West Ham United prepared for ‘big battle’ at Leicester City says Skinner | OneFootball

West Ham United manager Rehanne Skinner says that this afternoon’s Barclays Women’s Super League fixture at Leicester City will be a big battle.

The Hammers travel to The King Power Stadium to take on The Foxes on the final day of the 2024/2025 Barclays Women’s Super League season.

Both teams go into the game in strong form and West Ham United manager Skinner anticipates a big battle in the East Midlands.

“It’s going to be a big battle away from home,” Skinner said. “Their pitch is a bit bigger than what we’ve been playing on of late, so that’s something that we have to manage a little bit differently.

“Their form has improved, they’re hard to break down, they have been all season and that’s credit to their defensive organisation.

“We know it’s going to be a tough test. I think it’s going to be about focusing on what we are good at, trying to ensure that we deliver on that consistency as part of the game plan.

“The biggest thing for us is that we want to get as many points out of the game as we can and finish on a real positive. Given everything we’ve done, it’d be a shame to not do that.”

West Ham United could equal their best-ever finish of sixth-place should they win and results go their way. Reflecting on the season as a whole, Skinner highlighted the significant progress that The Hammers have made with their project.

She said “Overall, this season it has probably evolved more than we had hoped in terms of the performances and the way that the players have gelled together. Our performances in the second half of the season that have led to points have been a significant uplift. It wasn’t that the performances weren’t good beforehand, we just didn’t find a way to win.

“The progress that has been made on and off the pitch has been significant. We’ve been pretty consistent with that which makes a difference in this league. I’m really proud of the work that everyone has done; the staff have been superb and the players have been committed to it right from the word go. That’s stood out and that’s the reason that we are where we are. I’m really pleased and proud of everyone’s efforts.”

West Ham United’s Barclays Women’s Super League fixture at Leicester City kicks-off at 12.30pm this afternoon.