Match Previews

WSL preview: Albion head to Leicester City

The run-in starts at the King Power Stadium on Sunday.

By Bruce Talbot • 23 March 2024

By Kyle Hemsley
Albion head into Sunday's game in tenth place in the WSL.

Albion begin the run-in to the end of the WSL season on Sunday when they face Leicester City at the King Power Stadium, kick off 3pm.

With only one game left against a team in the top four there is the opportunity to climb the table, starting against the Foxes. Victory could lift Albion up to seventh.

Team news

Poppy Pattinson is available after serving her three-match suspension but defender Maria Thorisdottir – a league ever-present this season – is a doubt after going off at half-time in last Sunday's game against Manchester City with an ankle injury. Head coach Mikey Harris said, “She is probably 50/50. I am hopeful but we know there’s the possibility she won’t be available.”

View from the bench

06:21

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Mikey Harris's Leicester City press conference

Last meeting

Albion came from 2-0 down at the Broadfield Stadium to draw 2-2 thanks to two goals in the last eight minutes by top scorer Elisabeth Terland. The Foxes had left thanks to goals either side of half-time by Lena Petermann and Jutta Rantala.

07:21

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WSL Highlights: Albion 2 Leicester City 2

Player to watch

Jutta Rantala, who scored when the teams met in November, has been involved in more goals than any other Leicester player in the WSL this season (9 – 5 goals, 4 assists), though just two of those involvements have come at home when she scored and assisted against Bristol City.

The 23-year-old signed a two-year-deal with the Foxes following two seasons in Sweden’s top-flight, where she made 57 appearances in all competitions.

Stats and facts

Leicester City lost their first WSL game against Albion in November 2021 but are unbeaten in their four league meetings with the Seagulls since (W3 D1).

Albion have lost their two away trips to the King Power Stadium in the Women’s Super League without scoring, going down 1-0 in January 2022 and 3-0 in January 2023.

Leicester lost 4-0 to Chelsea in their last home WSL game; it’s the seventh time they’ve conceded 4+ goals in a home WSL game since their promotion in 2021, more than any other side during that time.

Albion won their most recent away game in the WSL 7-3 against Bristol City having lost each of their previous three away matches without scoring; the Seagulls haven’t won back-to-back  matches on the road in the league since March 2022.

Leicester have lost each of their last two league games without scoring; they last lost three in a row in the WSL without scoring between November and December 2022.

On average, Albion are shipping 2.31 goals per game in the WSL this season, only having a higher average in a single campaign in the competition in 2022-23 (2.86). Indeed, the Seagulls have lost five of their last seven games in the competition (W2).

Only Bristol City (47) have conceded more goals in the WSL this season than Brighton (37); while the Seagulls have faced the most shots (302) and have the highest xG against total (32.62) for 2023-24. However, upcoming opponents, Leicester, have the highest xG per shot faced in the WSL this season (0.13).

Two of Geummin Lee’s three goal involvements for Brighton in the WSL this season have come in her last two games (1 goal, 1 assist) – not since September 2021 has she been involved in a goal in three successive games in the competition.

Only Khadija Shaw (16) and Lauren James (13) have more goals in the WSL this season than Albion’s Elisabeth Terland (11), with her goals equating to eight points, more than any other player in the division for 2023-24.

Match officials

Referee: Cheryl Foster

Assistants: Emily Carney & Ruby Sykes

Fourth official: Adewunmi Soneye