Women’s Super League fixtures and previews

Team news and stats for the latest round of the Women’s Super League, as Brighton visit Everton before four games on Sunday.

Everton vs Brighton – Saturday, 5.30pm

Saturday’s other match sees Everton host Brighton, the Toffees’ first league fixture since the departure of manager Willie Kirk and appointment of former Lyon boss Jean-Luc Vasseur as his successor.

Kirk left with the team lying eighth in the table after losing three of their opening five games this season.

Vasseur spoke at his pre-match press conference of his excitement at the club’s “very ambitious project” of trying to become a Champions League outfit, while also stressing “patience is very important”.

And when asked what he thought was realistic for Everton to achieve this season, he said: “To have the best place for this season and build on this result for the next seasons, I think is the situation.

“I know the real potential for maybe Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, and so it is to work to be close (to them at) this club.”

Vasseur’s reign started with a 3-1 League Cup win at Leicester on Wednesday. Hope Powell’s Brighton are fifth in the WSL table.

Team news

Danish international Nicoline Sorensen is expected to be the only absentee for Everton.

New manager Vasseur must decide whether to keep faith with those players who beat Leicester at The Pirelli Stadium on Wednesday or make one or two tweaks to his line-up.

Brighton may welcome goalkeeper Fran Stenson back into the squad after she was ineligible against her parent club Arsenal last weekend in the Vitality Women’s FA Cup.

Midfielder Dani Bowman is again likely to be sidelined but Hope Powell has no other injury concerns.

How to follow

Follow Everton vs Brighton in our dedicated live match blog on Saturday. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after full-time.

Opta stats

Everton won 5-0 when these teams last met in the WSL in March. Everton have only once won by a larger margin the competition, while Brighton have only twice been beaten by a larger margin.Brighton have avoided defeat on two of their three visits to Everton in the WSL (D2 L1) – a 3-3 draw in October 2018 and a 2-2 draw in October 2020, coming from behind in the second half of both matches.With three defeats from five matches in the WSL this season (W2), Everton have parted ways with manager Willie Kirk. At same stage last season, the Toffees had seven more points (13-6) and 10 more goals (16-6).Brighton have won nine of their last 14 matches in the WSL (L5), which is as many wins as in their previous 49 games in the competition. Since (and including) their victory over Chelsea in February, only three teams have won more games – Arsenal (13), Chelsea (12) and Manchester City (10).Everton won their last home league match against Birmingham City in September and are looking to win consecutive home matches in the WSL for the first time since October last year.Only Chelsea’s (8.1 metres) and Manchester City’s (8.7 metres) opponents have progressed the ball a shorter distance upfield per sequence in the WSL this season than Brighton’s opponents (9.3 metres).Everton have been on the receiving end of 60 High Turnovers in the WSL this season, the most of any side. A High Turnover is a sequence that starts in open play within 40 metres of the opposition goal.Brighton have earned nine points from their opening five WSL games this season (W3 L2), which is one more point than they earned from their opening five matches of each of their previous three campaigns combined (8 – 1 in 2018-19, 2 in 2019-20, 5 in 2020-21).Since the start of last season Izzy Christiansen has created 56 chances in the WSL for Everton, which is more than twice as many as any teammate in this time (Claire Emslie, 27). Her eight assists in this time are also double that of any player for Everton (Claire Emslie, 4).Brighton’s Lee Geum-min has scored five goals in her last six WSL matches, scoring with 45.5 percent of her shots over this run (5/11). Prior to this run she had scored only once in 18 appearances in the competition, scoring with 7 percent of her shots (1/14).

Tottenham vs Man Utd – Sunday, 12.15pm

Team news

Tottenham head coach Rehanne Skinner has been cryptic with her team news, saying that one unnamed player is out injured. Forward Rachel Williams returns to the squad after recently serving a one-match ban.

Manchester United boss Marc Skinner has also confirmed that Jackie Groenen is out with a slight hamstring strain, while defender Millie Turner remains sidelined due to an ongoing knee problem.

