Man City Manchester City

Brighton Brighton and Hove Albion

When and where

Gareth Taylor’s side welcome the Seagulls to the Academy Stadium on Saturday 30 April, with kick-off scheduled for 11:30am (UK).

The game is available to watch live on Sky Sports 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 Sunday 1 May.

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Ticket Information

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

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

Team news

Gareth Taylor makes three changes to the side that defeated Leicester last time out, as Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, Georgia Stanway and Demi Stokes replace Ellen White, Laura Coombs and Julie Blakstad.

Ellie Roebuck takes her place in goal, shielded by a backline of Stokes, Alex Greenwood, Alanna Kennedy and Lucy Bronze, while Keira Walsh protects the back four in defensive midfield.

Caroline Weir and Stanway occupy midfield, flanked by Lauren Hemp - making her 100th appearance for the Club - and Chloe Kelly, with Shaw leading the line upfront.

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

SUBS | Keating, Taieb, White, Angeldahl, Coombs, Mace, Blakstad, Raso

BRIGHTON XI | Walsh, Le Tissier, Kullberg, Williams, Koivisto, Connolly, Zigiotti, Lee, Kaagman, Carter, Green

SUBS | Startup, Gibbons, Bowman, Simpkins, Whelan, Kerkdijk, Symonds, Bance

Gareth Taylor preview

“They always come out and engage and put pressure on opponents. The way they managed the game in January, it was 0-0 at half-time. Then it opened up.

“We have to be prepared. In terms of Hope changing her ideas, I wouldn’t see any changes.

“In terms of the Birmingham game, we have to anticipate there’ll be a different mindset with a setback like that.

“Regardless of what happens, whether we’re successful or not in objectives, the group – the players, the staff – have pulled together to achieve what we have done in the second half of the season.

“We’ve played exciting football, which enabled us to win games. Our consistency and the lack of goals we’ve given away compared to earlier in season is remarkable.”

WATCH: Taylor: Hemp has lifted her game to new heights

Form Guide

City come into the clash in imperious form, having won 18 of our last 20 games in all competitions, including our last ten in succession with a 29-3 aggregate score.

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

Brighton have won three and lost three of their last six games, but have fallen to defeat in their last two, suffering a 3-1 home reverse against Birmingham last time out.

The Seagulls sit seventh in the FA WSL - one point above Reading and two behind West Ham United.

Previous Meeting

A ruthless second half display ensured City began 2022 in dream fashion with a 6-0 victory at Brighton in the FA Women’s Super League.

Despite both sides creating chances in the first 45, Taylor’s side took control soon after the restart with four goals in just six minutes.

A Victoria Williams own goal plus further strikes from Lauren Hemp, Georgia Stanway and Laura Coombs handed City a commanding lead before the hour.

Hayley Raso got in on the act as the 75-minute mark approached, before Vicky Losada chipped in with number six soon after having come off the bench.

WATCH: FA WSL highlights: Brighton 0-6 City

Stats

●  City have won five of our six FA Women’s Super League matches against Brighton, scoring 27 goals across those five wins; the other game ended goalless in September 2020.

● Gareth Taylor‘s side are averaging 4.5 goals per game against the Seagulls in the FA WSL (27 goals in 6 games) – among all instances of a team facing an opponent at least five times in the WSL, only Chelsea vs Yeovil Town (27 goals in 5 games, 5.4 per game) are averaging a higher goals-per-game ratio against a single opponent.

● We have won our last six league games without conceding a single goal. Only two teams have won seven in a row without conceding: Chelsea (May – October 2017) and Arsenal (February – April 2021).

● Georgia Stanway has scored five goals in six league appearances against Brightonn, scoring in this season’s reverse fixture. The only player with more WSL goals against the Seagulls is Vivianne Miedema (six in eight games).

● Lauren Hemp has played 80 league matches – no player has played more WSL games before turning 22 (also Jessica Carter, 80). She has 28 goals, with only her current teammate Georgia Stanway (29) netting more goals aged 21 or younger in the WSL, while Hemp has the most assists before turning 22 (17).

● Hayley Raso has scored four goals in her last two league appearances against Brighton, scoring a hat-trick against them for Everton in March 2021 and City’s fifth goal in our 6-0 win this season. Against no side does Raso have more goals than Brighton (4), with the other four of her eight WSL goals all coming against Aston Villa.

● Brighton have conceded six goals in their last two FA WSL matches against Man City, losing 7-1 in January 2021 and 6-0 in January 2022. No side in WSL history has conceded 6+ goals in three consecutive matches against an opponent.

● The Seagulls have only lost more league matches against Arsenal (8) than they have against City (5) and have only shipped more goals against the Gunners (28) than City (27).

● Hope Powell’s side have never scored an away league goal against either of the two Manchester clubs in six previous attempts (D1 L5), attempting 37 shots without success.

● Brighton won 15 points in their first seven FA WSL matches this season (W5 L2) but have since won 10 points in their subsequent 13 games (W3 D1 L9).