Key events
Manchester United make one change to the starting XI from the one that began last Sunday’s 2-0 win at Liverpool … and it’s one with the visit of the all-conquering champions very much in mind. Anna Sandberg comes in for leading scorer Melvine Malard, who drops to the bench.
Chelea rotate three players in/out of the XI that started the 4-0 win at West Ham United last weekend. Ellie Carpenter replaces Veerle Buurman at the back, Catarina Macario comes in for Oriane Jean-François in midfield, and Sandy Baltimore takes Alyssa Thompson’s place in attack. All of the three replaced are on the bench.
Preamble
Just four games in, and already this feels like it could be a potentially decisive fixture. Look!
Manchester United can go top if they win tonight. It’s a big ask, even with home advantage, not least because Chelsea haven’t lost in the WSL since the tail end of the 2023-24 season – and they still went on to win the title – but also because Erin Cuthbert and Aggie Beever-Jones are currently in the sort of form that’s seen them pinging the ball into this top corner and that one. Yep, it’s a big ask.
Yet having said all that, United will still have confidence in their ability to end the 500-day-plus unbeaten WSL run of the best team in the land. Partly because their defence is formidable – they’ve only conceded one goal in their first four gamedays – and they’ve got spectacular goals in them too: step forward Hinata Miyazawa, and, without breaking stride, launch a howitzer. With Melvine Malard joint top of the early goalscoring charts alongside the aforementioned Beever-Jones, there’s enough in-form attacking talent on show for this to be a thriller, and if I’ve tempted the Football Gods into serving up a 0-0, I can only apologise in advance. Kick-off in Leigh, Greater Manchester is at 7.30pm BST. It’s on!
