Man City Manchester City

Birmingham City Birmingham City

When and where

Gareth Taylor’s side welcome the Midlands side to the Academy Stadium in the final home game of the season on Wednesday 4 May with kick-off scheduled for 19:00 (UK).

The game is available to watch live on the FA Player while you can also follow updates and keep across the key moments from the Academy Stadium over on Twitter: @ManCityWomen.

A detailed match report and reaction from Gareth Taylor and a player will also be made available soon after the final whistle, while highlights and a full-match replay can be accessed from 12:00 on Thursday 5 May.

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Karen Bardsley farewell

The Club will be honouring Karen Bardsley at the Academy Stadium after the game and in the coming weeks on mancity.com and our official app, following the news of her retirement.

Ticket Information

There’s still time for you to purchase your ticket for Wednesday’s clash.

For a full pricing list and further ticketing information, click here.

Team news

Taylor made one change to the side that defeated Leicester on Sunday, as Hayley Raso replaced Chloe Kelly.

Ellie Roebuck took her place in goal, shielded by a backline of Demi Stokes, Alex Greenwood, Alanna Kennedy and Lucy Bronze.

Keira Walsh protected the back four in defensive midfield, employed behind Caroline Weir and Georgia Stanway, while Lauren Hemp and Hayley Raso occupied the flanks. Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, after Sunday’s four-goal haul, led the line upfront.

CITY XI | Roebuck, Bronze, Kennedy, Greenwood (C), Stokes, Walsh, Stanway, Weir, Raso, Hemp, Shaw.

SUBS | Keating, Taieb, White, Angeldahl, Coombs, Mace, Blakstad, Kelly.

BIRMINGHAM XI | Ramsey, Scott, Louise Quinn (C), Sarri, Robertson, Murray, Pennock, Smith, Finn, Lawley, Cowie

SUBS | Hourihan, Sandvej, Ewens, Lucy Quinn, Whipp, Ryan-Doyle, Whelan, Jenner, Worsey

Gareth Taylor preview

On Birmingham’s fight to avoid relegation: “I think it probably provides them with the opportunity to have the shackles off and go for it but who knows?

“It’s hard to predict. When we played them in December, it was a high energy game – they really came out. Maybe it will be similar to that.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to come across Darren [Carter]. It was his first game against us in December and he took over in difficult circumstances.

“You get a team who are playing for their manager, playing for their futures. Hopefully, there’s a bigger picture there in regards to keeping him there.

“If they can, it would be great because you can see the difference in the second half of the season.”

WATCH: Taylor: Shaw will continue to thrive at City

Form Guide

City come into the clash in imperious form, having won 19 of our last 21 games in all competitions, including our last eleven in succession with a 36-5 aggregate score.

Taylor’s side sit one point behind third-placed Manchester United with two games remaining, including a game in hand over the Reds.

Birmingham have won only two league games all season and have emerged victorious just once in their last five games, defeating Brighton and Hove Albion 3-1 away before falling to a 1-0 reverse against Chelsea last time out.

Previous Meeting

Ellen White’s close-range strike earned City a deserved last-gasp victory against her former Club back in December.

Making her first appearance since becoming England’s record goalscorer in the women’s international break, the forward tapped home from Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw’s cutback to hand Gareth Taylor’s side a deserved three points at St Andrew’s.

An entertaining first half had twice seen City come from behind thanks to a Georgia Stanway stunner and powerful Lauren Hemp header.

And White’s vital contribution in a cagey second 45 was just rewards for a dogged display, which saw City grab successive wins in the WSL for the first time this season.

WATCH: FA WSL highlights: Birmingham 2-3 City

Last time out

Shaw netted a superb four goals, as City moved back into the FA Women’s Super League top three with a thrilling 7-2 win over Brighton and Hove Albion.

The Jamaican striker enjoyed a day to remember, bagging a brace inside 12 minutes and two quickfire goals either side of the hour mark, to inspire Gareth Taylor‘s side to a crucial victory on a thoroughly entertaining afternoon at the Academy Stadium.

Caroline Weir was also on the scoresheet in a blistering start to the game, handing the hosts a commanding 3-0 lead after just 16 minutes, but the Seagulls produced a spirited fightback with an Inessa Kaagman penalty and Julia Zigiotti effort before the break.

Shaw’s second half double, an Alex Greenwood header and Lauren Hemp strike sealed the points in style, extending our sensational winning run to 19 in our last 21 games in all competitions, lifting City above Manchester United in the table with just two games left to play in the race for a Champions League spot.

There was further cause for celebration on an entertaining afternoon at the Academy Stadium, as Hemp marked her 100th City game with a win.

WATCH: FA WSL highlights: City 7-2 Brighton

Stats

● City have won our last seven FA WSL matches against Birmingham, scoring 20 goals and conceding only four.

● Gareth Taylor‘s side have only lost one of our 18 FA Women’s Super League games played on Wednesday (W13 D4) but that defeat did come against Birmingham back in February 2018 (0-2).

● We have won six of our last seven at the Academy Stadium (D1), including each of the last five by an aggregate score of 18-2, and have won their last seven WSL games in a row by an aggregate score of 21-2. Only once have we been on a longer winning run within a single season in the competition – between December 2020 April 2021 last season (12 games).

● In 2022, only Chelsea (32) have won more FA WSL points than City (28), who have also scored the joint-most goals (31, level with Chelsea). By contrast, their opponents Birmingham have won the fewest points of any WSL side this year (7).

● City haven’t dropped a single point against any of the six sides currently in the bottom half of the league this season, winning all 10 games with 42 goals scored and just five conceded. We are only the side yet to drop a point against those six teams this season.

● Taylor’s side are averaging 2.82 goals per game in the WSL in 2022 (31/11), more than any other side, while only Chelsea (10) have won more games (9).

● Ellen White has been involved in at least one goal in each of her four league appearances against Birmingham for her current club (2 goals, 2 assists), scoring in our 3-2 win against her former Club earlier this campaign. 

● Chloe Kelly scored twice in a 4-0 win in this exact fixture last season. Only against Reading (6) has she scored more WSL goals (3).

● Khadija Shaw scored four goals in City’s 7-2 win against Brighton last time out, doubling her goal tally for the season in the process. In doing so, she became the first City player to score four goals in a single WSL match.

● Birmingham won their first away FA WSL match against City in October 2014 but are since winless in their last seven visits (D2 L5).

● The Midlands side have lost their last 11 league games against the two Manchester clubs by an aggregate score of 34-6, failing to score in eight matches in that run.

● They have lost seven of their last nine WSL games (W1 D1), while only Brighton (8) have lost more in the competition in 2022 (7).

● Louise Quinn has scored three away FA WSL goals for Birmingham this season, the most of any Blues player. The last Birmingham player to score more than four on the road in a single WSL season was Ellen White (4 in 2018-19).