Women’s Super League: Can young Man City handle Arsenal with its new look? | football news

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Can a rookie Manchester City tackle Arsenal with their new look when the two teams meet in the Women’s Super League this weekend, live on Sky Sports?

2022 has been a year of mixed fortunes for the two teams. Arsenal is the current league leader with four points and has lost only one league game this season.

Meanwhile, Man City witnessed the destruction of his team due to injury. It was a shock early on when I saw them crouching near the bottom of the stream, perhaps even with one eye on the landing spot.

But recent weeks have seen a remarkable turnaround for Gareth Taylor and his team, which provides a good chance ahead of the game against Arsenal on Sunday night.

What is behind City’s return? Photo: Lucy Bronze has returned to playing for Manchester City in recent weeks

It’s not the hardest answer to this one – the return of key players from injury has given Manchester City the vital support they have been missing for most of the season thus far.

Perhaps the most important players to return were captain Steve Houghton and right-hand man Lucy Bronze, who were both sidelined for most of the season.

Houghton has been out since picking up an ankle injury ahead of England’s meeting with North Macedonia in September, while Bronze underwent knee surgery in the summer.

Ahead of their return earlier this month, City chairman Taylor said: “It’s great to have Steve back, she’s such an impact on us. She’s our captain, our captain. We’ve missed her.

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Highlights of the Women’s Super League match between Aston Villa and Man City

“Lucy is back and wasn’t able to come back before Christmas. It’s a huge boost for everyone to see them.”

It can also be said that City’s summer incomes are starting to get back on their feet. Scored in her last four matches in all competitions, Vicky Losada showed all the qualities she had at Barcelona. Khadija Shaw also scored two goals against Bristol City in the midweek win of the Conte Cup. Midfielder Philippa Engeldahl has also appeared in 10 of the 11 league matches this season.

And Arsenal is not the only side that has agreed to some significant contract extensions. Esme Morgan was the latest player to strike a new deal, keeping her at the club until the summer of 2025, following Morgan’s roommate Lauren Hemp – and Hutton in committing to their future with City.

But with the weekend’s game approaching, there are still injury fears. Morgan herself remained on the bench, along with City’s first two goalkeepers, Eli Roebuck (calf) and Karen Bardsley (hamstring). Chloe Kelly is also continuing to rehab from an ACL injury, while summertime singers Hayley Raso and Alana Kennedy play in the Asian Cup with Australia.

However, City have not lost in six matches across all competitions since Manchester United’s derby defeat to Manchester United in November. They scored 25 goals and conceded only three, and are beginning to rediscover the devastating form that has seen them become true title contenders.

Arsenal prepares to review new deals

But City will not face the same Arsenal team that won 5-0 in the reverse game in September. This week alone, Arsenal have signed three new players, and Leah Williamson has also agreed a new contract.

Let’s start with the new faces. Rafael Souza is likely to be a short-term fix at the heart of the defence, as she will join after the expiration of her contract with China’s Changchun Zuwei. The move marks her first for a European club and the first Brazilian to play for the Arsenal women’s team.

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Sports journalist Flo Lloyd Hughes discusses Arsenal’s women’s defensive deals from this transfer window – Rafael Sousa and Laura Weinrother – on Good Morning.

Anna Patten has already been allowed to leave on loan, although she is expected to return next season to challenge the centre-back alongside Lotte and Penn Moy.

Patten has been helping out as a right-back alongside Noel Maritz, although it’s not her best position, of course. In helping to resolve this issue, Arsenal have signed Hoffenheim’s Laura Wenreuther, and consider her Edival as a right-back.

“I see her primarily as a right-back… She is very strong and mature in her decision making. I really believe that we can improve her offensive game in our environment to develop her further.

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Arsenal are looking to bounce back from their first Women’s Football League defeat last season when they lost 1-0 to Birmingham.

“I think it was a limiting factor for us in the fall as we had one natural right-back. We have a lot of players who could play there but they play a little differently.

“I think that also didn’t bring out the best in Noelle Maritz because she had to speed herself up through the tight schedule. So I hope we can push her harder now and push more in every situation and understand that if you’re tired, everyone else can come along.” And he plays and does the same job. That was what he needed most for us.”

Sunday January 23 6 pm

Going forward, there has been a lot of speculation surrounding Sweden international Stena Plakstinius and a move to the WSL. Manchester United and Women were interested, but Arsenal beat their rivals with the 25-year-old striker.

Her arrival also raises questions about Vivian Miedema’s future. While there is, of course, nothing wrong with having amazing options, Miedema’s contract expires at the end of the season.

