London Bees make the long trip to the Sir Tom Finney Stadium on Sunday, in pursuit of moving off the bottom of the Women’s Championship table. The Bees have only picked up three points in their opening seven games and have made a relatively poor start compared to last season’s fifth-place finish.
The hosts also linger in the bottom half of the table, but a victory against Sunday’s visitors will equal their total wins from last.
The meeting on Sunday will see the bluntest attack face the leakiest defence. Rovers have only found the net four times in their opening five games, whereas the Bees have conceded 18 in seven.
Match Preview: Blackburn Rovers Ladies vs London Bees
Last Time Out – Blackburn Rovers Ladies 0-1 London Bees
The pair only met the once last season as Covid-19 enforced the season to halt. And , it was the travelling Bees on that day who went home with all three points, securing a 1-0 victory.
The only goal of the game, came in the 40th minute when Nikita Whinnett latched onto a lofted ball over the top, who then clipped the ball over Danielle Hill in the Blackburn net. The Bees had to withstand an abundance of late pressure, but defended resolutely to ensure that they returned to the Hive with the win.
Player Focus
From a Rovers perspective, Elise Hughes is a player that will certainly cause the Bees problems. The 19-year-old joined the club on a loan deal from Everton in September and bagged her first goal last time out against Leicester City. She is a forward who will look to get in behind and cause trouble, but also shines with the ball at her feet. The young striker has also performed on the international stage, making two appearances for Wales after her debut in 2018.
The Bees also have a Welsh international of their own in Charlie Estcourt. The midfielder rose through the ranks at Chelsea, but blossomed at hometown club Reading. The former Royal, possesses a great technical ability, but also has a tenacious drive to regain and retain possession in the midfield area. Estcourt has 29 international appearances to her name, accumulating three goals in the process. Given the space and time, the Bees midfielder will certainly thrive and carve Blackburn’s defence open. However, she will need to earn the right to get on the ball and create from deeper positions against a hard-working Rovers midfield, who will know all about the threat that Estcourt poses.
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