Kirsty Smith and Martha Thomas are back in full training and could be available although they are unlikely to start.

Meanwhile, Ella Toone, Kirsty Hanson and Leah Galton were all rested last time out against Durham, but will be pushing for recalls after a lengthy lay-off.

Opta stats

Manchester United have won each of the last six matches between these sides in all competitions in a run that started in November 2018 in the Women’s Championship. Manchester United have scored 20 goals across those games and have only conceded three times themselves.Tottenham have lost all four of their WSL matches against Manchester United, their worst 100% losing rate against any team in the competition. Conversely, the only other team Manchester United have beaten in each meeting in the WSL, having played them at least four times, is Everton (also 4/4).Tottenham’s five-game winning run, their longest ever winning run in the WSL, ended last time out with defeat against Brighton. Excluding a walkover victory against Birmingham City in January, they could win three consecutive home matches in the competition for the first time.After losing five games in nine between January and April this year, Manchester United have since lost only one of their last eight matches in the WSL (W6 D1), with that defeat coming against reigning champions Chelsea in September.Tottenham have kept as many clean sheets in their last six WSL matches (4) as they had across their previous 32 games in the competition (excluding a walkover victory against Birmingham City in January).Manchester United (2.4) and Tottenham (2.5) are the two sides whose opponents average the fewest passes per sequence in the WSL this season.Manchester United’s open play sequences have started 46.5 metres from their own goal on average in the WSL this season, the furthest of any side.Alex Morgan is still Tottenham’s joint-top scorer in home league matches since the start of last season with two goals, despite only playing 195 minutes across three matches in November/December of last year.Ella Toone has five goals and six assists across her last eight WSL matches for Manchester United. Dating back to the first game in this run back in April, the only player with more goal involvements in the competition in this time in Chelsea’s Sam Kerr (12 – 8 goals and 4 assists).Manchester United’s Alessia Russio has scored four goals in only five starts in the WSL, netting last time out against Manchester City.

Birmingham vs Reading – Sunday, 2pm

Team news

Birmingham striker Sarah Ewens will miss the game through injury while Veatriki Sarri is also absent.

Reading will be relying on Rachel Rowe for firepower, who finished as the Royals’ top scorer last season with five goals.

Olympic Gold medallist Deanne Rose, who joined the club in the summer from Florida Gators, has one assist to her name so far this season and is also set to feature.

Natasha Dowie provides extra stardust while Faye Bryson and Gemma Evans have started all five of Reading’s league fixtures so far.

Opta stats

Birmingham City have only lost once in 10 WSL meetings with Reading (W3 D6), with that defeat coming on the road in January 2020.Reading are yet to win away to Birmingham City in the WSL, although they have only lost once on four visits (D3 L1).Birmingham City have earned just one point from their opening five WSL matches this season (W0 D1 L4), making it their worst ever start to a campaign in the competition. The longest they’ve had to wait for their first win of the season in the competition was in 2015, picking up their first win in their ninth fixture.After opening their WSL season with four defeats and no goals from four games, Reading won 3-0 at home to Aston Villa last time out, scoring with three of their first four shots in the game.Birmingham City haven’t won at home in the WSL since October 2019 when they defeated Liverpool 2-0. Since that victory they have drawn five times and lost 12 times, conceding 41 goals in the process while scoring only seven times themselves.Birmingham City have played 28.1% of their passes long in the WSL this season, the highest percentage for any side.Reading have only used 16 different players in the WSL this season, the fewest of any side.No player in Birmingham City’s current squad has ever scored a goal against Reading in the WSL.Reading’s Natasha Dowie has scored five goals in 10 WSL appearances against Birmingham City, her joint-most against any single side in the competition.Reading’s Rachel Rowe both scored and assisted last time out against Aston Villa – it was the third time she’s done so in 73 WSL appearances, last doing so in October 2017 against Bristol City.

