Manchester United Women host Manchester City Women this Sunday in a key FA WSL fixture at Leigh Sports Village. The match, kicking off at 18:00 local time, pits a United side in superb form against the reigning champions who lead the division.
United have won their last five matches across all competitions, a run that includes a 3-1 away win over Charlton Athletic last weekend. That result lifted them to fifth in the league table with 10 points from six games, though they remain eight points behind their city rivals. The team's top scorer this season is Julia Zigiotti Olme, who has netted three times in six appearances, including the opener in the recent 1-0 win over Liverpool.
Recent form and confidence
This winning streak provides a significant confidence boost ahead of the derby. The sequence began with a 10-1 WSL Cup thrashing of Sheffield United and has seen them score 21 goals while conceding just four. In contrast, Manchester City's form has been more mixed, with a 3-2 league win over Brighton last time out preceded by draws in the UEFA Women's Champions League against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Key players and line-ups
Goalkeeper Tullis-Joyce, protected by a centre-back pairing of Le Tissier and Janssen, will be key against a City attack featuring Shaw and Hemp. City's last starting eleven included the likes of Yui Hasegawa and Grace Clinton in midfield. Shaw is the WSL's joint-top scorer this season with six goals, underlining the threat United's defence must contain.
With the gap to the summit at eight points, a victory for United would dramatically reshape the early title race. The squad will look to extend their perfect run when they welcome the leaders to Leigh Sports Village on 25 October. Following this derby, United's next fixture is an away trip to face Leicester City Women in the WSL on the first weekend of November.
