Manchester United Women v Arsenal Preview

THE LOWDOWN
Arsenal travel to Leigh Sports Village to play Manchester United in the WSL on Sunday afternoon. Marc Skinner’s side despatched Norwegian side Brann 3-0 on Thursday evening in their UWCL playoff round having trailed 1-0 from the first leg. It means that United joined the Gunners in Friday’s UWCL league phase draw.

For once, as holders, Arsenal did not have to navigate the preliminary rounds and will look forward to clashes against Lyon, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Benfica, Twente and OH Leuven. But that can wait for a few weeks, after opening the season with convincing wins against London City Lionesses and West Ham, Renee Slegers’ side will surely get a stiffer examination in the Northwest.

United themselves have started the season well too, thrashing Leicester 4-0 and London City Lionesses 5-1, meaning they enter the match above Arsenal at the top of the league on goal difference. The Gunners have not won at LSV since November 2021 and after being absolutely robbed blind for a 1-1 draw last season, a victory in this fixture is overdue.

Arsenal have trailed early in both their games so far this season and any repeat of that on Sunday is unlikely to eventuate in a very comfortable victory. However, Slegers has a far bigger squad available to her than Skinner and Arsenal had the advantage of no midweek game while United played Brann. It is an early examination of Arsenal’s title credentials and it’s high time they left this stadium victorious.

TEAM NEWS

Chloe Kelly is back in training after missing last weekend’s 5-1 win at West Ham with a knock and will be back in the squad. Leah Williamson is missing due to a knee injury.

Available squad
Goalkeepers: 1.Zinsberger 14.van Domselaar 28.Borbe
Defenders: 2.Fox 3.Wubben-Moy 5.L.Codina 7.Catley 11.McCabe 22.Nighswonger 24.Hinds 26.Reid
Midfielders: 8.Mariona 10.Little(c) 12.L.Maanum 21.Pelova 32.Cooney-Cross
Forwards: 9.Mead 15.Smith 18.Kelly 19.Foord 23.Russo 25.Blackstenius

A WORD FROM THE BOSS
‘We know they’re going to play with a lot of intensity, Manchester United, and that’s what we need to prepare for. But at the same time, I think our first two games in the WSL were very high intensity. I think the league is developing so fast. So from that sense, it’s been two really good games for us. Now going into United, that game will ask a lot from us and we’re trying to prepare accordingly.

‘They of course had to come back from 1-0 down against Brann and then they came back to England, won against London City Lionesses and they turned it around yesterday. So I guess they are positive, there’s positive vibes. But that’s them, that’s their camp, so I don’t know exactly what’s going on there. For us, it’s focusing on ourselves and trying to prepare as well as possible with all the detail and all the things we think we can expect on Sunday, so we control as many things as possible on Sunday.

‘I think they’ve been looking good in what I’ve seen. I still think they have a similar identity to last year, but of course every team is trying to work on the details and add to their squad. I think that’s probably what they have been doing, but I agree with you that there’s a lot of identity in their game connected to their game out of possession and they have a lot of quality both as a team and as individuals in possession.’

LAST TIME OUT
When the teams met in this fixture last season, Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw. Alessia Russo opened the scoring for Arsenal before Melvine Malard equalised. The most recent meeting of the teams saw the Gunners win 4-3 at Emirates Stadium in May with goals from Chloe Kelly, Frida Maanum, Mariona and Kim Little.

BIG WIN! | HIGHLIGHTS | Arsenal 4-3 Manchester United | WSL | Kelly, Mariona, Maanum, Little | WSL – YouTube

THE OPPOSITION
Manchester United have established themselves as part of England’s ‘big four’ in recent seasons. After promotion to the top flight in 2019, they have a second and a third placed finish in the WSL, qualifying for the Champions League proper for the first time this season. They also won the FA Cup in 2024, having also got to the final in 2023 and 2025.

This summer, they signed some high profile, Champions League experienced players like Julia Zigiotti Olme, Fridolina Rolfo and Jess Park. However, the impression remains that United do not have the numbers they need to manage WSL and Champions League football. They only named five substitutes for the first leg of their game against Brann and seven in the second leg. Brann named 12.

United will likely continue to operate in their preferred 4231 formation with Olme and Miyazawa at the base and Ella Toone pressing forward into the 10 position. It felt as though Toone and Grace Clinton, who left for Manchester City, could not quite fit into the same team. Toone has won that battle and is pretty much a ‘lock’ for her favoured role now.

PLAYER TO WATCH

When Katie Reid got the nod ahead of Lotte Wubben-Moy and Laia Codina for the season opener against London City Lionesses, many (yours truly) wondered whether it was a tactical selection to counteract the height of LCL forward Isobel Godwin. Sometimes these things have to percolate a little and when Reid was selected again for the win at West Ham, we can see it wasn’t about Godwin on match day one.

In this fixture last season, Arsenal totally dominated but threw away two points when Melvine Malard scored from a corner. Reid certainly has the height to help Arsenal defend those moments better on this occasion, but she also has very strong ground speed. For all the questions over players who have not played in the first two games, Reid’s selection shows that opportunities are there for squad players.

United have a significant aerial threat in Elisabeth Terland that Reid will have to help to manage. But in Toone and Malard, United have plenty of other attacking threats too. This will be an even bigger examination for the teenage centre-half and it would be a significant show of faith in the player if Slegers selects her again on Sunday.

PREDICTED LINE UP

Subs: 1.Zinsberger 3.Wubben-Moy 5.L.Codina 15.Smith 18.Kelly 21.Pelova 24.Hinds 25.Blackstenius 32.Cooney-Cross

HOW TO CATCH THE GAME
The game kicks off at 2.50pm on Sunday at Leigh Sports Village and will be shown live on the BBC in the UK.

COMING UP
We will have the usual on the whistle match report from Aidan Gibson as well as quotes from Renee Slegers on the site around an hour after the final whistle. Jamie and I will have a podcast for you (probably) on Monday (maybe Tuesday) and we will have the analysis piece on Tuesday too. Also don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Arsenal Women newsletter here.

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