Man Utd vs Arsenal - WSL: TV channel, live stream, team news & prediction
Manchester United host Arsenal in the premier WSL fixture of the weekend.
The Gunners still lead the way at the top of the table ahead of gameweek eight of the 2021/22 season, but they dropped their first points last week against Tottenham and were a little laboured in the Champions League against Koge on Wednesday until the final stages.
They will be keen to get back to winning ways but must find a way to get past a Manchester United side that is a threat but still finding its way under new manager Marc Skinner.
United have drawn their last three in the WSL, which has included dropping points from winning positions late on in consecutive games against Tottenham and Everton. They do, however, have the boost of beating Manchester City in the Continental Cup in midweek.
This is everything you need to know about the game...
How to watch Man Utd vs Arsenal on TV/live stream
What time is kick off? Sunday 21 September, 12:15 (GMT)
Where is the match being played? Leigh Sports Village
TV channel/live stream? BBC Two/BBC iPlayer (UK), FA Player (international)
Highlights? BBC Sport website & Women's Football Show (UK), FA Player (UK & international)
Referee? Emily Heaslip
Man Utd team news
Jackie Groenen will continue to be missing through injury for a little while yet. Millie Turner is much closer to returning to full fitness after missing a number of games already.
Ella Toone, Leah Galton, Alessia Russo and Mary Earps would be expected to be recalled to the XI here after being rested from the start against Manchester City in midweek.
Impressive teenager Carrie Jones is pushing for more minutes again.
Arsenal team news
Jonas Eidevall will make alterations to the Gunners side that started against Koge in midweek. Vivianne Miedema, who changed that game off the bench, will start, while Frida Maanum, Noelle Maritz, Steph Catley and Manuela Zinsberger could all return to the XI.
Leah Williamson remains sidelined through injury, with Jennifer Beattie to deputise again.
Tobin Heath could feature against her former club, although a recent injury concern may limit that to a substitute appearance at most.
Man Utd vs Arsenal predicted lineups
Man Utd: Earps; Batlle, Thorisdottir, Mannion, Blundell; Zelem, Ladd; Russo, Toone, Galton; Thomas
Arsenal: Zinsberger; Maritz, Wubben-Moy, Beattie, Catley; Maanum, Walti, Little; Mead, Miedema, McCabe
Man Utd vs Arsenal head-to-head record
Manchester United beat Arsenal for the first time when the clubs met in this fixture at Leigh Sports Village last season. Ella Toone scored the only goal that day, which sent United top of the WSL table and threatened to mark a shift in power.
But when the teams met in the reverse fixture, United had long since lost their early season momentum and Arsenal, by then on an excellent run of their own, won 2-0. That result proved very significant come the end of the campaign because the Gunners finished one point ahead in the race for the third and final Champions League place.
The only other meetings between these clubs have ended in narrow Arsenal wins - a 0-1 score-line at Leigh in September 2019, sealed by a late goal in one of United's very first top flight games, and a 1-2 result, also at Leigh, in the Continental Cup semi-finals in February 2019.
Man Utd vs Arsenal score prediction
If Arsenal are firing on all cylinders in an attacking sense, there is no stopping them - but that hasn't been the case in the last couple of matches. Tottenham managed to sufficiently disrupt them to secure a point, while it was arguably only superior fitness that saw them eventually ease past Koge.
A 6-1 defeat to Chelsea earlier in the season was a blip for United - they can compete with anyone on a given day. There just hasn't been a moment yet where things have fully clicked for Skinner in the WSL, although the confidence of a Manchester derby win could aide that.
Prediction: Man Utd 1- 2 Arsenal
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