WSL preview: Kirby returns to training

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A look ahead to today's clash at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.

Bruce Talbot

2025-02-16T06:00+00:00

Fran Kirby is back in training ahead of Sunday's visit to West Ham United. 📷 James Boardman.

Albion will be looking to complete a WSL double over West Ham United when we head to the Chigwell Construction Stadum on Sunday, kick off 3pm.

The game is being shown live on the WSL YouTube channel.

Team News

Head coach Dario Vidosic confirmed that Fran Kirby has returned to training this week. Bruna Vilamala is out and Maisie Symonds is suspended. Charlie Rule is also doubtful but Vidosic expects Aisha Masaka and Marit Auee to return to training later this month.

Dario Vidosic's thoughts

On the return of Fran Kirby... "There's no denying her quality and what she brings. She was a key player and then unfortunately got injured while away with England. It is hard to replace her but I still think, after we did lose her, we still played really well. We went to Chelsea without her and played really well - the same against Tottenham.

"So we've had good performances without her, but obviously a player of her quality and her stature and leadership coming back into the squad is going to lift us and also help us for the remaining games."

On Madison Haley's good recent form... "She had a couple of niggles before the winter break that sidelined her so she's needed a few games to find her rhythm and play games after being out for a bit of time. But she's improved. She caused Aston Villa numerous problems in the FA Cup last week. She's done the same throughout the season, but now it's can we just get that continuity with her and keep her on the pitch?"

Facts and stats

West Ham United have won just one of their last nine WSL meetings with Albion (D1 L7), a 2-0 away victory in October 2023.

Albion are aiming to do the double over West Ham for the fourth time in the WSL, the only opponent they have achieved that feat in more than one season against (also in 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23).

West Ham have won three of their last four home Women's Super League matches (L1), having only won one of their previous 19 (D8 L10).

Albion have lost their last four away matches in the Women's Super League, last suffering more away defeats in a row In the 2019-20 campaign (6).

Only the WSL's top-four clubs have scored more open play goals this season than Brighton (17), with that the same total they scored in 2023-24. Only In 2022-23 (18) have they netted more open play goals in a single WSL campaign.

Albion have completed 5,145 passes In the WSL this season, an average of 396 per game which is their highest in a single campaign and 100 per game more than in 2023-24 (296). This season is also the first in which they are averaging more than 50% possession (53.3%).

Only Liverpool (134) have been fouled more often in the WSL this season than West Ham (129), while only Manchester United (140) have conceded more fouls than Brighton (136). Three of the five most fouled players are Hammers players - Viviane Asseyi (28), Katrina Gorry (20) and Riko Ueki (20).

Only three players have completed more passes in the WSL this season than Brighton's Guro Bergsvand (810). Even with nine games remaining, only Bergsvand herself in 2023-24 {880) has ever completed more passes for the Seagulls in a WSL campaign.

West Ham United's Viviane Asseyi has four goals and four assists In the Women's Super League this season. The only Hammers players with more goals and assists in a season are Asseyi herself in 2022-23 (6 goals, 3 assists), Jane Ross in 2018-19 (7 goals, 2 assists) and Alisha Lehmann in 2018-19 (6 goals, 3 assists).

Nikita Parris was the last Brighton player to score in the WSL on 17 January in a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, with their only goal since then coming via an own goal. Parris is two away from becoming only the fifth player with 100+ goal involvements in the WSL (66 goals, 32 assists), while she's had the second-most shots (477) in the competition's history behind Vivianne Miedema (482).

Match officials