Albion are back at the Amex for the first time this season when they take on Reading in the Barclays Women’s Super League on Sunday, kick-off 2pm.
Team News
Hope Powell will be without long-term absentees Rebekah Stott, Megan Connolly and Maisie Symonds, who scored our goal in our last WSL match at the Amex against Leicester last November. Danielle Carter is also side-lined as she recovers from Covid and Emma Kullberg serves a one-match ban after her red card against Arsenal last week. Reading have lost striker Deanne Rose for an extended period after she suffered an Achilles injury in last week’s 4-0 loss to Manchester United.
View from the Bench
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Manager Hope Powell: “We’ve had to adjust again for this week because we’ve lost an important player in Emma Kullberg, but the players are very positive and looking forward to playing at the Amex on Sunday. For the players it’s a great occasion and an opportunity to showcase their talent and hopefully it’s a good day for us. Playing at your home stadium can only spur you on, there would be a problem if they’re not motivated by playing at the Amex.
“We see it as an opportunity, I’m sure Reading will see it the same way. Since we’ve been in the WSL we’ve been near each other [in the table] so we expect a very tough game. Reading have gained some players and I guess they will want them to add value quickly as we do with the players we have brought in.”
Reading boss Kelly Chambers: “The girls put in a better second-half performance against United and that’s what we have to build on. Brighton will be a different kind of test for us and one we will have to be ready for from the first whistle.”
Form Guide
Both teams lost their WSL openers 4-0 last weekend. Albion were beaten by Arsenal after playing for all but the first seven minutes with ten players after Emma Kullberg was sent off. Reading lost away to Manchester United, for whom ex-Albion defender Maya Le Tissier scored twice on her debut.
Previous Meetings
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The sides played each other three times last season. In February two goals from Kayleigh Green helped Albion to a 4-1 home win over the Royals and revenge for two defeats earlier in the season. Green and Emma Koivisto had been on target in a 3-2 home loss in the FA Cup a few weeks earlier while Reading won 2-0 at home last November in the WSL.
Player to watch
The striker Natasha Dowie, who has been capped by England, signed for Reading in 2021 and the 34-year-old was the club’s top goal scorer in the WSL with six last season, making her the highest scorer in the league apart from players who compete for the “top four” of Chelsea, Arsenal and the two Manchester clubs.
Stats
- Albion have won one of their seven Barclays Women’s Super League games against Reading (D1 L5), winning the most recent game in February.
- Reading’s four away Barclays WSL matches against Brighton have seen 18 goals scored (8 Brighton, 10 Reading), with both sides finding the net in each game. The Royals have won two of the four visits (D1 L1).
- Reading have taken just three points from their last 11 Barclays WSL matches (D3 L8). Prior to this run, they’d taken 22 points from a possible 24 across their previous eight matches (W7 D1).
- This will be Albion’s fifth Barclays Women’s Super League match at the Amex Stadium – they’ve won their last three games there since losing 4-0 to Arsenal in April 2019.
- The two players to make the most clearances on MD1 of this season’s Barclays WSL were Reading duo Emma Mukandi (10) and Gemma Evans (9). The third most was Brighton’s Kayleigh Green (7).
- No player had more take-ons following a ball carry on MD1 of this season’s Barclays WSL than Albion midfielder Guemmin Lee (3).