Manchester City Women host Arsenal in a key Barclays Women's Super League fixture this Sunday, with the league leaders looking to maintain their flawless start. The match at Manchester Regional Arena is the standout of the weekend's six WSL games and is expected to be an open contest with significant implications for the early-season table.
Manchester City sit first with 12 points from four wins, scoring 12 goals and conceding just four. They hold a two-point lead over Tottenham Hotspur and are unbeaten in their last five matches across all competitions. Manager Andrée Jeglertz has decisions to make following a midweek Champions League draw with Real Madrid, where Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw scored the equaliser. Shaw is the team's top scorer this season with four goals in four league appearances.
Team news and lineup
Chloe Kelly is ruled out for Manchester City due to injury, which could open the door for a change in the attacking line. Sam Coffey is in contention to start, potentially displacing Laura Blindkilde Brown in the midfield. The side's last starting XI, a 4-2-3-1 formation, featured A. Yamashita in goal with a back line of K. Casparij, Jade Rose, Alex Greenwood, and C. Wamser. Arsenal manager Renée Slegers, meanwhile, is undecided between goalkeepers Misa Rodríguez and Anneke Borbe, having left several forwards on the bench in their last European outing. Slegers confirmed that defender Amanda Ilestedt is available for selection after recovering from a minor issue, while midfielder Frida Maanum is also fit. For City, the absence of Kelly is a blow, but Jeglertz highlighted the squad's adaptability, noting that Mary Fowler is ready to step into a more advanced role if required.
Recent form and context
Arsenal arrive in seventh place with five points from four games, having drawn their last two league matches. Their 20-match unbeaten WSL run was ended by Chelsea earlier this season. The Gunners' attack, led by Stina Blackstenius and Caitlin Foord, has shown potency but inconsistency. Manager Slegers stated the team must be more clinical in front of goal to challenge the top sides. Manchester City have won their last three league games and showed resilience to come from 2-0 down to draw with Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Alex Greenwood, who scored the winner against Charlton Athletic last week, will be a key figure in defence. The full squad list shows the depth available to Jeglertz for this key period. Historically, matches between these two sides have been high-scoring affairs, with the last three meetings producing many goals in total.
Match details and broadcast
Sunday's match kicks off at 14:00 GMT at the Manchester Regional Arena. The fixture will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK. This game kicks off a busy period for both clubs, with Continental Cup fixtures following next week. Fans can check the upcoming fixtures for the full schedule. The expectation is for Manchester City to continue their strong form and secure a result that reinforces their title ambitions at home, but Arsenal are determined to disrupt the leaders' momentum and climb the table.
