Key events
Jenna Nighswonger, recently arrived at Arsenal is on the bench. Deserves a quiet night…
The teams
Man City Women: Keating, Casparij, Aleixandri, Knaak, Ouahabi, Roord, Hasegawa, Park, Fujino, Miedema, Fowler. Subs: Yamashita, Layzell, Kerolin, Blindkilde, Shaw, Prior, Oyama, Murphy, Mayzee Davies.
Arsenal Women: van Domselaar, Fox, Williamson, Catley, Wubben-Moy, Cooney-Cross, Maanum, Blackstenius, Caldentey, Mead, Russo. Subs: Zinsberger, Williams, Codina, Ilestedt, Reid, Peacock, Walti, Kafaji, Nighswonger.
Some meat on the bones of that amazing Kelly switch.
What the managers say
Taylor: “We have good options and it’s kind of working out what that week looks like. We’re not looking too far ahead, we have an important game on Sunday.
“I saw some good things at Villa last week. They’re always a difficult opponent so to put four past them is very impressive, and not many teams do that.”
Slegers: “We’re preparing for this game now and it’s the only game that counts. Sunday’s the only game, but it’s going to be interesting to view that game and see how we prep for the second game [against City].
“The supporters mean a lot for us, it’s quite special what we have at Arsenal and how we’re together now as a club, as a staff, as players and not least the fans who mean a lot to us.”
Preamble
A meeting of the chasing pack, trailing in the wake of the new Chelsea’s brilliance and Manchester United above them. And in the week that Chloe Kelly has accused Manchester City of attempting to “assassinate her character”, and joined Arsenal on loan. Kelly can’t play, of course, but that will add a certain flavour to the match. It’s a battle for third place, and more beyond that.
Join me for a 12pm kick-off on the Etihad Campus.
