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Chelsea’s Sonia Bompastor talks to the Beeb. “Coming into every game we are trying to bring players who can bring specific things to the team and performance … tonight is a tough game … we expect the finishers to come in … I have good quality on the bench.”
Manchester United boss Marc Skinner speaks to the BBC. “Fantastic to welcome Hannah [Blundell] back [after giving birth] … it’s been a long time but it’s a very welcome addition to the team … [as for dropping Melvine Malard in favour of Anna Sandberg] because of their bench you have to have two strategies, a start and an end game … in this one we’re looking in a certain way to exact that plan … it was harsh for [Malard] because she’s in excellent form … in reality it’s a bit of a gameplan that hopefully we can spring on Chelsea.”
Manchester United make one change to the starting XI from the one that began last Sunday’s 2-0 win at Liverpool … and it’s one with the visit of the all-conquering champions very much in mind. Anna Sandberg comes in for leading scorer Melvine Malard, who drops to the bench.
Chelsea rotate three players in/out of the XI that started the 4-0 win at West Ham United last weekend. Ellie Carpenter and Sandy Baltimore return as right-back and left-back respectively, with Catarina Macario coming into the midfield. Veerle Buurman, Oriane Jean-François and Alyssa Thompson drop to the bench.
Updated at 14.12 EDT
The teams
Manchester United: Tullis-Joyce, Riviere, Le Tissier, Janssen, Rolfo, Sandberg, Miyazawa, Park, Toone, Zigiotti Olme, Terland.
Subs: Middleton-Patel, Rendell, Blundell, George, Awujo, Ildhusoy, Naalsund, Malard, Williams.
Chelsea: Hampton, Bjorn, Bright, Carpenter, Kaptein, Cuthbert, Walsh, Baltimore, Kaneryd, Macario, Beever-Jones.
Subs: Peng, Reiten, Thompson, Buurman, Kerr, Hamano, Jean-Francois, Nusken, Potter.
Updated at 13.59 EDT
Preamble
Just four games in, and already this feels like it could be a potentially decisive fixture. Look!
Manchester United can go top if they win tonight. It’s a big ask, even with home advantage, not least because Chelsea haven’t lost in the WSL since the tail end of the 2023-24 season – and they still went on to win the title – but also because Erin Cuthbert and Aggie Beever-Jones are currently in the sort of form that’s seen them pinging the ball into this top corner and that one. Yep, it’s a big ask.
Yet having said all that, United will still have confidence in their ability to end the 500-day-plus unbeaten WSL run of the best team in the land. Partly because their defence is formidable – they’ve only conceded one goal in their first four gamedays – and they’ve got spectacular goals in them too: step forward Hinata Miyazawa, and, without breaking stride, launch a howitzer. With Melvine Malard joint top of the early goalscoring charts alongside the aforementioned Beever-Jones, there’s enough in-form attacking talent on show for this to be a thriller, and if I’ve tempted the Football Gods into serving up a 0-0, I can only apologise in advance. Kick-off in Leigh, Greater Manchester is at 7.30pm BST. It’s on!
Updated at 13.34 EDT