Tom Garry of the Telegraph recently reported that Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are targeting the striker’s signature, although they are willing to stay if the club can meet their ambitions. There will be hope among Arsenal fans that these new arrivals will go some way to persuading Miedema to sign a new contract.

One player who has put pen to paper in a new deal is Williamson, who could prove to be the Gunners’ most intelligent business this season. “In addition to being a key player for us at the moment, she is also an integral part of our plans for the future – a player for us to build Arsenal around us,” Edivale said of her.

The centre-back has spent her entire career at Arsenal, but she has proven indispensable this season. It ranks first in the lineup in terms of vacations finished (17), possession wins third in defense (22) and second in vertical clearance (6).

Another area of ​​interest is the age of these players. Wienroither is 23, Blackstenius is 25, and Williamson is only 24 despite all her accomplishments. Sousa will bring her great experience at the age of 30 to Arsenal’s defense and has a lot to pass on to the team’s next younger generation.

View from the Man City camp

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Sports journalist Flo Lloyd Hughes talks about his Manchester City deals from this transfer window on Good Morning Transfers

Man City manager Gareth Taylor: “It’s another game for us. Some teams are in better shape than others. We struggled earlier in the season.

“It is set up well, but the process is still the same. We focus on one match at a time, and then we look forward to the next one.

“We expect a tough game, a tough game. We want to control as much as we can. We have to get the little details right. They have early success, they score goals, they have a lot of energy and they have good attacking players like us.

“We’re looking forward to it. We’re home again. It’s good to be back at CFA and now we want to start on Sunday and that’s a challenge ahead.”

Manchester City vs Arsenal – Opta stats

Manchester City have won their last four home games against Arsenal, scoring 11 goals in these victories. Their last home defeat was against Arsenal in May 2017, a 1-0 defeat.

After beating Manchester City 5-0 earlier this season, Arsenal are looking to complete the WSL double over them for the first time. This 5-0 win was Man City’s biggest ever defeat in the Women’s Football League.

After scoring 11 goals in his first seven matches in the Women’s Football League this season, Man City have scored 17 goals in their last four matches, winning all four matches and conceding only twice.

Arsenal are currently at the top of the WSL with 25 points from their 10 matches so far under Jonas Edvall (W8 D1 L1). Despite losing 2-0 at Birmingham last time out, Edvall equaled the record for most points won by a manager in her first 10 WSL games, and Shelley Kerr also won 25 times in her first 10 games in 2013 as Arsenal Technical Director.

Lucy Bronze, right-back at Man City: “I think we’re all excited because we’re playing at home against Arsenal. We know we’re playing well at home the way we like.

“We have a lot of players who are back in shape and the team is doing well at the moment. Maybe Arsenal are struggling compared to the way we played the last time we played with each other – they were flying and they were the team to beat and they were doing it very well.

“Since then, they skipped the Champions League but struggled and then also lost to Birmingham, but you can take all of that out of the equation because in the end, when both teams step onto the pitch, it doesn’t matter about the last score and how many times we’ve beaten before – It’s just about the two teams converging at that moment.

“We are very confident and know we just need to keep collecting the three points and slowly raise ourselves in the league table but Arsenal will be desperate to get points from the game because they want to keep that top spot.

“It’s a big game for both teams and we hope it will be a good match.”

View from the Arsenal camp

Arsenal coach Jonas Edvall: “I wouldn’t say I had any problem with the soul [in the Arsenal squad]. We know what we need to do better, we know what we need to develop and I feel we are all very committed to continuing to do so.

“It’s the only way I know and the only way to go forward. The new players have been great additions to the team as well.

“What’s even more important when you’re playing with a team that is probably City is that you are really good at possession and out of possession. Then it’s always hard to predict how long you’re going to be in the different phases in advance. It’s not going to be part of our DNA to sit back and give the city the initiative. And let them get the ball.

“The game is going to be about dominance, possession and getting out of it. But the two teams that are looking for a lot of control and the team that does a better job is the team that will win on Sunday.

“They’ve been playing very well lately. A big credit to the players and the coaching staff who have continued to believe and develop through a difficult period is a wise result for them. It takes courage and courage to do that and they have done it very well – perhaps they have been given a little credit for that.”

“But I don’t think it’s a good or a bad time [to play Man City]. I love challenges in football, I love playing against the best teams and I want to play against teams as strong as possible because it is a challenge and helps you to be the best version of yourself.

“Playing against Man City really excites me. It’s a great football team, and so are we, and we’re going to give everything on Sunday and make it as good as possible.”

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