The race for promotion in the Barclays Women’s Championship is going down to the final day and for all the pretenders who coveted the throne, only two remain in the hunt. One of Birmingham City or London City Lionesses will be a Barclays Women’s Super League team by Sunday afternoon and in a unique twist the pair face each other at St Andrews on Sunday afternoon.
The last game in the top flight hosted at St Andrews saw Birmingham City welcome a title chasing Chelsea in May 2022 in front of 1,429 fans. A defeat for Birmingham, thanks to a Pernille Harder penalty, put Chelsea one win away from the title and Birmingham, one defeat away from a first ever relegation from the WSL. On the same night London City Lionesses finished their best season since splitting from Millwall FC in 2019 confirming a second place finish behind Liverpool in the Championship.
Much has changed since, both teams have new owners, new head coaches and when the pair meet on Sunday they will face off in front of more than 7,000 fans at St Andrews and a maiden TV audience for a Championship match broadcast live on Sky Sports.
The permutations for the showdown are simple, should London City Lionesses avoid defeat on the final day, they will secure promotion to the WSL. Their West Midland’s opponents know that only a victory will see them promoted, a rare final day title fight where both team’s fates remain in their own hands. A match so consequential that two team’s seasons will be defined as a success or a failure in the shadow of these 90 minutes, you don’t want to miss this.
Simone Magill vs Isobel Goodwin
An individual scoring goals has not been Birmingham’s style this season, their attacking output is shared across the team. Their star striker Simone Magill has had a tricky couple of years with injury, she missed out on the squad for her Northern Ireland’s first major tournament and missed large portions of former club Aston Villa’s recent seasons. However a move to Birmingham represented a new chance for Magill. And the forward has stepped up in the title run in.
A prime example of that came against Durham. Prior to Birmingham’s last home game in the league Birmingham had faced Durham twice and lost both times. But this time Magill stepped up she scored a brace and the demons of defeat to Durham were exorcized. The forward then ensured that no calculators would be required on the final day for goal difference purposes, as her goal ensured the spoils were shared against Newcastle and that neither title chaser could finish the season on the same points. Magill is a player for the big moments, and London City will need to be wary of that.
While Birmingham don’t have a player in the top 10 goal scorers in the league, London City Lionesses have two. And one sits at the top of the charts, Isobel Goodwin. The English forward has astonishingly nabbed 18 goal involvements in 17 matches, scoring a goal on average every 83 Championship minutes. She has developed a wonderful understanding with players around her like Kosovare Asllani, Sofia Jakobsson and Freya Godfrey making London City the most potent attacking force in the league. But even so, the fate of the match tomorrow may lie on the London side’s defensive qualities, as whatever happens, should they keep a clean sheet they will be promoted.
Shannon Cooke vs Saki Kumagai
Saki Kumagai is her nation’s captain, a FIFA World Cup winner and a former Ballon d’Or nominee, not the type of player synonymous with the second division. The Japanese defensive midfielder has had a career for the history books and the sheer fact she is playing for London City speaks volumes towards the club’s ambitions. Kumagai started the season at AS Roma competing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League facing the likes of Wolfsburg and Lyon but in January she traded the Italian capital for the English one.
Kumagai has lent her experience and leadership to the outfit looking to create history and gain promotion to the top flight for the first time and will have a pivotal role to play in controlling the midfield for the travelling side. Shannon Cooke, a far less experienced player joined Birmingham City in January and yet her impact on the side has been just as pronounced. On loan from West Ham United, Cooke put aside the disappointment of losing her place in the West Ham starting eleven at the beginning of the season and has slotted in at centre back for Birmingham.
Cooke provides an aerial presence at both ends of the pitch, one that had been sorely lacking for Birmingham after the injury to Louise Quinn earlier in the season. This pair of January defensive signings have made the difference for the title chasing sides and their performances will be vital towards deciding the title’s destination on Sunday.
Amy Merricks vs Jocelyn Prêcheur
It’s surprising given her success to think that Amy Merricks is still in just her first full season as a head coach. But they say that you are a reflection of the people you keep the most company with and Merricks is testament to the accuracy of that statement. Birmingham boast an all female management team with the legendary former Lionesses coach Hope Powell currently acting as technical director at the club.
