Arsenal Women’s sixth and final match at Emirates Stadium this season kicks off on Sunday afternoon.
Our Gunners host Leicester City in our penultimate home game of the Barclays Women’s Super League campaign, with an opportunity to sustain the pressure on Manchester City and Chelsea at the top of the table.
Last time around
We suffered a brief scare last time out against the Foxes, going down 2-0 at half time.
Whatever may have been awry at kick off certainly cleared up in the second half. Cloe Lacasse kickstarted our comeback in the 49th minute and Alessia Russo made it all square less than five minutes later.
Then, the floodgates were open and Caitlin Foord, Victoria Pelova, Stina Blackstenius and Lina Hurtig all scored to spare our blushes at the King Power Stadium.
The opposition
It hasn’t been smooth sailing for the Foxes with a number of unlucky results and abrupt managerial changes.
The club are currently sat in 10th place but they’ve already improved on their points tally from last season with four games to spare. With Bristol City dwindling at the bottom with six points, Leicester are all but certain to play a fourth straight season in the WSL.
Leicester return to north London on Sunday having just been knocked out of the FA Cup at the semi-final stage by Tottenham. A trip to Wembley and a serious shot at silverware is now off the cards but it’s still a best-ever showing in the competition for the side.
Facts and stats
- We have won all five of our previous Women's Super League meetings with Leicester City by an aggregate score of 20-2
- Since losing 1-0 on the opening day of the season to Liverpool, we have won our last four fixtures at Emirates Stadium
- Alessia Russo has been involved in seven goals in four WSL appearances against Leicester City, scoring five times and assisting twice
- We have not drawn any of our last 16 matches in the WSL, winning 13 and losing three
- In Beth Mead's last 22 league appearances at home, she has been directly involved in 24 goals (14 goals, 10 assists). Her 64-goal involvements at home are the most of any player (37 goals, 26 assists)
- Leicester City have both scored and conceded two or more goals in their last two league fixtures, but they won neither game. The Foxes have scored multiple goals in five games that they have failed to win this season (D2 L3), with only Bristol City (6) doing so more often
What Eidevall says
Eidevall on Leicester: "I think Leicester has a really high-quality squad. I think they recruited very strongly and their whole forward trio with Deanne Rose, [Lena] Petermann and Rantala are all very, very good players.
"I think they've stayed true to a lot of principles. Details always change with a new manager but the overall picture remains the same."
Team news
When asked about the fitness of Frida Maanum, Laia Codina and Kyra Cooney-Cross at his pre-match press conference, Eidevall revealed there had been “good progress.”
“In the game against Bristol, we had quite a depleted squad and it looks like a much more healthy and competitive situation now.”
Vivianne Miedema is said to be “not far off” from joining the matchday squad, but it’s less good news for Lia Walti: “I don’t think it’s realistic that she’ll play again this season.”
Lina Hurtig is absent due to personal reasons, Amanda Ilestedt is pregnant and Kaylan Marckese is continuing her recovery from an ACL rupture.
Match officials
Referee: Ade Soneye
Assistant referee: Isabel Chaplin
Assistant referee: Ella Broad
Fourth official: Mel Burgin
How to watch
You can stream all the action live and for free on Arsenal.com, wherever you are in the world.
Sunday's clash kicks off at 2pm (UK) and you can tune in half an hour beforehand for a special Breakdown Live show. Nicole Holliday and Adrian Clarke will be pitchside, before Max Jones and former Gunner Anita Asante take commentary duties.
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