The fifth round of BWSL2 kicks off at midday on Saturday with a North East Derby, as top-of-the-table Newcastle travel to face Durham.
Five games then take place at 2 pm on Sunday, with the impressive Sunderland and Ipswich Town looking to add to their unbeaten start.
Durham vs Newcastle United
Sunday 4th 12:00 pm Maiden Castle Sports Park
The first fixture of the weekend will see Newcastle United try and add to their perfect start as they face North East rivals Durham.
The Toon Army have been comfortable in winning their opening four games, scoring 11 and conceding just once, and sit alone as the only side with a perfect record in the BWSL2.
It’s been a different story for Durham, who have lost their opening four games of the season and sit bottom of the BWSL2.
The “Wildcats” will take confidence in the fact that they have never lost to Newcastle, having done the double over them in the 2024/25 season and earning four points off their rivals last season.
Newcastle’s experienced striker Martha Thomas has been in fine form of late, having scored four goals in her last two games and sits as the top scorer in the league.
Due to the nature of the game, a big crowd could be attracted to get behind the home side which should make this clash an intense and physical clash.
Bristol City vs Southampton
Sunday 4th 2:00 pm Ashton Gate
Two promotion hopefuls will clash on Sunday, with Southampton still unbeaten and Bristol City unbeaten in their last two.
Bristol City started with two defeats but have since returned with a thumping 5-1 win away at Watford before a goalless draw with Burnley.
Striker Rio Hardy scored a hat-trick in that win over Watford and will be looking to add to her tally with a goal on the weekend.
The visitors Southampton are one of just five sides still holding an unbeaten streak and will look to extend that record against a side who finished just two points ahead of them last season.
The “Saints” have scored less than bottom side Durham but have built their success on an excellent defensive setup, having conceded just two goals in their opening four games.
This clash promises to be an exciting affair, with both sides winning away in their league clashes last season.
Nottingham Forest vs Burnley
Sunday 4th 2:00 pm City Ground
Recently promoted Burnley travel to face a Nottingham Forest side who are still unbeaten having drawn three of their opening four games.
Burnley are yet to win so far this season but have shown defensive solidity with two goalless draws against Watford and Bristol City.
Only top of the table Newcastle United have more clean sheets than the “Clarets” and another shutout this weekend could lead to their first victory of the campaign.
Forest have started the campaign unbeaten but still sit in mid-table after three draws in four games, with their only win coming away at Durham.
31-year-old winger Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah has enjoyed an excellent start to the season with three goals in her last three league games and will be confident of adding to that on the weekend.
Nottingham Forest currently rank second for average possession, while Burnley sit second-bottom, so Forest are expected to dominate possession, with the visitors likely to look to hit on the counter-attack.
The home side have enjoyed much success over their rivals in recent years, and Burnley haven’t beaten Forest since September 2023.
Sheffield United vs Ipswich Town
Sunday 4th 2:00 pm Bramall Lane
Ipswich Town will be looking to extend their unbeaten start to the season when they travel to Bramall Lane to face a Sheffield United side fresh off the back of an impressive victory over Durham.
United had endured a difficult start to the campaign with three league defeats on the bounce and a 10-1 thumping away at Manchester United in the Subway Players Cup.
However, a dominant 4-1 win over Durham last weekend bought some confidence back to the side with striker Amy Andrews scoring a hat-trick against her old club.
“The Blades” face a tricky test against Ipswich Town this weekend, with the visitors heading into the clash on the back of consecutive league victories.
Ipswich saw off both Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers and currently sit third in the BWSL2 table ahead of this weekend’s fixtures.
Their success has been built upon a solid defensive structure with only league leaders Newcastle having a better defensive record after four games.
Ipswich currently sit 12th for average possession, highlighting the effectiveness of their attacking players when they win the ball back.
The sides met three times last season, with both winning their respective home ties in the league while Sheffield United also knocked Ipswich out of the FA Cup in the Last 16.
Sunderland vs Leicester City
Sunday 4th 2:00pm Eppleton Colliery Football Ground
Sunderland have started the league campaign finely and will look to add more points on the board against recently relegated Leicester City.
The “Black Cats” started with back-to-back wins before a goalless draw with Southampton was followed by another three points against Watford.
Sunderland’s attack has been thriving in the opening weeks of the season, with the Black Cats boasting the second-best attacking record so far, spearheaded by the impressive Elise Hughes, who has scored three goals in four appearances.
More goals could be expected on the weekend, with only rivals Newcastle carving out more big chances than Sunderland so far this season.
Leicester City are back in the second tier after five consecutive seasons in the BWSL and started their campaign with two victories over Sheffield United and Durham.
However, the “Foxes” have faltered slightly and come into this clash off the back of three consecutive defeats in all competitions without scoring in either.
An improved performance will be expected of the visitors who did thrash their North East opponents 5-0 in a FA Women's Continental Tyres League Cup game in 2023.
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Watford
Sunday 4th 2:00 pm SEAH Stadium
A clash between two promoted sides on Sunday afternoon sees two teams who have experienced very different starts to their BWSL2 campaigns.
Wolves have made a decent start to their first ever BWSL2 campaign with two wins in four games, leaving them in fifth place before this weekend’s fixtures.
Two excellent wins against Sheffield United and Burnley proved their class, and the brilliance of Amber Hughes has helped Wolves after three goals and an assist in just three starts.
Wolves have played some superb attacking football and have the most shots on target per match with an impressive 5.8.
Watford on the other hand, have struggled in their return to the second tier with two draws and two defeats in their opening four.
A couple of decent points against Burnley and Nottingham Forest were followed by back-to-back defeats to Bristol City and Sunderland.
The “Hornets” will no doubt be up against it on Sunday afternoon with the side sitting bottom of the shots on target per match.
However, Watford’s defeats have come at home, and their only away game so far ended in a point against Nottingham Forest, so more form on their travels could become important this season.
