WSL preview: Albion head to Bristol City

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It's a big game at Ashton Gate on Sunday

Bruce Talbot

2024-03-03T06:00:00Z

Elisabeth Terland netted her 13th WSL goal of the season in the first half.

Albion return to action on Sunday with a crucial WSL game against Bristol City at Ashton Gate, kick off 2pm.

Team news

Poppy Pattinson starts a three-match suspension after she was given a retrospective red card for violent conduct in our last fixture against Liverpool. Maisie Symonds could also miss out because of a back issue.

Mikey Harris's pre-match press conference

Player to watch

A familiar face in the Robins' midfield will be former Albion player Megan Connolly, who spent five seasons at Brighton prior to leaving the club last summer. The Republic of Ireland international made 80 appearances including 68 starts for the club and scored seven goals, including one in the memorable 2-1 win against Chelsea in the 2020/21 season. Connolly is City’s captain this season.

Last meeting

Stats and facts

Bristol City are unbeaten in their three WSL home games against Brighton and Hove Albion, keeping a clean sheet in each match (W1 D2).

Albion failed to win each of their first four meetings with Bristol City in the WSL without scoring (D2 L2) however they’ve now recorded consecutive victories during the last two times that these sides have met in the competition.

City have lost each of their last nine WSL home games and could become the third team in the competition’s history to lose 10+ in a row at home after Yeovil Town (11, April 2017 – April 2018) and Doncaster Rovers Belles (10, September 2013 – October 2016). The Robins could become the third team to lose their opening seven home games of a WSL campaign after the Belles (2016) and Liverpool (2012).

Albion have lost each of their last three Women’s Super League games without scoring and could lose four in a row in the competition for the first time since January 2022 under Hope Powell. The Seagulls haven’t scored a league goal since their 3-2 win over Bristol City in January.

Bristol City have conceded more goals than any other team so far in the 2023-24 WSL season (38) whilst they are the only team yet to keep a clean sheet; the Robins have conceded 2+ goals in 13 of their 14 league games this term with the exception a 1-1 away draw with Liverpool in December.

Only Manchester United (9) and Chelsea (7) have scored more goals in the final 10 minutes of WSL games this season than Albion (6) who have scored a greater proportion of their total goals this campaign in that period than any other team (46% - 6/13).

Last time out against Leicester, Bristol City’s Lauren Smith (14 games – W1 D3 L10) became the quickest manager to lose 10 WSL games since Darren Carter in May 2022 (13 games) and the joint-sixth quickest overall.

Only Khadija Shaw (14) of Manchester City and Chelsea’s Lauren James (12) have scored more goals in the Women’s Super League this season than Brighton and Hove Albion’s Elisabeth Terland, whose nine goals are already a season best by a Brighton player in a single WSL campaign (Inessa Kaagman – 8 in 2020-21).

Bristol City’s Abi Harrison has scored in both of her last two WSL games against Brighton, though her Robins’ side lost both matches.

Elisabeth Terland is their only current player to have scored more than one goal in the WSL against Bristol City for the club, netting a brace in their 3-2 victory during the last meeting between these two sides.

How to follow the game