Here are the stats from Opta ahead of the Barclays FA Women’s Super League fixtures this weekend.
Manchester City v Birmingham City
Manchester City have lost just one of their last nine WSL encounters with Birmingham City (W5 D3), losing 2-0 away from home in February 2018.
Since winning on their first WSL visit to Manchester City in October 2014, Birmingham are winless in their following five (D2 L3), losing on each of their last two away trips.
Manchester City have won each of their last four home league games, they last went on a longer run in May 2016 (8 games).
Birmingham have tasted defeat in each of their first two Barclays FA Women’s Super League games this season, they’ve never lost each of their first three games in a WSL campaign.
Manchester City’s Caroline Weir has won possession in the final third of the pitch on 12 occasions in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League this season; five more than any other player in the competition.
Liverpool v Bristol City
After losing their first two Women’s Super League home games against Bristol City, Liverpool have won the following five, scoring 14 goals and conceded just twice.
Bristol City have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 11 league games against Liverpool, conceding a total of 27 goals.
Liverpool have failed to score in each of their last three Women’s Super League matches, they last went on a longer goalless streak in July 2011 (six games).
No sides have faced more shots on goal in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League this season than Bristol City (69) and Liverpool (60), with West Ham the next side on 47.
Tottenham Hotspur V Manchester United
This will be the first ever Women’s Super League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, with both sides promoted last season.
Manchester United won both meetings in the Women’s Championship against Tottenham last season, winning 4-1 at home and 5-1 away.
In the previous four instances of two newly-promoted sides facing each other, the away side have gone on to win on three occasions (L1).
Tottenham have won each of their last two league games, only once in WSL history have a newly-promoted side won three or more in a row (Sunderland in 2015 – four successive wins).
Manchester United have lost two of their three league games this season (W1), they had only lost one of their 20 league matches in the Women’s Championship last season (W18 D1 L1).
Brighton & Hove Albion v West Ham United
This will be the third Women’s Super League meeting between Brighton and West Ham, with each side winning the away fixture last season.
Brighton only won four of their 20 games in their debut Women’s Super League campaign last season, with their biggest victory coming away to West Ham, winning 4-0.
Brighton have failed to score in seven of their 11 WSL home games; no side have had more goalless matches in the competition since the start of last season.
West Ham have kept just one clean sheet in their last 12 Women’s Super League matches, a 1-0 victory against Birmingham City on MD2 this season.
West Ham’s Kenza Dali has completed nine of her 11 attempted dribbles in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League this season (81.8%); the best success rate of any player to attempt 10+ dribbles.
Reading v Everton
This will be the fifth Women’s Super League encounter between Reading and Everton, with the side playing at home winning each of the fixtures.
There have been 14 goals in four WSL games between Reading and Everton (AVG 3.8 goals per game), the highest average goals in a fixture for Everton against an opponent they’ve played 4+ times.
Reading have lost five of their last six home league games (W1), as many losses as in their previous 17 (W7 D5 L5).
Everton have tasted victory in two of their last five away games (L3), including a win last time out – they had only won one of their previous 26 on the road before (W1 D5 L20).
Since the start of last season, only Vivianne Miedema (8 goals) has outperformed her xG total by more than Reading midfielder Fara Williams (5 goals). Her tally of 12 goals is five more than she would have been expected to score given the quality of the chances she had.
Chelsea v Arsenal
Since losing each of their first six Women’s Super League clashes with Arsenal, Chelsea have lost just two of the following 11 in the competition (W6 D3).
Arsenal have tasted defeat on just one of their last five WSL visits to Chelsea (W2 D2), winning 5-0 on their most recent trip in October 2018.
Chelsea are unbeaten in their last four Women’s Super League matches against reigning champions (W2 D2), keeping three clean sheets in the process.
Arsenal have won each of their last 11 Women’s Super League matches, with the Gunners just one victory away from equalling their record in the competition (12 – May-November 2018). However, Arsenal’s last defeat before this run came at Chelsea back in January.
Arsenal’s Beth Mead has provided more assists than any other player in Women’s Super League since the start of last season (13), with Caroline Weir (68) the only player to create more chances than her (61).
Saturday 12th October
KO 14.00 – Academy Stadium – Manchester City v Birmingham
Sunday 13th October
KO 12.00 – Prenton Park – Liverpool v Bristol City
KO 12.30 – The Hive Stadium – Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United
KO 14.00 – Adams Park – Reading v Everton
KO 14.00 – The People’s Pension Stadium – Brighton & Hove Albion v West Ham United
KO 15.00 – The Cherry Red Records Stadium – Chelsea v Arsenal
Courtesy of the FA
