West Ham United Women's recent momentum was checked with a 2-1 defeat to London City Lionesses in the WSL Cup Group Stage on Wednesday. The result ends a three-game winning run for the Irons, who now turn their focus to a key Barclays Women’s Super League fixture away to Brighton on Saturday 24 October.
Kelly Gago and Viviane Asseyi had been the scorers in a 2-1 league victory over the same opponents at Victoria Road in September, but this cup tie went the other way. West Ham's form had been strong, with their last five results reading WWWLL, including a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace last weekend where Gago netted the only goal. That league success had lifted spirits, with manager Rita Guarino noting the positive mood. The team's recent form shows three wins and two defeats from their last five matches, with the most recent results being a 2-1 loss to London City Lionesses on 21 October, a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace on 18 October, a 3-0 home loss to Chelsea on 4 October, a 3-1 victory over Southampton on 30 September, and a 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on 27 September.
"The Irons will be in positive spirits following the weekend’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Barclays Women’s Super League," Guarino said.
Despite the cup setback, the team sits on five points from their six league matches this season. Top scorer Viviane Asseyi has three goals to her name in six appearances. The immediate task is to bounce back on the road against Brighton W this Saturday 24 October, looking to extend their current three-game winning run in all competitions.
