Previewing Leicester’s League Cup Trip To Durham
The Foxes lost out to Everton in their opening group stage fixture and lie fifth in Group B ahead of travelling to the north east, with Durham one point and one place ahead of them having played twice so far.
Find out all the key information you need to know ahead of the midweek cup clash below...
The Foxes camp
Leicester came close to a first point of the Barclays FA Women’s Super League season on Sunday before Brighton & Hove Albion scored an injury-time goal to seal a 1-0 success at AMEX Stadium.
City will be hoping they can secure their first win of 2021/22 ahead of meeting Everton back in the WSL at Pirelli Stadium on Sunday (2pm kick-off), with match tickets and Fox Travel on general sale, HERE.
Jemma Purfield is set to come up against her former club on Wednesday, having played for Durham between 2014 and 2015, scoring three times in 19 appearances.
The opposition
Managed by long-term head coach Lee Sanders, Durham are once again competing at the top end of the FA Women’s Championship after finishing 2020/21 as runners-up to LCFC Women.
The Wildcats have enjoyed successes over Watford, Charlton Athletic, Bristol City, Lewes, Sunderland and London City Lionesses to sit third in the current table on 18 points from nine games.
They have, however, been defeated in their last two league fixtures, on the end of a 3-1 reverse against Crystal Palace before a 2-0 loss at home to leaders Liverpool at the weekend.
Durham were also defeated in their previous Continental Tyres League Cup match, a 3-0 scoreline at Manchester City, but did pick up an impressive 2-2 draw with another top-flight side, Manchester United, on matchday one.
Ones to watch
Beth Hepple is the club's record appearance holder, playing 181 games for the Wildcats and is also Durham’s all-time leading goalscorer, finding the net 75 times since her debut in 2014. The academy graduate has four FA Women’s Championship goals to her name so far this term.
Defender and captain Sarah Wilson is another one of the north east club's longest-serving players, turning out 165 times for the Wildcats since their inception in 2014. She is known for being a reliable presence in defence, featuring in all 11 of Durham’s games in 2021/22.
Talking points
Jonathan Morgan told LCFC TV: “It’s a nice opportunity. We’ll make a few chances for the Durham game, but Durham are a fantastic Championship team. We obviously had our great battle with them at the end of last season so we’re not going to take them lightly.”
Abbie McManus commented ahead of the game: “They’ll be coming into the game wanting to beat us, wanting to know if they can compete in the WSL. But we’ve got to go and prove that we’re the WSL side. It’s the Conti Cup and we want to climb the group that we’re in."
Last time out
Leicester enjoyed a successful last trip to Maiden Castle Sports Park, beating their closest rivals 2-0 in March 2021 to edge closer to clinching the FA Women’s Championship title.
Defender Sam Tierney scored her first two goals for the Club to help earn the three points in the north east.
Ticket and travel news
Advanced match tickets must be purchased directly from Durham and can be bought online HERE. They are priced at £7 for adults, £5 for students and £3 for under-16s.
Tickets can also be purchased on the gate using cash, card or contactless payment. All tickets are unreserved, with limited seating available. Car parking will be available in the main sports centre car park at Maiden Castle.
All times GMT.