The final game weeks of the season are finally upon us, and while we’re sad to see the end of the 2023-24 Women’s Super League season, the title race is certainly hotting up.
Despite leading the league for most of the season, Chelsea’s loss against Liverpool on Wednesday means Manchester City are tantalising close to claiming the title. But – and it’s a big but – they’ll have to overcome a clash with third-place team Arsenal to stay in control.
It’s certainly going to be an exciting game. But for fantasy managers, it presents a difficult decision: put all your faith in Manchester City, or go against the grain and bet on an Arsenal showstopper?
Let’s take a closer look at the two teams, what you can expect from this weekend and how the sides shaped up when they faced each other earlier in the season.
When does Manchester City vs Arsenal kick-off?
Manchester City vs Arsenal kicks off on 5 May at 14:15. It will be shown on BBC One.
Who is going to play in Manchester City vs Arsenal?
Manchester City
We haven’t heard of any big updates from the Manchester City camp since their game last week with Bristol City, but the big talking point from City’s line-up will be the continued absence of striker Bunny Shaw.
After suffering a foot injury in the club’s game against West Ham last month, Shaw has been on the sidelines with fellow injured players Jill Roord and Sandy MacIver.
One player we can certainly expect to see in the starting line-up is Mary Fowler, after she scored twice in the 4-0 victory against Bristol City last weekend. Lauren Hemp, who recently signed a new long-term contract with the club, can also be expected to make the line-up alongside Chloe Kelly.
Arsenal
Following the club’s draw against Everton last weekend, it’ll be interesting to see who Eidevall chooses for his starting eleven against Manchester City.
Recently, Stina Blackstenius and Alessia Russo have been playing together at the front, but with Russo scoring last week after Blackstenius came off the pitch, Eidevall might choose to rely solely on the England international.
The good news for Arsenal is that they’ve got lots of players back from injury, with the likes of Vivianne Miedema, Laura Wienroither and Teyah Goldie all on the bench last weekend.
What happened last time Manchester City played Arsenal?
Arsenal took home the victory the last time these two teams played each other, although they did have the advantage of being at home at Meadow Park.
The scoreline ended 2-1 for the home team, with Steph Catley opening the scoring with an assist from Australian teammate Caitlin Foord. The second came from Stina Blackstenius, who managed to slot one in after an equaliser by Chloe Kelly.
However, Manchester City are in a good position going into this game, with the team looking for their 14th consecutive WSL win. The squad have also only lost one game at the Joie stadium this season, so Arsenal are going to have their work cut out to beat down the walls of the City fortress.
Image: Getty
