After nine consecutive defeats and a paltry 10 goals all season, Leicester City Women find themselves staring relegation in the face. A crushing 7-0 loss at Arsenal confirmed they would finish bottom of the Women's Super League (WSL) with two matches remaining. However, due to the league's expansion from 12 to 14 teams for the 2026-27 season, the Foxes have a shot at redemption: a one-off play-off against the third-placed side of the WSL 2.
A Season of Turmoil
Last season was a high point for Leicester, as they recorded a club-record 20 points under manager Amandine Miquel. But key departures—Yuka Momiki and academy graduate Ruby Mace joining Everton—weakened the squad. Worse, Miquel left just 10 days before the start of the 2025-26 season, with two years still on her contract. Rick Passmoor, former West Ham assistant, was brought in first as interim and then permanently.
Passmoor has reportedly improved team morale, but results remain abysmal. "Last season under Amandine, there was a lot of disconnect between staff and players," says BBC Radio Leicester reporter Zoe McGrady. "Now it's odd because Hannah Cain told me it was the best mood in the dressing room she'd experienced in five-and-a-half years. Rick made it a priority to get them happy, but the results aren't showing."
The High Stakes of the Play-Off
The play-off, scheduled for May 23 at the home of the WSL 2 third-placed team, offers a final lifeline. Win, and Leicester remain in the top flight. Lose, and they face double relegation—the men's team already dropped to League One. "A double relegation would be a complete PR disaster," McGrady warns.
Leicester's recent form offers little hope. They have not won away from home in two seasons, and their attack is the league's weakest. Yet the club is banking on a one-off performance to salvage their campaign.