45 min: Two added minutes. Stanway again crashes late into Evans. How she is not on a yellow card is anyone’s guess.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal (Bremer 44)
Weir sends the ball into the area, it cannons off the knee of Bonner, falls to the feet of Bremer, who scuffs her finish into the corner! Zinsberger was completely helpless.
44 min: A questionable free-kick for City, with Roord penalised for what seemed like a perfectly good tackle. Weir is standing over the ball on the right touchline …
43 min: Scott gets a toe in to win possession back for City, and Walsh smashes one from 30 yards, just wide! That was travelling, and maybe ended up a couple of feet outside Zinsberger’s right-hand post.
41 min: Excellent defending from Stanway! The stand-in right back makes a crucial block to deny Van de Donk, and then dispossesses Mead who was driving into the area.
39 min: White and Scott combine down City’s right wing, the latter sending over a peach of a cross towards Bremer. The German risest above Williamson, but can only glance her header wide. Better from City, who are finally growing into this game.
38 min: The only other goal today to tell you about is between Reading and Manchester United. Lauren James has given United the lead – a win would cement their position in fourth.
36 min: Replays are showing that Miedema’s injury came from when Houghton accidentally stepped on the Arsenal striker’s heel. That’s a painful one, but shouldn’t keep her from seeing out the rest of this game.
34 min: All the play for Arsenal is coming down this left wing. But Mead’s cross is a poor one. You wonder if Miedema is fit, she hasn’t really been in the game at all here.
32 min: Concern for Arsenal here, as Miedema goes down clutching her ankle. I’m not sure what caused her to go down, but she doesn’t look comfortable. It looks like the Dutch international is going to carry on, but she is grimacing.
30 min: Mead earns a cheap free-kick to relieve some of the City pressure. It’s the third time that Stanway has been penalised, she’s probably one more foul away from a yellow card. Cushing comes off his bench to give Mead a bit of stick. Mead laughs it off and jokingly pushes the City manager back towards his bench.
28 min: Chance for City. A wonderful through ball finds Scott in acres of space on the right flank. Scott gallops into the area with that long stride, pushes to the byline and cuts back a dangerous ball to the six-yard box. Van de Donk just beats Bremer to the cut back, and slide tackles the ball clear to prevent what would have been a certain goal.
26 min: Hemp gets the better of McCabe for the first time on the right wing, but her pass to White is intercepted. That’s better from City.
24 min: Another terrible City clearance gifts the ball to Nobbs on the edge of the area. Nobbs shoots – did that hit Houghton’s arm?! – and the ball goes wide. There was surely a penalty shout there, but Arsenal’s players seemingly weren’t interested!
22 min: Schnaderbeck and Williamson are completely nullifying City at the back for Arsenal. The Austrian’s pace and Williamson’s ability to bring the ball out from the back means it is Arsenal who are dominating the game.
20 min: Arsenal spray a beautiful diagonal pass to Mead on the left wing, but Stanway does really well to sprint back and tackle her England team-mate before the Arsenal player could burst into the box.
16 min: This is really poor from City. They have no fluency going forward at all, and seem to be nervy at the back. You could see Arsenal’s forwards capitalising on a mistake if things carry on like this.
14 min: Worth noting that Chelsea are already 2-0 up against West Ham. Maren Mjelde and Beth England (again!) have scored for the Blues, who would go top if they win today, and this match ends in a draw. Remember Chelsea have one game in hand over City and Arsenal.
13 min: Poor play from Stokes, who smashes a clearance into Evans. The ball breaks to Mead, who fires a shot straight at Roebuck.
11 min: Chance for Nobbs! McCabe latches onto a ball down the left wing, beats Houghton to the ball, and squares it to Nobbs, and the Arsenal captain drives into the box. She tries to squeeze a shot inside the near post, but Nobbs’ left-footed shot has the sting taken off it by a challenge from Bonner.
8 min: Mead goes on another run down the left wing, and is brought to a halt by a clattering late tackle from Stanway. The City right back should really be booked for that, but gets away with one.
7 min: Lovely play from Mead who nutmegs Scott on the edge of her box and plays a lovely one-two with Miedema to get Arsenal on the counter-attack.
5 min: Chance for City! A short corner routine is well worked, a low delivery finding Bonner on the edge of the box but a dodgy connection only bobbles the ball to the back post. There is a half chance for White and Walsh as the ball pinballs around the penalty box, but Arsenal eventually clear.
4 min: Houghton is such a calming influence at the heart of that City defence. So often the ball comes out of the heavens and it is the City captain that is the one to get her team playing on the deck again.
2 min: Arsenal have started the better, with City unusually sloppy in possession. Scott of all people the guilty party there.
Nobbs is being made to wait as the City players have their pre-match huddle with Cushing in front of the dugout. Eventually Houghton makes her way to the centre-circle and there is a frosty-ish embrace between the captains.
Off the pitch at least, Little has been active. This explains why the Arsenal captain has joined Fifpro’s new players’ union, a global players’ council.
Two WSL matches today have been called off: Liverpool’s game against Birmingham is off to a waterlogged pitch at Prenton Park, with the wet weather also claiming another match at the Hive, where Tottenham where meant to meet Bristol City.
Two big absences for Arsenal: captain Kim Little and Lia Wälti, both of whom started in the defeat against Chelsea. Two big losses for the Gunners there, with Leonie Maier, Lisa Evans and Beth Mead all coming into the side.
The teams!
Manchester City: Roebuck, Stanway, Houghton (c), Bonner, Stokes, Walsh, Weir, Scott, Hemp, White, Bremer.
Subs: Benameur, Coombs, Toland, Park, Wullaert, Bissell, Fidalgo.
Arsenal: Zinsberger, Maier, Williamson, Schnaderbeckm, McCabe, Roord, Nobbs, Van de Donk, Evans, Miedema, Mead
Subs: Peyraud-Magnin, Quinn, Beattie, Filis, Grant, Mace
Preamble
Simply put, this is the biggest game of the WSL season so far. The league leaders, Manchester City, meet the second-placed champions, Arsenal, with the two teams separated only by goal difference (one goal) at the top of the table.
If that isn’t enough spice for you, Arsenal beat City 2-1 in the League Cup semi-final just four days ago, knocking the holders out, and ensuring their place in the final, where they will meet Chelsea.
This will also be the final game for City’s manager, Nick Cushing, before his move to men’s side NYC FC on Monday. City’s players have been falling over themselves to pay tribute to Cushing, who Jill Scott called “a genius.” You can read more about what his departure might mean for City here, courtesy of Suzy Wrack.
It could well be a rip-roaring start to today’s game. In the last round of league games, City took the lead after just 34 seconds against Birmingham. Arsenal will be wary of a repeat, particularly as they conceded three goals in the opening 10 minutes against Chelsea – a comprehensive defeat that saw Sam Kerr net her first goal for the Blues, and meant Arsenal slipped to second.
We’ll have the team news with you shortly. Kick-off is at 2pm.