Merricks has had brief interim spells as head coach of Brighton and it was on the South Coast that she caught the eye of the powers that be at Birmingham, taking over when Melissa Phillips was relieved of her duties last season. Her style of play is built on defensive solidity, no side has more clean sheets this season than Birmingham and their ability to keep the ball helps them control matches averaging over 56% possession per match. Merricks relies on key players like Neve Herron, Christie Murray and Lee Guem-Min to control matches, which the blue noses have been able to do with impressive consistency this season.
Both sides have a similar footballing ethos. For example London City have been able to average over 60% possession per match this season and have eight clean sheets. London City Lionesses ambition attracted former PSG manager to the project Jocelyn Prêcheur. Prêcheur took over from his father to led PSG to the UEFA Champions League semi final last season and a trophy in the form of the Coupe de France. He has the pedigree and was attracted by the long term goals of London City set by owner Michelle Kang.
Tom Brady vs Michelle Kang
Okay, you’ve got me, Tom Brady only owns 3% of Birmingham City but that did not stop the former NFL star sending a message of support to the Blues women’s side ahead of Sunday’s match now plastered all over their socials. Birmingham are owned by a US based investment group called Shelby Company Limited which is fronted by Tom Wagner. The ownership has breathed new life into both the men’s and women’s team since taking over. The men’s side were promoted back to the Championship this season and the women are on the cusp of a promotion of their own.
Birmingham were one of the founding WSL clubs, finishing second in its inaugural season and boasting the likes of Karen Carney and Rachel Williams amongst their ranks at the time. But the West Midlands club had a tumultuous few years at the start of the decade, this included the players sending a letter to the club complaining about sub standard conditions in 2021 before the team was relegated a year later. However facilities have improved significantly under Shelby Company Limited and they have infused a feel good atmosphere in the club.
An American in the other corner at the weekend will be multi club owner and business-woman Michelle Kang. Kang purchased London City Lionesses in 2023 after the club had been chastised for lacking ambition, now the opposite is true. Kang also owns women’s football powerhouses Lyon and Washington Spirit and her ambition for London City was rubber stamped by the signings of the Swedish and Japanese captains, Kosovare Asllani and Saki Kumagi in the Summer.
The aim for London City Lionesses is not just to win the Championship but to then go on and challenge for the title eventually in the WSL. For now, you have to be in it to win it. It’s safe to say the final day of a championship season hasn’t been of so much interest to Americans since Ted Lasso’s AFC Richmond secured promotion back to the Premier League on Apple TV.
Birmingham City vs London City Lionesses H2H
If you had hoped the past seven meetings since Birmingham’s relegation might provide some clue as to where the Championship title would be heading come Sunday afternoon you may be left disappointed. In the side’s seven meetings in the Championship London City have won three, Birmingham City have won three and they have drawn the other.
In their encounter in Bromley earlier this season it was the Blue Noses that came out on top in a 2-1 victory with both Birmingham centre backs on the scoresheet. Full back Rebecca Holloway was the star player on the day for Birmingham and is still the only player to have played in every game this season for Birmingham. Birmingham dominated the encounter with 16 shots to London City’s six and an xG of 2.60 to London City’s 1.35.
Indeed Birmingham have won three in a row against London City in the league including an evenly matched 1-0 win in January last year at St Andrews. And the two sides have been extremely well matched overall this season, so much so, that up until last week it was even possible for them to end the season on identical records. London City did however miss the chance to secure promotion last week after Durham, a thorn in the side of both promotion chasers secured a draw against the Bromley based club.
You can watch Birmingham City vs London City Lionesses on Sky Sports Football today with kick off at 2:15pm BST.
The Halfway Line predicts:
Jamie Spangher – Chief Editor of The Halfway Line: Birmingham City 1-1 London City Lionesses (London City Lionesses promoted)
Beth McCowan – Editor at The Halfway Line & Women’s Championship expert: Birmingham City 1-2 London City Lionesses (London City Lionesses promoted)
Tom Maher – Editor and author at The Halfway Line: Birmingham City 2-0 London City Lionesses (Birmingham City promoted)
