How The Season Is Shaping Up For City’s Women

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How The Season Is Shaping Up For City’s Women

A Christmas break signals the halfway stage for LCFC Women who sit eighth in the Barclays Women’s Super League – their best-ever start to a top flight campaign.

2023-12-21T10:08:00.000Z

by Matthew Temple

Published

21 Dec, 2023

How The Season Is Shaping Up For City’s Women

A Christmas break signals the halfway stage for LCFC Women who sit eighth in the Barclays Women’s Super League – their best-ever start to a top flight campaign.

Matthew Temple

2023-12-21T10:08:00.000Z

How The Season Is Shaping Up For City’s Women

A Christmas break signals the halfway stage for LCFC Women who sit eighth in the Barclays Women’s Super League – their best-ever start to a top flight campaign.

Matthew Temple

2023-12-21T10:08:00.000Z

How The Season Is Shaping Up For City’s Women

A Christmas break signals the halfway stage for LCFC Women who sit eighth in the Barclays Women’s Super League – their best-ever start to a top flight campaign.

Matthew Temple

2023-12-21T10:08:00.000Z

How The Season Is Shaping Up For City’s Women

A Christmas break signals the halfway stage for LCFC Women who sit eighth in the Barclays Women’s Super League – their best-ever start to a top flight campaign.

Matthew Temple

2023-12-21T10:08:00.000Z

- LCFC Women have picked up 10 points in the Barclays Women’s Super League this season- City sit third of Group B in the Continental Tyres League Cup- The Foxes have scored against every opponent they have faced this season- New signings Jutta Rantala and Lena Petermann both have four goals this term

Back in May, Leicester clinched league safety on the final day of the 2022/23 season, with a 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion. Since then, they have worked tirelessly over the summer to improve their position in the top tier.

Nine new signings, including the likes of Courntey Nevin and Janina Leitzig, who made their loan moves to the East Midlands permanent, were brought in to bolster Willie Kirk's squad as they aim for a top-half finish in the WSL.

City’s new faces have added 20 goal contributions, while victories in league and cup competitions have indicated promising signs of improvement from the First Team.

Things kicked off in October for City, who made the trip to face newly promoted Bristol City on the opening day. An afternoon to remember for the Foxes as three debutants opened their account; Aimee Palmer, Lena Petermann and Jutta Rantala.

The Foxes then went two for two in their first home game of the season against Everton. German forward Petermann scoring the only goal before Kirk’s side moved on to Liverpool in the first group stage game of the Continental Tyres League Cup.

Palmer repeated her opening day antics with a fantastic first-half free-kick, before Hannah Cain rounded off an excellent team move to ensure the Group B points following Natasha Flint’s equaliser at Pirelli Stadium.

The high-flying Foxes continued their impressive form when they faced Manchester United at Leigh Sports Village. Even though a second half goal from captain Aileen Whelan was cancelled out moments later by Maya Le Tissier, it did guarantee a point off the Red Devils for the first time in the team's history.

This remarkable start was topped off by Kirk being named as Barclays WSL Manager of the Month for October, only the second time that a Leicester manager has claimed the award.

The only reverse that the 45-year-old oversaw in that month was at the hands of Manchester City when an early Chloe Kelly goal was enough to settle the scoreline. It would, however, be the only game so far this season in which the Foxes have failed to score.

Following this, Leicester endured three straight defeats, starting off with a disappointing 2-1 loss to Liverpool at Prenton Park, before Arsenal were the victors at King Power Stadium in mid-November.

Sam Tierney and Janice Cayman opened their accounts to give City a two-goal lead heading into the break, but a relentless Gunners side came back with six second half goals; Lionesses’ striker Alessio Russo with two goal involvements that game.

Over the next few weeks, up until the start of December, it would be announced that three talented forwards would all be sidelined with injury. Deanne Rose, Shannon O’Brien and Welsh international Cain, who sadly suffered another ACL injury during an international break, were all withdrawn from selection.

But a positive summer of recruitment meant that City still had quality in the squad and gained another WSL point in a 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, as two-time UEFA Women’s Champions League winner Cayman scored in back-to-back games on Filbert Way.

The Belgian international was then on the scoresheet again when she broke the deadlock against Man City at Joie Stadium in the League Cup. Sophie Howard made it 2-0 before Deyna Castellanos and Laura Coombs levelled things up for the hosts.

With a point in the bag, super sub Leitzig was introduced for the penalty shootout to claim an extra point as the former Bayern Munich shot-stopper saved three of the Citizens' spot-kicks.

November was rounded off with a 5-2 reverse to current champions Chelsea. An early strike from Lauren James and an unfortunate own goal from Nevin gave City a mountain to climb, but goals from Rantala and Tierney showed Leicester’s ability to challenge the top sides.

The final month of 2023 saw Leicester claim two more points in the WSL, and suffera defeat to Man Utd in the League Cup. The action started against Brighton when Petermann scored her third goal of the season just before half-time at Broadfield Stadium.

Rantala then doubled City’s advantage on the south coast but a late comeback from the league’s second top scorer Elisabeth Terland resulted in the points being shared once again.

Leicester’s third game in Group B of the cup saw them lose out to Man Utd away from home, as Whelan netted her second goal of the campaign – both coming at Leigh Sports Village, but the Foxes remain in the running for qualification to the knockout stages as they currently sit third with five points, two behind Man City.

Most recently, Leicester were held once again to a draw in the Super League when a Petermann goal on 68 minutes was cancelled out in the eighth minute of added-time by West Ham United midfielder Honoka Hayashi.

After an electric start to the season, City have failed to win since October, but managed to keep the train rolling despite being unlucky with injuries. Ten points at this stage is ten more than they had 12 months ago in 2022/23.

The Christmas break comes at a good point for Leicester, and when they return in January for their Adobe Women’s FA Cup fixture against Derby County, will be reinforced with new signing Saori Takarada, along with players back from injury, as Kirk hopes to deliver a positive second half of the season.

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