🏏 Sun, 27 Sep 2026 14:00 BST
Birmingham City W
vs
Crystal Palace W
4-2-3-1 vs 4-2-3-1
Substitutes
Substitutes
Match Preview
- A meeting near the foot of the table. Birmingham are 13th on one point from three games (no wins, one draw, two defeats) with a goal difference of -4, having scored three and conceded seven. Crystal Palace sit ninth on four points from a win, a draw and a defeat, but with just one goal scored and seven conceded their goal difference of -6 is actually worse. With leaders Manchester City already on 12 points from four, both need traction quickly.
- Promoted Birmingham have had a brutal opening schedule: 1-3 away at Manchester City, 2-2 at home to Brighton, then 0-2 away at Chelsea. One point from three fixtures against established sides is no disgrace, and this is the first realistic opportunity to chase a maiden win of the campaign.
- Palace's three games have been a study in extremes. They beat Everton 1-0 at home on the opening weekend and held Arsenal to a 0-0 away, before losing 0-7 at home to Tottenham. Every one of their seven goals conceded came in that single afternoon — the other two matches were clean sheets. The bigger worry is the attack: that Everton winner remains their only goal of the season.
- Jamie-Lee Napier faces a former club. The 26-year-old Scotland international came through Chelsea Women's youth setup before spells at Birmingham City Women, London City Lionesses, Hibernian and Bristol City. Standing just 162cm, she is a player who makes things happen from advanced areas, and here she lines up in Palace's back four.
- Birmingham's Japanese pair are worth following. Asato Miyagawa, 28 and born in 1998, starts in the double pivot of a 4-2-3-1. Developed at Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza and signed after a spell with Hammarby in Sweden, she is one of the few players in the squad who knows both the Japanese league and European football. On the bench is 22-year-old Suzu Amano, who arrived in August 2026 having moved from INAC Kobe Leonessa to Hammarby and then Växjö — a potential on-field reunion with her old Hammarby team-mate.
- Experience should shape the midfield exchanges. Alongside Miyagawa is Lisa Naalsund, the 31-year-old Norway international who won back-to-back league titles with SK Brann and brings box-to-box legs and late runs into the box. Palace answer with the double pivot of S. Hopcroft and Everett, behind attacking midfielder Shannon O'Brien, whose creativity and instinct for goal give them a focal point.
- The attacking pictures contrast neatly. Birmingham lead the line with 28-year-old Greek forward Veatriki Sarri, who has WSL experience with both Brighton and Everton, supported by Korea international Lee Geum-min, born in 1994. Palace start 32-year-old England striker Beth England, whose double of WSL Player of the Year and PFA Player of the Year during her Chelsea days speaks to the penalty-box instincts this goal-shy side badly needs.
- There is plenty of mileage in both back lines. Birmingham's 178cm centre-back Millie Turner, 30, has played for Manchester United, Bristol City and Everton and takes charge in the air, with Northern Ireland international Rebecca McKenna beside her. Palace counter with Jamaica's Allyson Swaby, 29, a veteran of Angel City, Paris Saint-Germain, Roma and AC Milan, and Molly Bartrip, the only player to feature for every minute of the 2024-25 WSL season.
- Both benches carry international options. Birmingham can turn to Chancel Effaeffa, the 20-year-old France striker signed from Le Havre in August 2026 for a fee in excess of £100,000, who has 28 caps and 17 goals across France's youth levels and won the 2023 U-17 European Championship. Palace have 26-year-old USA midfielder Sierra Enge, a Stanford graduate who made 44 appearances in two seasons at Strasbourg, plus 21-year-old Nigeria goalkeeper Comfort Elhabour, signed from Portsmouth on a two-year deal in September 2026.