Right then, the teams are out. Kick-off is just a few moments away and here is a reminder of how we expect the teams to line up...

Image source, Opta/ BBC

Image source, Opta/ BBC

Image source, Getty Images

• Leicester City have lost each of their last five Women’s Super League games, their worst run since a 10-game losing streak between May and December 2022. It is also now the outright longest losing run of Rick Passmoor’s WSL career as a manager.

• Leicester City have failed to score or scored exactly once across their 16 league games this season (each 8 times); only Yeovil Town have gone longer from the start of a WSL campaign without netting multiple goals in a match (all 18 games in 2017-18 and all 20 in 2018-19).

Anita Asante
Former Arsenal defender on BBC Two

Leicester have to be really disciplined, really organised and limit Aston Villa from creating anything really clear cut.

The way they are going to do that is by staying tight in their units, communicating and making sure that they limit errors as well.

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa are still searching for a first league win since mid-December.

But after a slump that saw them lose four WSL games on the spin, last weekend's goalless draw with league leaders Manchester City was a step in the right direction.

Natalia Arroyo's side did everything but score in a brilliant first-half performance before showing their defensive resilience as City ramped up the pressure after the break.

Bottom side Leicester pose a very different challenge but Arroyo is not expecting it to be anymore straightforward.

"I expect them to be passionate, aggressive, really showing the desire and the need that they have," she said.

"We have been spoken about that. We were able to perform really well and strongly against Man City because we had this desire.

"We were also playing without pressure and now that we can feel we have more pressure because we must win or we have this feeling.

"We need to play with the same intensity we are expecting them to play because they need to, they are struggling."

Leicester will kick off three points adrift at the bottom of the table - and now five behind Liverpool in 10th.

However, they have two games in hand on West Ham and Liverpool and a win today might even drag Aston Villa back into it.

A win for Villa would end any lingering relegation fears, though, and add to the Foxes' misery. So which way do you see this one going?

Ellen White
Former England striker on BBC Two

This game for Leicester, hopefully the crowd is on their side, they get a big performance, they need a big win - that togetherness galvanising them and getting them some momentum going into the next part of the season.

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• No team have recorded more goalless draws in the 2025-26 WSL than Aston Villa (3), last time out being only the third team to keep a clean sheet against Manchester City across the last two campaigns.
• On MD17, the Villans were also the first team to face no shots on target in the first half of a league match against the Citizens since November 2024 (Chelsea).

• Despite averaging 2.1 goals conceded per game in 2025-26, their joint-worst rate in a WSL season (also 2020-21), Aston Villa have kept six clean sheets, never before keeping seven in the same Women’s Super League campaign.

In case Leicester needed any extra motivation to win today, they know that three points against Aston Villa will drag them off the bottom of the table.

And, crucially, out of the position that will face a relegation play-off at the end of the season.

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester City striker Alisha Lehmann is arguably the most recognisable female footballer in the world.

Boasting nearly 16 million followers on Instagram and a further 11.8 million on TikTok, she walked the catwalks of Milan last year while playing in Italy and her striking looks regularly catch the attention of the tabloids.

The publicity surrounding her January move focused as much on her off-field persona as what she brought to the team - something she is keen to quash.

"When I was younger, it affected me more because I didn't know how to handle the situation," she says. "There were moments where I was really sad and I used to ask my mum if I could not play football anymore."

Read more here

BBC Two

Coverage is now under way on BBC Two, iPlayer and at the top of this very page.

So many options to choose from...

Brighton & Hove Albion

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Brighton boss Dario Vidosic speaking to Sky Sports: "I'm proud of the girls and the effort. We had a very quick turnaround and the current state of the squad is that we lack a lot of attackers, so we have had to field three attacking midfielders into our front three. .

"Full credit to the girls. They played very, very well. Again it is probably a tale of that final pass."

On what he puts the lack of goals down to: "No goalscorers. That's a simple one, especially with Kiko [Seike] away. Again we are putting ourselves in good positions and it's just about that final action. I don't think the pitch helped much either.

On Leicester away next: "It's a tough game again. It's two teams that will definitely want to win. For the context of their season it is big for them to try and stay up and not go into that relegation play-off. We are happy that we will have three of our girls coming back that were away with the Asian Cup - that will be a big boost."

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Aston Villa's Ellie Roebuck will become just the sixth goalkeeper to reach 100 appearances in the WSL as she starts against Leicester this afternoon.

