

West Ham United will be looking to win consecutive Women’s Super League home games against Brighton and Hove Albion for the first time following a 3-1 victory in this fixture last season. Their last home loss to the Seagulls in the league came in November 2022, becoming the only team to score four times at home and still lose in the WSL (4-5).

Albion have won eight of their last 11 WSL games against West Ham United (D1 L2) and could complete a league double over the Hammers for the fourth time after the 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns.

West Ham United lost their first home game of 2026 to Tottenham Hotspur (1-2), but only in 2019 have the Hammers lost their first two WSL home matches of a calendar year (vs Arsenal and Manchester City).

Albion have won two of their last three WSL away games (L1), just one fewer than across their 18 matches on the road prior (W3 D3 L12); the Seagulls could win back-to-back away league games for the first time since March 2024 under Mikey Harris.

When in a leading position in the WSL this season, only Everton (13.9) and London City Lionesses (13.4) average more shots against per 90 minutes than West Ham United (12.6) – the Hammers could lead in three straight league matches for the first time since November 2022 (6).

Albion have scored the most own goals in this season’s Women’s Super League (3) and since their first WSL campaign in 2018-19, only Spurs (14) have netted more than the Seagulls (13).

West Ham United have conceded 20 second half goals in the WSL this season, more than six teams have conceded overall in 2025-26 (including Brighton – 17). The Hammers have conceded a second half goal in 16 of their last 17 league matches – with the exception against leading goalscorers Man City – and they haven’t outscored their opponents in the second period since their 7-1 win at Crystal Palace last April (4-1 in 2nd half).

Excluding goalkeepers and defenders, the two pairs of players that have played in the most minutes together in the WSL this season without creating a single chance for each other are both from West Ham, Oona Siren and Viviane Asseyi (1170 minutes) and Oona Siren and Katrina Gorry (1123).

Kiko Seike has been directly involved in four of Brighton’s last five WSL goals (3 goals, 2 assists) and has the most goal involvements of any Seagulls’ player this term (7 – 5 goals, 2 assists); in fact, only Elisabeth Terland (21) and Aileen Whelan (18) have more goal involvements for the club all-time in the WSL than Seike (17).

Despite making just 26 appearances in the competition, West Ham United’s Shekiera Martinez is already the top scoring German player in the WSL with 15 goals (Pauline Bremer – 14) – she is the fourth quickest non-British player to that mark after Vivianne Miedema (17 apps), Sam Kerr (22) and Khadija Shaw (22).

Match officials