Manchester United v Chelsea – WSL Clash
Squad Updates and Starting XIs
Manchester United introduced one change to the starting XI compared to the side that started last Sunday’s 2-0 win at the Reds. Anna Sandberg steps in for top scorer Malard, who drops to the bench.
The Blues rotate three players in/out of the XI that started the 4-0 win at West Ham United. Carpenter takes over from Buurman at the back, Catarina Macario is included instead of Jean-François in the middle of the park, and Sandy Baltimore takes Alyssa Thompson’s spot in attack. All of the three replaced are on the bench.
Official Team Sheets
Manchester United: Tullis-Joyce, 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, 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 it could be 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 this evening. It won’t be easy, despite home advantage, not least because Chelsea haven’t lost in the WSL since late in the 2023-24 season – and they still went on to claim the championship. Moreover, Cuthbert along with Beever-Jones are currently in the sort of form that’s seen them firing shots past goalkeepers.
However having said all that, United retain confidence in their ability to halt the 500-day-plus undefeated streak of the best team in the land. This is partly due to their defence is strong – they have allowed just one goal so far this season – and they’ve got spectacular goals in their arsenal as well: step forward Miyazawa, capable of launch a howitzer. Since Malard sharing the lead among the top scorers with the aforementioned Beever-Jones, there is ample in-form attacking talent on display for this to be a thriller. If the Football Gods tempt to deliver a 0-0, apologies are in order ahead of time. Kick-off in Leigh, Greater Manchester is at 19:30 BST. It’s on!