Leicester vs Man City – Sunday, 2pm

Team news

Leicester City‘s Hannah Cain will miss the remainder of the season after rupturing her Anterior Cruciate Ligament.

The 22-year-old forward was sidelined for the vast majority of last season and Cain is now set for another lengthy spell out.

Georgia Stanway will be back in contention for Man City‘s trip to Leicester. The forward missed City’s last three games due to suspension, having been sent off in the 2-2 Manchester Derby draw against Manchester United.

Meanwhile, Khadija Shaw, who was sidelined in Thursday night’s Continental Cup win over Durham with a foot injury, is a doubt for Man City.

Opta stats

Manchester City have won each of the last five matches against Leicester City in all competitions, including 3-0, 4-0, 5-0 and 6-0 wins. The 6-0 win came in September in the Women’s FA Cup, with Khadija Shaw netting a hat-trick.Leicester City haven’t hosted Manchester City in a league match since November 2011, when the visitors won 3-0 in the FA Women’s National League.Leicester City have lost all five of their WSL matches – only Yeovil Town (7) have ever started with a longer run of defeats in the competition’s history.Manchester City have earned only four points from their opening five WSL matches this season (W1 D1 L3) – it’s their worst ever points return at this stage of a campaign in the competition.Leicester City’s open play sequences have lasted only 4.7 seconds on average in the WSL this season, the shortest amount of time on average for any side.The average age of Leicester City’s starting XIs in the WSL this season is 24 years and 25 days, comfortably the youngest of any side.Manchester City have won all 18 of their WSL matches against newly-promoted teams, scoring 68 goals while only conceding five times themselves. The only other sides to have won 100% of their matches against such opposition are Manchester United (5/5) and Aston Villa (1/1).Leicester City’s Jessica Sigsworth has taken five shots following ball carries in the WSL this season (travelling 5+ metres with the ball) – only Spurs’ Kit Graham (6) has attempted more shots in this manner.Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw has scored 24 goals in 22 league starts since the beginning of last season, including scoring in both of her WSL starts so far.No player has completed more dribbles in the WSL this season than Manchester City’s Lauren Hemp (9 of 15 attempted). She has also taken two shots and created three chances directly following dribbles, the most of any player in the division.

Confirmed WSL games live on Sky Sports

Sunday November 7: Arsenal vs West Ham, kick-off 6.45pm

Sunday November 14: Everton vs Manchester United, kick-off 12.30pm

Sunday November 14: Manchester City vs Chelsea, kick-off 3pm

Saturday November 20: Manchester City vs Aston Villa, kick-off 11.30am

Here’s how to follow the WSL on Sky Sports…

Sky Sports – All 35 games will be available across Sky Sports’ flagship channels, including Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event.

Sky Sports digital – Follow all the latest from the WSL across SkySpots.com and app, including exclusive features and interviews, plus dedicated live blog coverage and in-game clips from games live on Sky Sports. You can watch free match highlights from every WSL game this season on Sky Sports’ digital platforms and YouTube channel.

Sky Sports News – Running 24 hours a day, seven days a week Barclays FA WSL fans can enjoy Sky Sports News (channel 409) rolling editorial coverage of the league and its storylines throughout the season.

Inside the WSL – Hosted by award-winning broadcaster and journalist Jessica Creighton, Inside the WSL is a comprehensive round-up of all things Barclays FA Women’s Super League and women’s football. Airing weekly from Thursday, September 9 on Sky Sports Premier League, the half an hour show will review and preview matches, include in-depth analysis and exclusive player interviews. Viewers can expect gripping behind the scenes access as well as a summary of all the action both on and off the pitch.

Sky Sports Social – Alongside coverage and visibility for the league across all Sky Sports’ main social media channels, a new bespoke Twitter channel @SkySportsWSL will be the home of all Barclays FA WSL content on Sky Sports.

To add all the Barclays FA WSL fixtures to your calendar click here.