Leicester City's WSL survival and the ‘massive platform’ for women’s football in Leicestershire

Leicester City Women are aiming to solidify their place in the Women’s Super League (WSL) next season after securing safety in their first campaign in the division.

After failing to pick up a point from their first nine games of the season, City went into the weekend’s final game of the campaign knowing that they would play WSL football again in 2022/23.

Birmingham City’s loss against Manchester City on Wednesday night condemned the Blues to bottom of the table and relegation to the Championship. It means that there was nothing riding on City’s trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the final game of the season on Sunday afternoon.

City were on the wrong end of a narrow defeat, Ashley Neville’s 49th minute goal being the difference between the two sides. But eyes now turn to next season as City look to replicate the mens team and establish themselves in the division.

“From our perspective it’s about having a really strong pre-season and being ready to start the season and compete with the teams we feel we can really push for points,” manager Lydia Bedford said ahead of the final game vs Spurs. “And we most certainly don’t want to be in a relegation battle come Christmas. For us, that’s in our control, we control our preparation, we control how ready the players feel to hit the season.”

Defender Ashley Plumtre is in agreement. “Ultimately just finishing higher than we did this season,” she said. “Competing with more of the teams in and around us and the games where we fell short by one goal or conceded in the last ten minutes.

“Those type of games next season we want to pick up a point or three. So having that mentality that we’re not going to be in the same position that we are this season.”

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