Key events
13 min A woeful square pass from the keeper Zinsberger runs towards Hemp, which forces Wubben-Moy to make a desperate lunging tackle. She had to get that right or it would have been a penalty to City.
12 min Kelly hits the post, though it wouldn’t have counted as she was offside. Hemp’s cross was headed across goal by Shaw, and the offside Kelly stretched to volley against the right-hand post.
10 min Little wins the ball high up the field and pings a rising drive from distance that is comfortably saved by Roebuck.
8 min Here’s Lauren Hemp’s early goal.
8 min This has been a cracking start, with both teams pressing really aggressively.
7 min Williamson steps into midfield to win the ball with authority and finds Pelova on the right side of the area. Her lofted cross just evades the stretching Foord at the far post.
6 min I’m sorry, but I’m going to do it. I’m going to bloody do it. I’m going to show you the as-it-stands league table.
The two wingers combined to give City the lead. Hasegawa won the ball up the field, played a one-two and then gave the ball to Kelly on the right. She slid a devastating low cross into the six-yard box, which was left by Wubben-Moy and turned into the net by Hemp at the far post. Both Maritz, who let Hemp run off her, and Wubben-Moy were culpable there. That said, it was a brilliant ball in from Kelly.
GOAL! Man City 1-0 Arsenal (Hemp 4)
City score with their first attack!
2 min: So close from Maanum! Hasegawa’s loose pass goes straight to the in-form Maanum, 25 yards from goal. She takes a touch and whistles a superb drive that flashes just wide of the near post with Roebuck scrambling desperately across her line.
2 min Arsenal have indeed started with a back three of Rafaelle, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Leah WIlliamson.
1 min After a particularly sombre minute’s silence in memory of the tens of thousands who died in Turkey and Syria this week, Bunny Shaw gets the game under way.
Jonas Eidevall’s pre-match thoughts
Cheer up son, you’re living the dream.
Harry Nilsson department
“Leaving aside the cup mismatch with Leeds United, where the team managed nine past the semi-pros, recent Arsenal matches have shown up how blunt the team is without Mead and Miedema,” writes Charles Antaki. “All the usual prayers, votive candles and animal sacrifices won’t get them back in time, so it’s down to dumb hope that the other sides will slip up.Unfortunately, in Chelsea’s case especially, that seems on the unlikely side. Perhaps a bid of £500,001 for Russo might help?”
Chelsea are winning the league again, aren’t they.
The teams in (possible) formation
Manchester City (4-3-3) Roebuck; Casaparij, Houghton, Greenwood, Aleixandri; Coombs, Hasegawa, Angeldahl; Kelly, Shaw, Hemp.
Substitutes: MacIver, Castellanos, Fowler, Raso, Ouahabi, Blakstad.
Arsenal (3-4-3) Zinsberger; Williamson, Wubben-Moy, Rafaelle; Maritz, Little, Maanum, Catley; Pelova, Blackstenius, Foord.
Substitutes: D’Angelo, Marckese, Beattie, Wienroither, McCabe, Walti, Kuhl, Gio, Hurtig.
Suzanne Wrack’s preview
This is the second meeting in four days between City and Arsenal. I’m sure you know this, but I’m contractually obliged to remind you. Stina Blackstenius’s goal in extra-time gave Arsenal a 1-0 win over City in the Continental Cup semi-final; they will play Chelsea at Selhurst Park next month as a result.
Team news
Both teams make one change from their last WSL games a week ago (the Continental Cup XIs were much changed). City bring in Laura Coombs for Deyna Castellanos; Arsenal prefer Victoria Pelova to Lina Hurtig.
We don’t know yet whether the Arsenal captain Leah Williamson will play in midfield (back four) or defence (back three). The latter worked pretty well on Wednesday night.
🔵 TEAM NEWS 🔵
XI | Roebuck, Casparij, Houghton (C), Greenwood, Aleixandri, Hasegawa, Angeldahl, Coombs, Kelly, Hemp, Shaw
SUBS | MacIver, Castellanos, Fowler, Raso, Ouahabi, Blakstad#ManCity | @HaysWorldwide pic.twitter.com/OIoahAlzJ0
— Man City Women (@ManCityWomen) February 11, 2023
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Manchester City v Arsenal at the Academy Stadium. It’s a multi-context game, relevant to both the title race and the battle for Champions League places. Both teams still have ambitions to take Chelsea’s WSL title, though City in particular really can’t afford to drop points today. More importantly, perhaps, both teams want a piece of next season’s Champions League pie.
In recent years that’s been a given, but Manchester United have turned a Big Three into a Big Four, so one of these teams could miss out. Both have had frustrating seasons: Arsenal because of the long-term injuries to Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema, not to mention Sam Kerr’s late equaliser at the Emirates last month; City because they lost five points to Aston Villa. Had they won both those games, they’d be level with the leaders Chelsea.
Kick off 12.30pm.
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