Leicester City Women: Are the Foxes destined for a relegation play-off?

With just five games remaining, Leicester City need to turn things around quickly to avoid relegation from the Women’s Super League.

Defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday was their sixth in a row and kept the Foxes three points clear of the foot of the table.

There were faint hopes of a turnaround in their fortunes at the King Power Stadium, when Alisha Lehmann scored to give them a 1-0 lead in the second half – but normal service soon resumed.

They fell behind in the second half and Villa came from behind to win.

This was a result that former English striker Ellen White described as “painful.”

Leicester fans are used to disappointment this season, with this being their twelfth league defeat, but despite their situation, Leicester boss Rick Passmore hopes the “tide will turn” in his side’s favour.

He told BBC Sport: “The will is there, the teamwork is there, the culture is there. We will not leave and we will not turn our backs on this battle. Our fate is still in our hands.”

This loss was particularly annoying given that a win would have taken them out of the relegation zone above West Ham on goal difference and came after a promising first-half display.

Speaking to BBC Two, White said: “They were very positive, very direct and went 1-0 up at half-time. After that, they just needed to shut up.”

Even if Leicester finish last this season, it won’t be fatal for them.

With the Women’s Super League expanding to 14 teams, no team will be automatically relegated, but the 12th-placed club will face a relegation play-off against whoever finishes third in WSL 2.