Leicester's wsl survival hinges on playoffs as brighton consolidate top six

Leicester's fate in the Women's Super League looks increasingly tied to a relegation playoff, after Brighton's 1-0 win over the Foxes left them four points adrift with just four games remaining.

Playoff hopes now leicester's lifeline

A scheduled one-legged playoff fixture against the third-placed team in the second tier now looms large for Leicester, who are operating on the lowest budget in the top tier. Their current predicament can largely be attributed to losing key players like Ruby Mace and the Japan duo Saori Takarada and Yuka Momiki in the summer, as well as the departure of manager Amandine Miquel just before the season started.

Leicester are on a seven-match losing streak in the league, a run that has coincided with an upturn in results for Liverpool, who now look all but safe after impressive January transfer activity.

Against Brighton, Leicester showed some resilience, with Julie Thibaud's last-ditch defending helping keep them in the contest, but the home side failed to muster a shot on target, underlining their lack of quality in the final third.

Leicester's manager Rick Passmoor acknowledged the players' effort but knows his team must produce and stay together in their remaining fixtures, which include away matches against London City Lionesses and Arsenal, before a home game against Chelsea and a trip to Everton.

If Leicester do end up in the playoff, the identity of their opponents from the second tier remains very hard to predict, with pivotal wins for Crystal Palace and Birmingham keeping the automatic promotion race on a knife-edge.

Leicester's men's team, meanwhile, finds itself in the Championship relegation zone, a point from safety after being deducted six points for overspending, casting a worrying shadow over the club's fortunes.