Manchester United v Chelsea FC – Women’s Super League Matchup
Team Updates & Starting XIs
Man Utd have made a single alteration in their starting XI compared to the side that started the previous weekend’s 2-0 win at the Reds. Anna Sandberg steps in replacing leading scorer Malard, who drops to the bench.
The Blues adjust a trio of players in and out of the starting eleven that began the 4-0 win against West Ham. Carpenter replaces Veerle Buurman at the back, Catarina Macario is included for Oriane Jean-François in the middle of the park, and Baltimore claims Thompson’s place in attack. The three replaced are substitutes.
Official Team Sheets
Man Utd: Tullis-Joyce, Riviere, Le Tissier, Janssen, Rolfo, Sandberg, Miyazawa, Park, Toone, Zigiotti Olme, Terland.
Substitutes: 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.
Build-Up
Only four matches into the season, and already this feels like potentially a pivotal encounter. Check out the table:
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
Manchester United can go top if they win this evening. It’s a big ask, even with home advantage, especially since the visitors are unbeaten in the Women’s Super League since the tail end of the 2023-24 season – and they still managed to win the title. Additionally, Erin Cuthbert along with Aggie Beever-Jones are currently in the sort of form that’s seen them pinging the ball past goalkeepers.
Yet despite that, United retain confidence in their capacity to halt the long undefeated streak of the best team in the land. Partly because their defence is formidable – they have allowed just a single goal in their first four gamedays – and they’ve got impressive strikes in them too: step forward Hinata Miyazawa, capable of unleash a powerful shot. Since Malard sharing the lead of the early goalscoring charts with the previously mentioned Beever-Jones, there is ample in-form attacking talent on show to make this an exciting match. If fate tempt into serving up a 0-0, I can only apologise in advance. Kick-off in Leigh, Greater Manchester will be at 7.30pm BST. It’s on!
