Pre-Match Report

WSL: Arsenal Ladies v Doncaster - Preview

Laura Harvey

By Nik Brumsack

Laura Harvey says her Arsenal Ladies side are determined to retain their Women’s Super League title in front of their own fans on Sunday.

Harvey’s team need only a point against Doncaster at Meadow Park to win their second straight WSL trophy, though they will also become champions if Birmingham fail to win at Bristol Academy.

But with the ESPN cameras at Meadow Park on Sunday, Harvey is encouraging her team to put on a title-winning show for the home fans as well as those watching on the television.

“We want to win the league this week. We want to do it at home – we’ve said that all along and this is our last chance to do that,” she told Arsenal.com.

“We’re in a good frame of mind to make sure that we go out there and prove that we can be worthy champions.

“The game being televised gives that added incentive to go out there and we want to put on a show for everyone watching at home.

“What’s important is that when we get the chance to have a game televised, we perform well and show people exactly what women’s football is about.”

Sunday’s game will be Arsenal’s third in a week, having travelled to Spain to beat Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday.

And with next Thursday’s return leg against the Spanish champions the first of three games in six days, Harvey says she is managing her players’ physical condition as best as possible.

“The girls are quite good at managing themselves and this week has been no different,” she said.

“We got back from Barcelona early on Thursday and told them to have a break before Sunday.

“We won’t be training over the next couple of days. We’re just going to have a rest in preparation of Sunday’s game.”

And with a cluster of fixtures in three different competitions on the horizon and a healthy cushion at the top of the WSL table, Harvey is adamant that her team will only be focusing on their next game.

“Every year, our target is to go as far as possible in every competition. We were disappointed not to get to the FA Cup final but we bounced back.”

“We want to seal the league on Sunday, and then win the Continental Cup – which would be fantastic.

“Only then will our focus change to the Champions League and getting as far as we can in that.”

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