Arsenal Women v Manchester City

Wednesday, February 8

Kick off 715pm 

Continental Tyres League Cup

Meadow Park

Arsenal Women take on Manchester City twice in four days as the two sides do battle in the Conti Cup and then the WSL.

Meadow Park plays host to the first semi-final of this season’s Conti Cup, before West Ham take on Chelsea on Thursday night. At least one of the finalists will be travelling across London for the final, to be played at Selhurst Park on March 5.

Arsenal have been looking for answers about where their goals are going to come from for the rest of the current season after the ACL injuries to Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema. The obvious solution presented itself in the form of the January transfer window, with approaches for Canadian striker Cloe Lacasse and Lyon’s Signe Bruun, and most notably a world record fee turned down by Manchester United for their star forward Alessia Russo.

The failure to sign any attacking options has piled the pressure on Swedish striker Stina Blackstenius, who has four goals and no assists in eleven WSL appearances so far this season. The Swede looked to have rediscovered some form, albeit against lower league opposition, with a brace against Leeds United in the FA Cup, but Blackstenius looked short in confidence in Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with West Ham on Sunday evening.

West Ham faced twenty-one shots on goal whilst not registering a single shot after the tenth minute mark of the WSL encounter, but due to misfiring forwards and some sensational saves from Mackenzie Arnold, Arsenal were held to a 0-0 draw that left them five points adrift of league leaders Chelsea with a game in hand. Jonas Eidevall was criticised for waiting until the 68th minute to make any substitutions, but Arsenal were ultimately wasteful in front of goal- who knows how costly these dropped points could turn out to be. 

Manchester City are looking to retain the Conti Cup after beating Chelsea in last season’s final, and Gareth Taylor’s side have recovered from a difficult summer transfer window and poor start to the season to launch a sixteen game unbeaten run across all competitions. City only behind Arsenal in fourth place in the WSL because of goal difference, making Saturday’s league clash in Manchester even more significant.

The Citizens won 2-0 away at Leicester on Sunday with Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw scoring yet again. Shaw is this season’s top scorer in the Women’s Super League and will be City’s main threat at Meadow Park, along with the likes of Lauren Hemp on the wing. 

After Arsenal were given a bye to the quarter final stage of the Conti Cup, Frida Maanum starred as Arsenal won convincingly against Aston Villa to progress to the semis. City won four from four in the group stage before brushing aside Championship side Bristol City 6-0 in the quarter finals, with five goals coming in the first half.

Arsenal will be boosted by the return of key midfielder Lia Walti from injury, a move that is likely to lead to Leah Williamson dropping back into defence. Jonas Eidevall also provided an update on youth product Teyah Goldie’s recovery from an ACL injury, telling the media "She has still not been able to fully come back after the ACL injury, and we had a minor implication on the later stages of her rehab process, which forced her to wear a boot. But, as far as I’m aware of now, that boot is no longer used so it was not a long-term thing. Let’s hope she can be back on the pitch with us soon."