Preview: United Women v Arsenal

The Reds booked a spot at Wembley for the first time ever with that win on Saturday, but attention now turns to a huge league encounter with Arsenal in the race for the title and a spot in next season’s Champions League.

Currently top of the table, and three points ahead of tomorrow’s visitors, a win could go a long way in ensuring we finish the current campaign in the highest position possible.

Here are the key things you need to know prior to Arsenal’s visit to Leigh Sports Village...

HOW CAN YOU FOLLOW THE GAME?

Our WSL clash with the Gunners is scheduled to kick off at 19:15 BST from Leigh Sports Village. 

You can access live radio commentary from the United App, where we will also provide you with team news, as well as half-time and full-time summaries, followed by a match report.

Fans in the UK can watch the action unfold on BBC Three, the BBC iPlayer, and BBC Sport. Stateside supporters can see the action on Paramount+, while international viewers can access it through the streaming platform The FA Player.

We’ll also provide you with regular updates throughout the 90 minutes on our designated Twitter account, @ManUtdWomen. Tickets are on sale now. Prices start from just £3 for concessions and £6 for adults.

WHAT’S THE TEAM NEWS?

Norwegian duo Lisa Naalsund and Maria Thorisdottir will not be available for Arsenal’s visit to LSV on Wednesday. While the latter has been ruled out for the remainder of the season, the former could still yet return late in the campaign after tweaking her hamstring in our FA Cup quarter-final clash with Lewes.

Canadian Jayde Riviere, who was one of three recruits in the winter window, has been named in consecutive matchday squads and could be on course for her first minutes as a Red tomorrow. 

Arsenal are still without attacking duo Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead after the pair suffered ACL injuries late last year. They will also be tasked with beating the Reds without their captain and starting midfielder Kim Little, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season through injury.

Australian duo Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord have returned to training, though it remains to be seen whether or not they’ll be fit in time for this one. Full-back Katie McCabe will also be absent, serving a one-game suspension after picking up five yellow cards.

FORM GUIDE

Marc Skinner’s Reds have been formidable so far in the league this season, and have lost just two games, both at the hands of reigning WSL champions Chelsea. Outside of those defeats, we’ve racked up an impressive record of 13 wins in 17 games, keeping an even more impressive 11 clean sheets - the best defensive record in the league.

We’ll no doubt be coming into this game high on confidence after the weekend’s FA Cup victory over Brighton, which saw us reach a first-ever major final.

Arsenal have played one less game. Their only defeats in the WSL this season have come at the hands of United and Manchester City. They are second to the Reds in terms of being the best defence in the league, conceding just one more than us, while Skinner’s players have scored six more than Wednesday’s opponents.

Jonas Eidevall’s side already have silverware under their belts this season in the form of the Continental Cup and they have also made it through to the semi-finals of the Champions League, where they will face Wolfsburg.

WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME WE MET?

Since reforming in 2018, our last encounter with Arsenal provided perhaps one of our most memorable league games to date. The Emirates Stadium was the stage for an enthralling five-goal thriller back in November, in which the Reds came out on top thanks to a ‘Fergie time’ winner.

Ella Toone gave us the lead in the first half, meeting Hayley Ladd’s looping cross at the back post after Manuela Zinsberger just missed intercepting it, allowing our no.7 to slot into an empty net. Immediately after the break, in-form midfielder Frida Maanum gave her side the leveller, with her long-range effort taking a deflection and deceiving Mary Earps. With 20 minutes to go, the hosts edged in front after a sublime full-back to full-back goal, with McCabe assisting Laura Wienroither, whose controlled finish could prompt goal-of-the-season shouts.

But the Reds persevered and in the 85th minute, Millie Turner met captain Katie Zelem’s free-kick with a thumping header to beat Arsenal’s shotstopper and level the scores.

In the most dramatic of fashions, our skipper whipped in yet another teasing set-piece delivery in stoppage-time, with Alessia Russo heading home into the bottom corner to steal all three points.

WHO ELSE IS PLAYING?

We’ll be featuring in one of two games on Wednesday, with the majority of the action from the WSL coming at the weekend… 

WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 

Brighton v Everton (19:00)
UNITED v Arsenal (19:15)

SUNDAY 23 APRIL 

Reading v Everton (14:00)
Liverpool v Brighton (14:00)
Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa (14:00)
Manchester City v West Ham (18:45)

*All kick-off times are in BST.