Joe Montemurro’s side are set to kick off their FA Women’s Super League season on Sunday when they face Liverpool at Meadow Park.
THE STORY SO FAR
Having remained unbeaten in pre-season, we opened the season with a comfortable 3-1 win over West Ham United in the Continental Tyres Cup.
We struck twice in the first half thanks to a composed finish from Katie McCabe and a towering header from Beth Mead, but just three minutes into the second half the visitors pulled one back through Brianna Visalli.
The Hammers then went on to enjoy a brief spell of possession, but that didn’t knock our confidence and with just 10 minutes remaining on the clock, McCabe restored our two-goal advantage with a thumping left-footed strike from the edge of the box.
THE MANAGERS NOTES
“I’m expecting a very tough challenge,” Montemurro told Arsenal.com.
“We have to respect Liverpool. It’s a big occasion and obviously the rivalry is huge. We have to respect the coach and the players that they have brought in, and we believe it’s going to be a very, very difficult game.
“Sometimes a little bit of the unknown is tricky, but I don't want to read too much into their Continental Cup loss to Manchester United. There was a lot of emotion from what I’ve seen and they’re a good team, so it will be a very tough challenge.
“I think they’ll be proactive, direct, organised and very aggressive in all areas of the field. Their coach is a clever man and he understands the importance of organisation.”
ONE TO WATCH
Katie McCabe has started the season in stunning form, having scored a brace in each of her first appearances for both club and country.
McCabe scored twice against the Hammers at Meadow Park, before doing the same for the Republic of Ireland in their 4-0 win over Northern Ireland.
Operating as an inside forward, McCabe often starts on the right wing and drifts inside to find space on her favoured left foot.
She’s a real threat in one-on-one situations, and she’s more than capable of providing support for Vivianne Miedema through the middle.
For the first time in her career at Arsenal, she’s also had the benefit of experiencing pre-season from day one.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Kick-off will take place at 12:30pm on Sunday - and you can get all the live updates by following us at @arsenalWFC
The game will also be shown BBC Sport online and the BBC Sport app.
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