Manchester City and Chelsea meet in a blockbuster Women’s Football Weekend clash on Sunday lunchtime in a game that could prove pivotal in the Women’s Super League title race.
Emma Hayes’ visiting Blues climbed to the top of the table with a narrow 1-0 win over Manchester United last time out, with a two-point advantage and a game in hand making them favourites to retain their WSL crown.
But coming into form nicely are United’s neighbourhood rivals City, who after a slow start to the campaign are well and truly in the title mix. Indeed, victory here, coupled with a favourable result in United’s clash with West Ham, could see Gareth Taylor’s side, who are unbeaten in 13 WSL games, go top of the table.
Ironically, City’s last defeat actually came at Kingsmeadow in September last year in the reverse fixture, when Chelsea emerged victorious 2-0.
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Manchester City‘s hopes of extending their unbeaten run have been boosted by another week of coming through training unscathed.
Teenage goalkeeper Khiara Keating is the only absentee for Gareth Taylor, who otherwise has a full complement of players to choose from.
Fran Kirby or Pernille Harder remain sidelined for Chelsea, while Millie Bright is awaiting the results of a scan for a knee injury picked up in the 1-0 win over Lyon in the Women’s Champions League.
Magda Eriksson is likely to come back into the side for Bright, barring a supremely swift recovery from the England defender.
Confidence will be high in both camps, though City’s surprise defeat to Aston Villa in the FA Cup quarter-finals will have knocked the confidence of Gareth Taylor’s side slightly.
Chelsea, meanwhile, will be buoyed by their narrow win over Lyon in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League quarter-final tie, and know no fear under Hayes’ management.
Both teams are well organised defensively – they’ve conceded just 26 goals in a combined 29 games and scored 71 – and have enough tactical flexibility to switch things up and shift the momentum of a game.
With quality oozing in all areas of the field, a stalemate could be the outcome when the final whistle sounds.
Prediction: Man City 1-1 Chelsea
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