The 26-year-old former Manchester City keeper's 44 clean sheets is already more than any of the other five managed in their first 100 matches.

No doubt Roebuck will want mark her milestone appearance with another shutout.

Image source, Getty Images

Things are not looking good for Leicester at the moment.

After five straight losses, the Foxes find themselves three points adrift at the bottom of the WSL table and facing a real battle to avoid the relegation play-off.

Boss Rick Passmoor admitted his players were emotional after last weekend's defeat at Liverpool but says they're ready to bounce back against Aston Villa this afternoon.

“You’ve got to scrap for everything in this league,” Passmoor said. “You’ve got to be in people’s faces and have high energy around the squad and have belief in your game.

“We need to bring that to the table, and we’ll see how that materialises on Sunday, but the players know exactly what we want to do and how we wish to do it.

“We need a bit of luck as well. Let’s have it hit somebody’s kneecap and go in, in the 89th minute.

"But trust me, the players have been true model professionals, they understand where we are and destiny is in our own hands."

BBC Two

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We'll bring you more reaction from that goalless draw between Brighton and Liverpool as we get it but for now we're going to turn our attention to the afternoon's second game.

It's another big one at the bottom as Leicester host Aston Villa and you can watch live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from 14:30 GMT.

Or if that involves slightly too much effort, you can watch on this very page - just scroll up to the top or head to the 'watch & listen' tab. Simple.

Liverpool

More from Liverpool's Ceri Holland, speaking to Sky Sports about moving a point further away from the relegation play-off: "We don't think about that. We take each game as it comes. We will review this game today and then we go to Everton next week.

"That is another big game for us and one that we feel very capable and confident to go and get three points. It is another step in the right direction and there is plenty to build on."

Liverpool

Liverpool keeper Jennifer Falk, speaking to Sky Sports, on her crucial save at the end of the game: "It was right under the bar so I was really happy that I made it there. An important save.

"I just think we are being brave in our defending all over the pitch. Communication is great. We defend so well over the whole pitch, the whole team is defending very well.

"Now we can build from this. Score a goal next time and get three points."

Liverpool

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool midfielder and player of the match Ceri Holland, speaking to Sky Sports: "It was a battle. Both teams were really trying to win the game. You could see that at the end of the game, there were chances at both ends. We were a little disappointed with the point because we probably had chances to win it, but if you're not going to win the game you have to make sure you come away with something.

"I think it is a good point away from home. It is a difficult place to come. Brighton are a good team. They keep the ball well. We were good and had moments where we could have taken our chances a bit better but again Jennifer [Falk] has made a fantastic save in the end. Fine margins."

On the chance at the end: "I didn't have the best view of it, to be fair. It is obviously a good clearance. It is something that we have been working on and we will hopefully continue to build in the right direction."

On Everton next: "We're really looking forward to it. It is another good opportunity for us to go there and get three points. We are full of confidence at the moment in the way that we are playing, so we will review this game today and then start to build up to that. We know it is an important one for our fans."

Leicester boss Rick Passmoor makes three changes after the side's 2-0 defeat against Liverpool last week.

Emma Jansson starts up top, while Missy Goodwin and Chantelle Swaby also come into the line up.

That means Rachel Williams and Olivia McLoughlin drop to the bench, and Sara Mayling misses out with a knock.

Leicester XI: Leitzig, Tierney (c), Goodwin, Jansson, Lehmann, Ale, Thibaud, Cain, O'Brien, Neville, Swaby.

Subs: Keane, McLoughlin, Ayane, Williams, Walne, Whinney, King

Unsurprisingly Natalia Arroyo has decided to name an unchanged lineup after Aston Villa impressively held leaders Man City to a draw last time out.

Ellie Roebuck becomes the sixth goalkeeper to reach 100 WSL appearances, while Noelle Martiz also brings up her 100th WSL appearance in midfield.

Aston Villa XI: Roebuck, Wilms, Patten (C), Parker, Nighswonger, Jean-Francois, Taylor, Grant, Maritz, Kendall, Hanson.

Subs: D'Angelo, Deslandes, Maltby, Seymour, Lea, Johnson, Salmon.

Courtney Sweetman-Kirk
Former Liverpool forward on Sky Sports

I get the philosophy, possession-based and it's all about the process.

What's the point of the performance if you don't get the win, in my opinion? It's disappointing for Brighton today but there are positives to take.