Jemma Purfield 2019/2020 – scout report

With Liverpool Women’s relegation from the WSL confirmed when women’s football in England was brought to an early end, it seemed likely that a few players would depart Merseyside for other clubs. One of those that has made the move is Jemma Purfield, a versatile left-sided player. She has joined Bristol City Women, as what appears to be a straight like-for-like replacement for former Bristol left-back Poppy Pattinson, who joined Everton Women this summer.

This scout report will look at whether Purfield will be an able replacement for Pattinson, and whether she will bring anything new to the team. We will begin the analysis by looking at her play last season for Liverpool, then we will move to look briefly at Pattinson’s play, before also examining Bristol’s general defensive tactics last season. The tactical analysis will finish by using data and statistics to directly compare Purfield and Pattinson, so we can see what Purfield will bring to Bristol next season.

Jemma Purfield

We will first look at the positives of Jemma Purfield’s play.

Firstly, we can see in this image how Purfield has lined up in a back four formation with her team. However, whilst this is notable, what we are more interested in is the ball, which is in the air above her. Purfield here is getting underneath it, ready to make a headed clearance. We haven’t seen many defenders who are good in the air in 2019/2020, but it gives the team an added bonus when they have players who can meet the ball early, whereas others may wait for it to come down and try to shield the opposing attacker from reaching it. The fact that Purfield meets it in the air means her team can counter-attack much more quickly, catching some teams out.

Purfield also gets tight to defenders, and doesn’t mind engaging in 1-v-1 duels against her opponents. This slows down those attacks, and, particularly when closing down the wingers, it stops the service into the middle. This can be crucial against teams like Arsenal Women and Manchester City Women, who both rely on the wide players in their respective systems for their tactics to work. This is something that Purfield can bring to Bristol City Women next season, because it could be what gets them a few more points against tougher opponents.