Liverpool Women travel to the Joie Stadium on Sunday for a Women’s Super League clash against Manchester City Women. City sit fourth in the table with 25 points, while the Reds are seventh, 10 points behind their hosts.
Manchester City Women vs Liverpool Women – Preview
Manchester City Women head into this encounter looking to regain their league form after a rough patch. They have suffered three defeats in their last four WSL matches, including a 4-3 loss to Arsenal.
However, Gareth Taylor’s side responded well, knocking out the Gunners with a 2-1 win in the Women’s League Cup semi-finals before securing a 3-1 victory over Leicester City in the Women’s FA Cup.
With back-to-back cup successes, City now shift focus to the league, where defensive lapses have been costly. They have conceded 12 goals in their last four WSL outings, double the amount they let in across their first nine league matches.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have enjoyed a strong start to 2025, winning four of their five matches in all competitions. Matt Beard’s side secured consecutive victories over West Ham United in both the Women’s FA Cup and WSL before battling past Rugby Borough with a 2-0 win in the FA Cup.
However, the Reds have struggled on their travels, losing their last three league games away from home. Their recent record against City is also poor, having lost their last four meetings since a 2-1 victory in May 2023.
Team News
Man City will be without Alex Greenwood, Lauren Hemp, and Risa Shimizu due to knee injuries, while Laura Coombs remains a doubt after missing the last four games. Kerstin Casparij is also unavailable due to concussion protocol after being substituted at halftime in the win over Leicester. However, manager Gareth Taylor confirmed that she will recover in time for international duty.
Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw is in contention to start after making three appearances off the bench since returning from injury. Taylor expressed support for the Jamaican striker following the abuse she suffered after City’s loss to Arsenal, stating that the club has been focused on helping her through a difficult period. He added that Shaw is in a much better place and has benefited from a full week of preparation.
Liverpool will be without Niamh Fahey, Jasmine Matthews, Hannah Silcock, and Sofie Lundgaard. Olivia Smith is suspended after accumulating five yellow cards, meaning Sophie Roman Haug could lead the attack alongside Leanne Kiernan. Mia Enderby is also pushing for a place in the lineup after scoring in the FA Cup win over Rugby Borough.
Key Stats
- City have won nine of the last 11 WSL meetings, with Liverpool winning the other two.
- Liverpool have won two of their last three WSL matches. Only Chelsea and Manchester United (nine) have collected more points in 2025 than Liverpool (six).
- Taylor Hinds and Olivia Smith are the only Liverpool players to have started all 13 league matches this season. However, Smith is suspended for this fixture.
- Man City have lost both of their home WSL matches in 2025, as many as they had in total across 2022, 2023, and 2024 combined (28 wins, four draws, two losses).
- These two teams have fielded the youngest average starting XIs in the WSL this season: Liverpool (25 years, 285 days) and Manchester City (26 years, two days).
- Gemma Bonner leads Liverpool in the WSL for passes (454), clearances (79), and blocks (8).
- Liverpool have the highest duels won percentage in the league (53.3%).
- Khadija Shaw has netted 59 goals in 68 WSL appearances under Gareth Taylor—only Fran Kirby (63 under Emma Hayes) has scored more under a single manager in WSL history.
- Man City have the best pass completion rate in the WSL this season (89.2% from 8,585 passes).
- City have faced the fewest shots in the WSL this season (106).
Manchester City will aim to fix their defensive issues and get back to winning ways in the league. Liverpool, despite their poor away form, will look to build on their recent good run. It promises to be an exciting clash between two teams with different goals this season.
