Key events
If men’s football is more your bag, there are some good reads on the website about Arsenal and Manchester United’s struggles. I particularly enjoyed these two.
Here’s the Arsenal perspective on today’s game, with interim head coach Renée Slegers providing some much needed balance and momentum after a shaky start to the campaign.
Manchester United have conceded only just goal in the WSL this season – by far the best defensive record in the division. And today’s game will be head coach Marc Skinner’s 100th game in charge of United.
“I feel there’s been a lot of growth in that time,” he said. “I’m really proud to represent Manchester United. I want to be successful here for another 100 games and to do that we’ve got to win games, so although it’s a fantastic milestone for me personally, I’m hungrier than I’ve ever been.
“We’ve started the season fantastically well but we’re going to face a team that could either be wounded and really want to show that, or a team that we could hopefully try and take advantage of, but they’re going to be very difficult to play against.”
Team news
Manchester United: Tullis-Joyce; Turner, Le Tissier, Mannion, George; Naaslund, Janssen, Clinton; Toone, Bizet, Terland.
Subs: Middleton-Patel, Riviere, Awujo, Ladd, Miyazawa, Watson, Geyse, Malard, Williams
Arsenal: Van Domselaar; Fox, Williamson, Catley, Mariona; Little, McCabe, Maanum; Walti, Foord, Russo.
Subs: Zinsberger, Codina, Reid, Kuhl, Cooney-Cross, Mead, Kafaji, Hurtig, Blackstenius
Preamble
If Arsenal surprised a few people because of their slow start to this WSL season, then Manchester United have been surprise packages for all the right reasons this term. So there’s no shortage of talking points as the two lock horns at Leigh Sports Village in today’s early kick-off.
The visitors are looking for a third win from three games under interim head coach, Renée Slegers, who by all accounts has brought “new energy” to Arsenal after the departure of Jonas Eidevall. United, meanwhile, are unbeaten, albeit having played just four games to the Gunners’ five; they do arguably have one of the league’s most in-form and exciting players in England’s Grace Clinton, as well as on-song striker Elisabeth Terland.
It’s all set up for a cracking contest, which kicks off at 12.30pm UK time. We’ll run through the confirmed lineups in the next post. Stay tuned.
