Team Changes & Starting XIs
Manchester United have made one change in their starting XI from the side that started the previous weekend’s victory against Liverpool. Anna Sandberg steps in for leading scorer Melvine Malard, who is among the substitutes.
The Blues adjust a trio of players in and out of the starting eleven that started the 4-0 win against West Ham. Carpenter takes over from Buurman in defense, Catarina Macario is included for Jean-François in midfield, and Sandy Baltimore takes Thompson’s spot in attack. All of the players dropped are on the bench.
Confirmed Lineups
Manchester United: Tullis-Joyce (GK), Riviere, Le Tissier, Janssen, Rolfo, Sandberg, Miyazawa, Park, Toone, Zigiotti Olme, Terland.
Substitutes: Middleton-Patel, Rendell, Blundell, George, Awujo, Ildhusoy, Naalsund, Malard, Williams.
The Blues: Hampton (GK), Bjorn, Bright, Carpenter, Kaptein, Cuthbert, Walsh, Baltimore, Kaneryd, Macario, Beever-Jones.
Substitutes: Peng, Reiten, Thompson, Buurman, Kerr, Hamano, Jean-Francois, Nusken, Potter.
Build-Up
Just four games in, and it seems this appears to be potentially a pivotal encounter. Look! the league positions:
Pos Team P GD Pts 1 Chelsea Women 4 8 12 2 Man Utd Women 4 10 10 3 Man City Women 4 7 9 4 Tottenham Hotspur Women 4 0 9 5 Arsenal Women 4 7 8
Man Utd could take the lead if they win tonight. It’s a tough challenge, despite home advantage, not least because the visitors are unbeaten in the Women’s Super League since the tail end of the 2023-24 season – and they still managed to claim the championship. Additionally, Cuthbert and Beever-Jones are displaying the sort of form that’s seen them firing shots into the top corner.
However having said all that, United will still have confidence in their capacity to halt the 500-day-plus unbeaten WSL run of the best team in the land. Partly because their defence is formidable – they have allowed just one goal in their first four gamedays – and they’ve got impressive strikes in them too: including Miyazawa, capable of launch a howitzer. Since Melvine Malard joint top of the early goalscoring charts alongside the previously mentioned Aggie Beever-Jones, there is ample firepower on display for this to be a thriller. Should fate decide into serving up a 0-0, apologies are in order in advance. The match starts at Leigh Sports Village will be at 19:30 BST. It’s on!
