Matchday 9 of the FA Women's Super League will be a pivotal one as two giants meet with hopes of edging closer to league-leaders Manchester United. To do so, a win is essential. However, both Manchester City and Arsenal have had ups and downs in the first nine weeks of the competition. Here are how these two sides come into this matchup.
Manchester City vs. Arsenal: preview
Manchester City will arrive at its home ground on Sunday with 15 points from eight games played. Looking back at last season, Man City only lost two games and drew one after 16 matches. There is no question that the bar has been raised this season with Manchester United and Everton stepping up big time to compete with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City. Also, the Cityzens have yet to adapt properly to the departure of former head coach Nick Cushing and the new man in charge, Gareth Taylor.
On the other hand, Arsenal has enjoyed punishing lower-caliber opposition throughout the season, boasting a 27-goal differential after just eight games. However, the Gunners have yet to find their rhythm when facing stronger sides. Manager Joe Montemurro has failed to lead his team to a win when facing top-4 clubs this season, losing to Manchester United 1-0 and drawing to Chelsea 1-1. Now, the Gunners head into their most important match of this half of the season, aiming to collect three points to stay close to that desired number one spot on the FA WSL table.
These two sides have faced one-another once this season in a FA Women's Cup semifinal. Manchester City won that game 2-1 at home to advance to the final against Everton, which they won 3-1. Arsenal will be looking for revenge in what is considered the more important competition.
Manchester City vs. Arsenal: players to watch
Caroline Weir – Manchester City
Scotland's Caroline Weir pulled the strings for Manchester City against Everton last weekend, dishing-out three assists to help the team win 3-0. The result helped the Cityzens overtake the Toffees and place them in a position to challenge for the title. The 25-year-old midfielder will be looking to make the difference on Sunday.
Vivianne Miedema – Arsenal
This season has been a monumental one for Dutch international Vivianne Miedema. The 24-year-old broke the WSL's all-time scorer record after taking her tally to 52 goals in just 50 games midway through October. Most recently, she was named the second-best player in the world by The Guardian. Miedema has ten goals in eight matches this season.
How and when to watch Manchester City vs. Arsenal?
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
