Everton W vs Leicester City WFC: Final Match Preview

Everton W welcome Leicester City WFC to Goodison Park on 16 May 2026 in the final round of the FA WSL regular season, with both sides trying to close a difficult campaign on a positive note. Everton start the day 8th with 20 points, while Leicester sit 12th on 9 points and in the relegation play-offs spot. There are no cup stakes here, but the league context is sharp: Everton can consolidate a mid-table finish; Leicester are trying to salvage some momentum after a bruising year.

Context and form

In the league, Everton’s season has been wildly streaky. Their overall record of 6 wins, 2 draws and 13 defeats (24 scored, 37 conceded) tells of a side that has struggled for consistency, particularly at Goodison. At home they have played 10, winning only 2 and losing 8, with a goal difference of 10-22. The form line “LLLLW” underlines just how badly they have faded in the run-in: four straight defeats before a win in their latest outing.

Leicester’s picture is even more stark. Bottom of the table in 12th, they have just 2 wins and 3 draws from 21 league games, losing 16 and carrying a goal difference of -40 (11 scored, 51 conceded). Across all phases they average just 0.5 goals for per match and 2.4 against. Their form string “LLLLL” shows five consecutive league defeats, and away from home they have yet to win: 0 victories, 2 draws and 8 losses from 10 away fixtures, scoring only 3 and conceding 31.

This is, on paper, a meeting of two of the division’s lowest-scoring attacks. Everton average 1.1 goals per game across all phases; Leicester 0.5. But Leicester’s defensive frailty — particularly away, where they ship 3.1 per game — means the hosts will see this as a rare chance to dominate.

Tactical outlook: Everton W

Everton’s season stats point to a side that prefers stability in shape but has not always translated structure into control. Their most-used formation is 4-4-2 (8 matches), with 4-2-3-1 and 4-1-4-1 each used three times. That suggests a coach who oscillates between a two-striker system and a single centre-forward supported by a band of three or four.

At home, Everton have scored 10 in 10 but conceded 22, an average of 2.2 goals against per game. The fact they have only 1 home clean sheet all season underlines a recurring vulnerability in defensive transitions and set-piece phases. However, their “biggest wins” data shows they are capable of cutting loose: a 2-1 home win is their best at Goodison, and they have produced a 1-4 away victory, which hints at a side that can be incisive when the game opens up.

Honoka Hayashi has been a central figure. The Japanese midfielder is Everton’s leading scorer in the league with 4 goals in 17 appearances. Her statistical profile is efficient: 8 shots, 4 on target, and 4 goals is a strong conversion rate, while 335 passes at 86% accuracy shows she is a reliable conduit in possession. With 3 key passes recorded, she also offers some creative threat from deeper areas. Expect her to operate either as one of the central two in a 4-4-2 or as a key part of the midfield box in a 4-2-3-1, linking play and arriving late in the box.

Everton’s penalty record in the league is 1 scored from 1 awarded, with no misses. There is no individual penalty scorer listed in the player data, so any spot-kick threat is more a general note than a specific weapon. More broadly, their card profile shows a fairly even spread of yellow cards across the match, with spikes between 16-30 and 61-90 minutes, suggesting intensity but not indiscipline; there are no red cards recorded.

Tactical outlook: Leicester City WFC

Leicester’s numbers tell of a side constantly searching for a solution. They have used at least eight different formations: most often 5-4-1 (4 matches), but also 3-4-3, 4-2-3-1, 3-4-1-2, 3-4-2-1, 4-4-2, 4-1-4-1 and 3-5-2. That tactical churn usually reflects a team struggling for balance between defensive solidity and attacking threat.

Across all phases they average 0.3 goals per away match and 3.1 conceded. They have failed to score in 7 of their 10 away fixtures, and 10 times in 21 matches overall. Their “biggest away loss” is 7-0, and they have conceded 31 goals on the road. The logical expectation is a compact, reactive approach at Goodison, most likely a back five (5-4-1) or a back three with wing-backs, trying to clog central areas and limit Everton’s midfield runners.

Discipline could be a concern. Leicester’s yellow cards spike late in games, with 29.03% of bookings arriving between 76-90 minutes, and they have one red card shown in the 46-60 range. Under sustained pressure away from home, that tendency to pick up late cards may invite dangerous set-piece situations.

Leicester have not been awarded a penalty this season in the league; their penalty stats are 0 taken, 0 scored, 0 missed. That removes one potential route to nicking goals in tight games and underlines how rarely they have been able to sustain pressure in the opposition box.

Head-to-head: recent competitive meetings

Looking at the last five competitive meetings (including league and WSL Cup, excluding friendlies), the record is finely balanced:

05 October 2025, King Power Stadium (FA WSL): Leicester City WFC 1-1 Everton W – draw.
02 February 2025, Walton Hall Park (FA WSL): Everton W 4-1 Leicester City WFC – Everton win.
20 October 2024, King Power Stadium (FA WSL): Leicester City WFC 1-0 Everton W – Leicester win.
28 January 2024, Walton Hall Park (FA WSL): Everton W 0-1 Leicester City WFC – Leicester win.
24 January 2024, Pirelli Stadium (WSL Cup, group stage): Leicester City WFC 5-1 Everton W – Leicester win.

Over these five, Leicester have 3 wins, Everton 1, with 1 draw. Notably, Leicester’s biggest recent margin came in the cup on neutral turf, a 5-1 win at Pirelli Stadium, while Everton’s best result in this run was the 4-1 home league victory in February 2025.

Key battles and game script

The central zone will be decisive. If Everton go 4-4-2, Hayashi’s ability to link midfield to attack and contribute goals from the second line is crucial against a Leicester side that often crowds the back line but leaves space in front of it. Leicester’s likely back-five structure should force Everton to move the ball quickly side to side, looking for overloads in the wide areas before cutting back to late runners like Hayashi.

Leicester’s route to success is clear: keep the game tight for as long as possible and exploit Everton’s fragile home record. The hosts have only 3 clean sheets all season across all phases, and they concede more at home than away. If Leicester can survive the early pressure and test Everton’s confidence, especially in the final quarter when the Toffees’ yellow-card count rises, they might engineer set-pieces or counter-attacks to threaten.

However, Leicester’s own attacking numbers are so low that any open, stretched game would heavily favour Everton. The visitors’ 31 away goals conceded and 7 away clean sheets failed (out of 10) suggest that once they fall behind, the match tends to run away from them.

The verdict

Data and context point strongly towards Everton. They are far from secure at Goodison, but they face the league’s weakest attack and most porous defence, a team winless away all season and on a five-game losing streak. Everton’s own form has dipped, yet their higher goal output, more settled core (with Hayashi as a reliable contributor), and the psychological boost of playing at Goodison against the bottom side make them clear favourites.

Leicester’s recent head-to-head edge and their heavy WSL Cup win in January 2024 mean Everton cannot treat this as a formality. But if the hosts impose their structure, maintain concentration at the back, and get midfield runners into the box, the numbers suggest they should finish their season with a home win.