Leicester City women's team will finish bottom of the Women's Super League after nine consecutive defeats, with relegation confirmed following a 7-0 thrashing at Arsenal. The team scored just 10 goals all season, and with two games remaining, Rick Passmoor's side face a play-off on 23 May to avoid the drop.

The timing is brutal - coming just over a week after the men's team suffered relegation to League One. Key players Yuka Momiki and Ruby Mace left for Everton in the summer, then manager Amandine Miquel departed with two years remaining on her contract just 10 days before the season started. Passmoor took over initially as interim and has since been appointed permanently, but the damage was done.

A double relegation would be a "complete PR disaster" according to BBC Radio Leicester reporter Zoe McGrady. If relegated, the women's side would likely lose their King Power Stadium home and move to Notts County. The financial implications are severe - broadcast revenue diminishes sharply in the second tier, and the club already operates on a shoestring budget.

The Reading women's team provides a cautionary tale. After their relegation in 2022-23, financial difficulties forced them to withdraw from the second tier entirely. They now play in the fifth division. "There's a real sadness about the city – and there's real anger at the bad decisions," says fan and writer Lucy Jones.