Match Preview: LCFC Women vs. London City Lionesses
- LCFC Women's latest league fixture sees them meet London City Lionesses this Sunday (2pm kick-off)
- The clash at Farley Way Stadium could see the Foxes crowned FA Women's Championship champions with victory in Quorn
- Leicester are on an 11-game winning run, while London City are without a win in three
- The Lionesses came out on top when the pair last met back in November 2020
The Foxes' comfortable 2-0 victory over Coventry United Ladies last Sunday extended their lead at the top of the FA Women's Championship to five points, with three games left to play.
And a victory over the Lionesses this weekend would seal LCFC Women's promotion to the Barclays FA Women's Super League, due to second-placed Durham having played a game more than City.
Ahead of a potentially historic day for the Club, LCFC.com has everything you need to know about Sunday's encounter in Quorn...
The Foxes camp
Leicester currently hold a Championship record of 11 straight victories thanks to top scorer Natasha Flint's double last time out - her 14th and 15th goals of the campaign - and will be aiming to extend that run at Farley Way this weekend.
The Foxes could welcome back midfielders Remi Allen and Charlie Devlin, who were both missing from the victory over Coventry due to injury and concussion respectively. Manager Jonathan Morgan revealed that the pair have been in full training this week and are in contention to return to the squad against the Londoners.
Ones to watch
Forward Atlanta Primus is the Lionesses' top scorer this term with four Championship goals to her name, including the first goal in a 3-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers and most recently netting during their 3-2 win at Lewes. She also tops the club's assists chart (2) and the 23-year-old continues to impress having featured in all but one of London City's league matches in 2020/21.
Republic of Ireland international Alli Murphy joined the Lionesses in the summer of 2020 and made an instant impact, scoring in a 2-1 home win over London Bees. The 26-year-old midfielder, who signed after a spell playing for Icelandic outfit UMF Sefloss, previously spent time at Houston Dash and Washington Spirit in the NWSL. She also lists Swedish side Gustavs GolF and PEC Zwolle of the Netherlands as former clubs.
Ghanian-born former England Under-23s international Freda Ayisi signed for London City ahead of the 2019/20 campaign, after a one-season spell with the Foxes. Ayisi came through the ranks at Arsenal, before a three year stint at Birmingham City. Now an experienced midfielder, the 26-year-old played 10 times for the club last season, scoring once, and also netted in the opening game of 2020/21.
Opposition form guide
London City have made a steady rise up the standings since the appointment of head coach Melissa Phillips in October 2020 and although they are without a win in their last three games, remain in a healthy mid-table position in the league standings.
The London based outfit have collected 23 points from 18 matches, drawing 0-0 with Charlton Athletic last time out after back-to-back defeats at the hands of Coventry United and Durham.
Talking points
Speaking in Thursday's pre-match press conference, LCFC Women manager Jonathan Morgan said: "Hopefully the importance [of the game] has made us prepare well and to keep ourselves switch on. The mentality has been right in training so we can just go out there and do the job, not just for ourselves, but the fans and the people of Leicester."
LCFC Women goalkeeper Kirstie Levell commented: "Everyone's spirits are high and we've got to look at it like anyone other game. Going into this season we knew what we wanted to achieve and each game we've said it's the biggest game and we're going to get that talk again and try and match previous games, but try not to put too much pressure on ourselves."
Last time out
Leicester's only league defeat of 2020/21 came away to London City, who were 4-1 victors at Princes Park in November 2020. Paige Bailey-Gayle had handed the visitors an early lead in the capital but a brace from Atlanta Primus and further goals from Lily Agg and Ellie Mason secured the Lionesses' second victory of the season.
How to follow
Sunday's clash will be broadcast live on the free FA Player platform, while you can also stay across all of the action as it happens via LCFC Women's official social media platforms.
On Twitter there will be pre-match build-up and live match updates, alongside plenty of behind-the-scenes content over on Instagram and Facebook.
Post-match reaction, including interviews from within the Foxes dressing room, alongside match highlights and goals, will be available to view on LCFC TV after the game.
All times BST.