Arsenal or Manchester City could make a huge statement in the WSL title race if one of them can claim maximum points in this crunch game less than two months from the end of the season.
Arsenal are fresh off the high of turning around an aggregate deficit against Bayern Munich and reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in 10 years.
The Gunners also beat Chelsea to lift the Conti Cup at the start of March and have looked increasingly confident with each passing WSL game after that had actually been a very difficult period for them when 2023 first began.
Manchester City were recently knocked out of the FA Cup by Aston Villa and lost in the Carabao semis to Arsenal in February. But they won against Arsenal in the league and rose to the occasion to inflict only a second league defeat on Chelsea last time.
Overall, City are unbeaten in 14 WSL games after overcoming back-to-back defeats at the start of the campaign and have taken 38 points from the last 42 on offer.
Going into this one, only three points separates the entire top four, from Manchester United in first place on goal difference ahead of City, to Arsenal narrowly behind Chelsea. Only one can win the title and only three will qualify for next season’s Champions League.
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In addition to being without Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema, the Gunners lost captain Kim Little to injury just 12 minutes into the win over Bayern. Katie McCabe also limped out of the game later on and was seen leaving the stadium on crutches with her left foot strapped up.
Gareth Taylor revealed in his pre-match press conference that Alanna Kennedy and Demi Stokes had picked up injury niggles.
Both were on the bench for last weekend’s superb 2-0 win over Chelsea, but they may be absent for the trip to Meadow Park. Taylor has no other injury concerns to contend with, so may opt to play the same team that strengthened the club’s title chances with victory over Emma Hayes’ Champions League semi-finalists.
Arsenal have admirably found a way to cope without Mead and Miedema, largely thanks to Caitlin Foord and Stina Blackstenius stepping up their performances.
City have taken time to gel after a summer of mass turnover but are lookng increasingly cohesive and dangerous. With only one competition left to fight in, underestimating them now would be a mistake.
Expect entertainment, but they could end up cancelling each…
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