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Team Updates and Starting XIs

Man Utd have made one change to the starting XI compared to the side that started the previous weekend’s 2-0 win at Liverpool. Anna Sandberg steps in for leading scorer Melvine Malard, who is among the substitutes.

Chelsea adjust three players in/out of the starting eleven that began the 4-0 win at West Ham. Carpenter takes over from Veerle Buurman in defense, Catarina Macario comes in for Oriane Jean-François in the middle of the park, and Baltimore takes Thompson’s spot up front. The players dropped are substitutes.

Confirmed Lineups

Man Utd: Tullis-Joyce (GK), 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.
Substitutes: Peng, Reiten, Thompson, Buurman, Kerr, Hamano, Jean-Francois, Nusken, Potter.

Build-Up

Only four matches into the season, and already this appears to be it could be a decisive fixture. Look! the standings:

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 with a victory this evening. It’s a big ask, even with home advantage, not least because Chelsea are unbeaten in the Women’s Super League since the tail end of the 2023-24 season – and they still managed to claim the championship. Moreover, Erin Cuthbert along with Beever-Jones are displaying the sort of form that’s seen them firing shots past goalkeepers.

Yet despite that, United will still have belief in their capacity to halt the 500-day-plus unbeaten WSL run of the best team in the land. Partly because their backline is formidable – they’ve only conceded a single goal in their first four gamedays – and they’ve got spectacular goals in their arsenal as well: step forward Hinata Miyazawa, capable of launch a howitzer. With Melvine Malard joint top of the early goalscoring charts with the aforementioned Beever-Jones, there’s enough in-form attacking talent on show to make this an exciting match. If the Football Gods tempt into serving up a goalless draw, apologies are in order ahead of time. Kick-off at Leigh Sports Village will be at 7.30pm BST. It’s on!