Everton W vs Leicester City WFC: FA WSL Match Preview

On 16 May 2026, the floodlights at Goodison Park in Liverpool will frame a tense afternoon as Everton W welcome Leicester City WFC in the FA WSL. For Everton W, it is about securing mid-table comfort and proving recent improvements are no illusion, while Leicester City WFC arrive fighting to escape the shadow of the relegation playoffs that currently define their campaign.

Season Context

Everton W sit 8th with 20 points, having taken those from 20 matches (6 wins, 2 draws, 12 defeats). A return of 24 goals scored against 36 conceded underlines a side still searching for balance, but their position in the lower mid-table gives them a platform to finish the calendar year’s league programme with a measure of security.

Leicester City WFC are 12th with 9 points from 21 matches, and the standings explicitly place them in the “Relegation Playoffs” zone. With only 11 goals scored and 51 conceded, the numbers paint a stark picture of a team under severe pressure at both ends of the pitch, needing every remaining fixture to claw back hope.

Form & Momentum

Everton W’s recent league form string reads “LLLWW”, a run that mixes struggle with resurgence. The three straight defeats in that sequence highlight inconsistency (3 losses in their last 5), but the two subsequent wins show a side capable of reacting when it matters (2 victories that have pushed them to 20 goals scored in 20 matches at 1.2 per game, and kept their goals conceded at 1.8 per game). Over the last five matches in the prediction model, Everton W carry a 40% overall form index with 50% in attack and 29% in defence, suggesting a team more dangerous going forward than secure at the back.

Leicester City WFC arrive with the bleak form string “LLLLL” in the standings, a sequence that underlines a brutally difficult spell (5 defeats in a row). Across the season they average only 0.5 goals scored per match (11 in 21) while conceding 2.4 per game (51 in 21), and their last-five indices in the prediction data are 0% for overall form, 21% in attack and 0% in defence, a combination that signals deep vulnerability at the back and limited cutting edge up front.

Head-to-Head Patterns

The recent history between these sides has swung back and forth, often with sharp scorelines. On 5 October 2025, Leicester City WFC and Everton W drew 1-1 in the FA WSL (FA WSL, season 2025, October 2025), a tight contest at King Power Stadium that reflected a degree of parity. Earlier in the same competition, on 2 February 2025, Everton W produced a commanding 4-1 home victory at Walton Hall Park (FA WSL, season 2024, February 2025), showing how ruthless they can be in front of their own supporters. Before that, on 20 October 2024, Leicester City WFC edged a 1-0 win over Everton W at King Power Stadium (FA WSL, season 2024, October 2024), a reminder that Leicester have found ways to frustrate this opponent when they get their defensive structure right.

Tactical Preview

At Goodison Park, Everton W are likely to lean on the structures that have underpinned their 24 goals in 20 league matches (1.2 per game) despite conceding 36 (1.8 per game). The team_statistics data shows Everton W most often setting up in a 4-4-2 (8 matches), with 4-2-3-1 and 4-1-4-1 each used 3 times, suggesting a preference for a back four and width in wide areas. Players like H. Hayashi, listed as a midfielder and the club’s top scorer in the FA WSL with 4 goals from 17 appearances, give Everton W a threat arriving from deeper positions (4 goals and 8 shots, half of them on target). Ruby Mace, registered as a defender in the squad but operating with midfielder metrics in the statistics, brings strong defensive contribution and ball progression (656 passes at 88% accuracy, 41 tackles and 18 blocks), while Martina Fernández adds further solidity and distribution from the back (625 passes at 87% accuracy, 14 tackles and 14 blocks). With 10 home goals and 22 conceded across 10 home league games, Everton W will aim to use their flexible four-at-the-back systems to control territory while accepting some risk to push numbers forward.

Leicester City WFC, with only 11 goals in 21 league games and 51 conceded, are likely to prioritise defensive density. Their most used formation is 5-4-1 (4 matches), followed by 3-4-3 and 4-2-3-1 (2 matches each), indicating a team that often adds an extra centre-back to protect a fragile defensive record (3.1 goals conceded per away game, 31 in 10). In midfield, S. Tierney is a key figure, combining aggression and work rate (29 tackles, 20 interceptions, 139 duels with 65 won, plus 6 yellow cards) as Leicester attempt to disrupt Everton W’s build-up. Further forward, Leicester’s attackers have struggled to turn possession into chances, reflected in their 0.3 away goals per game (3 in 10), so transitions and set pieces may be their main route to goal. With 7 away failures to score in the league, Leicester City WFC’s tactical plan will likely revolve around staying compact in their 5-4-1 shell and hoping to exploit any defensive lapses from an Everton W side that concedes 1.8 goals per match overall.

Statistical Snapshot

• Competition: FA WSL, season 2025 — 16 May 2026.
• Venue: Goodison Park, Liverpool.
• Prediction: Win or draw — Double chance : Everton W or draw.
• Win Probabilities: Home 45% / Draw 45% / Away 10%.
• Model: Everton W 56.8% — Leicester City WFC 43.2%.

Betting Verdict

The prediction model leans towards Everton W avoiding defeat, with a “Win or draw” call and a double-chance recommendation in their favour, backed by a 45% home win probability and 45% draw against just 10% for Leicester City WFC. Everton W’s recent “LLLWW” upswing and stronger last-five indices (40% form, 50% attack) contrast sharply with Leicester’s “LLLLL” and 0% recent form, while head-to-head data includes a heavy 4-1 Everton W home win in February 2025 alongside a more balanced 1-1 draw in October 2025. With no concrete odds data available, a cautious stance would be to follow the model and look roughly towards Everton W or draw in double-chance markets, given Leicester City WFC’s severe defensive issues (51 goals conceded in 21 matches) and poor away scoring record.