Arsenal v Manchester City: Continental Cup final – live!

39 min Wullaert’s long-range shot is blocked by Little but falls nicely for Weir, who sweeps it high over the bar from inside the D.

38 min It’s been a cagey game, a reflection of the mutual respect between the sides. It wouldn’t be a surprise if it went to extra-time, maybe penalties.

36 min Stanway surges forward from the halfway line and beats two players just outside the area before being classily dispossessed by Williamson. She has been majestic.

35 min After a couple of minutes of treatment to her left knee, Weir is okay to continue.

34 min Weir goes down after stretching to block Mead’s cross. She landed awkwardly on his left leg and looks in a lot of pain.

30 min A chance for City! Little is robbed on the edge of the area by Scott, who plays the ball square to Parris. She tries to wriggle away from Williamson and make room for a shot but is eventually dispossessed. Williamson has been superb against Parris so far.

27 min City have been a bit subdued going forward, with Stanway and Parris not nearly as influential as they would like.

24 min Another corner on the right for Arsenal. Mead drives it too deep and it swerves out of play for a goalkick.

23 min Williamson’s defensive header is controlled deftly by the stretching Parris, who swivels and hooks the bouncing ball over the bar from long range. The first touch was lovely; the finish less so.

21 min Van de Donk surges onto a return pass from Arnth and drives a cross which deflects off Houghton and flashes just wide of the near post. I don’t think Bardsley would have got there. Mead’s driven corner is headed over from 12 yards by Arnth.

19 min Parris, who has been quiet so far, gets involved by charging down a clearance from the keeper Van Veenendaal. Happily for Arsenal, it rebounded for a goalkick.

16 min A quiet period in the game. Both teams are playing some good one-touch football without really threatening to create a clear chance.

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Photograph: Chesnot/Getty Images Europe

13 min “Now, I’ve never been an elite athlete (and, let’s face it, that window is probably closing…) but ‘fatigue’ keeping Miedema out of a cup final?” sniffs Matt Dony. “I’ve no doubt she’s a model pro, but I bet she is FUMING inside. I have no horse in this race, so I’m hoping for an Arsenal win, with a late winner scored by Miedema off the bench, celebrated wildly.”

12 min Mead thumps over from long range. Arsenal have been excellent in the last seven or eight minutes.

11 min The corner leads to a dangerous City break which is eventually thwarted by an important tackle from Lisa Evans.

10 min Arsenal are into their work now, and Little wins their first corner after a neat move down the left.

9 min And now an actual chance for Arsenal. Veje’s left-wing cross is only half cleared to McCabe, who cracks the bouncing ball over the bar from a tight angle.

6 min A sniff of a chance for Arsenal. Little steals the ball off Walsh and curls a fast pass into Mead, who can’t control it on the run. A better touch would have put her through on goal, though it did come at any awkward height.

5 min Stanway plays a neat reverse pass into the area for Weir, whose cross deflects behind for a corner. Nothing comes of it.

4 min “I knew,” says Bill Hargreaves, “I should have had a breakfast steadier.”

It’s what cup final days are for.

3 min It’s been a positive start from City, who look confident in possession. Arsenal haven’t got going.

1 min Peep peep! After a leisurely warm up, Arsenal get the match under way. They are in red; CIty are in sky blue.

The players emerge from the tunnel, all looking very focussed and serious. This should be a belter.

The Arsenal coach Jo Montemurro has confirmed that Vivianne Miedema is fatigued and that it would have been too big a risk for her to start the match.

An email! “So Arsenal are leaving Miedema – the league’s most prolific goalscorer – on the bench,” sniffs Charles Antaki. “Do they believe they can do without her? Unless she’s unfit, then this is a dangerous case of hubris inviting, er, nemesis. Which presumably in footballing terms mean no goals.”

There is a suggestion that it’s a precaution due to fatigue.

Vivianne Miedema is only on the bench for Arsenal, which is a bit of a shock, not least to my preamble. Katie McCabe replaces her. That aside, both teams are pretty much as expected.

Arsenal (4-3-3) Van Veenendaal; Arnth, Williamson, Quinn, Veje; Little, Bloodworth, Van de Donk; Evans, Mead, McCabe.
Substitutes: Hazard, Miedema, Peyraud-Magnin, Albuquerque.

Manchester City (4-4-2) Bardsley; Bonner, Houghton, Beattie, Stokes; Wullaert, Scott, Walsh, Weir; Parris, Stanway.
Substitutes: Roebuck, Bremer, Beckie, Hemp, Campbell, Emslie, McManus.

Morning. You’ve got to love cup final day. The butterflies, the giddiness, the fear, the hope, the breakfast steadiers – and that’s just the neutrals. The supporters of Arsenal and Manchester City will be struggling to sit still ahead of the Continental Cup final at Bramall Lane, such are the excitement, anticipation and sporadic imperfections in the tarmac on the M1.

Both sets of supporters have been here before. These teams are Continental Cup royalty, the only winners of the competition since its inception in 2011. City have won it twice and Arsenal five times, including last year’s 1-0 win over City in the final. They also lead the way in the WSL and have a potential title decider at Borehamwood on the last day of the season.

City are still unbeaten in domestic competition and look thoroughly formidable, though until they win something they will be troubled by last season’s unexpected trophylessness. They will look to Georgia Stanway and especially the electric Nikita Parris for goals. Arsenal have a goal machine of their own in the magnificent Vivianne Miedema, who scored the winner against City in last year’s final. Her battle with Steph Houghton, in particular, should be a cracker.

The Arsenal pair of Beth Mead and Leah WIlliamson will join a posse of City players in the England squad that flies to America tomorrow for the SheBelieves Cup. They will be best of friends then. Today, not so much.

Kick off is at 12.15pm.