Arsenal have delivered a staggering late comeback against Manchester City! Here’s how the top of the table looks as I bid farewell.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City Women | 21 | 45 | 52 |
| 2 | Arsenal Women | 21 | 28 | 47 |
| 3 | Chelsea Women | 19 | 38 | 46 |
| 4 | Liverpool FC Women | 21 | 4 | 38 |
| 5 | Man Utd Women | 21 | 16 | 35 |
Apologies for the technical difficulties caused by the FA Player, a strange look for the WSL while they’ve got another game broadcast on the Beeb. That fixture, FYI, has taken a late turn.
FULL-TIME: Liverpool 1-0 Manchester United
A wonderful week for Liverpool comes to a close. First, a victory over the champions. Now, three points against a side who were level with them before this result. Again it was down to a well-worked corner, with Jenna Clark getting the crucial touch from a teasing Höbinger ball towards the far post at the end of the first half.
Updated
90+5 min: Micah delivers another fine save off a Malard hit inside the box, though the offside flag was up.
90+3 min: Blundell is back on her feet as Zelem delivers … and Malard’s header is tipped away by Micah! A superb save from the keeper moving to her left.
90+2 min: Blundell goes down for United and is in a bit of bother as Zelem stands over a free-kick inside Liverpool’s half.
90+1 min: Somehow, my stream is back on, and we’ve got five minutes added on.
76 min: United are still searching for an equaliser. I’m still waiting for the FA Player to sort itself out.
🔄 Melvine and Geyse are introduced as we push for that goal! 💪#MUWomen pic.twitter.com/8hyqkjfYyy
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) May 5, 2024
Keeping an eye on Liverpool’s official live blog which proclaims: “Liverpool are looking the more likely to produce a second goal here.” I’d quite like to see for myself if that’s OK.
Not great, this:
We are aware of issues surrounding the FA Player which we are investigating now.
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) May 5, 2024
We apologise for the inconvenience and hope to get this resolved quickly.
63 min: Zelem delivers a corner from the right and a United header travels wide. And, ugh, the FA Player has once again decided to play up.
62 min: Enderby is gifted a poor United pass and advances towards the D, where she launches a fine, curling effort, looking for the top right corner. It just travels over.
61 min: Earps collects calmly as Haug whips in a teasing ball from the right into the United box.
60 min: Changes for United: Parris and Evans make way for Williams and Riviere.
57 min: And we’re back. A quick scan through the Twittersphere suggests I wasn’t the only one. Liverpool still lead 1-0.
Annoyingly, my FA Player has seized up and isn’t working. Trying find my IT hat and figure out a solution.
HALF-TIME: Liverpool 1-0 Manchester United
Not a half of football that will live long in the memory, but Liverpool couldn’t care less – they’ve nicked a late goal to be the happier side at the break.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Manchester United (Clark 45+3)
Another set-piece goal for Liverpool! It worked a treat midweek and it does so again today: the corner is worked short before Höbinger delivers a teasing ball in from the left which Clark is waiting for at the far post to get the final touch. I reckon it was probably going in without her presence, but best to be safe and nab it.
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45+2 min: Six minutes added on, by the way.
45+1 min: Höbinger turns and shoots from outside the box for Liverpool … it flies straight into the arms of Earps.
45 min: Hinds sends in a free-kick from the right that Evans heads away at the far post.
43 min: Hinds reads a stray pass on the left and intercepts but quickly loses it to a United throw. That sums up events so far, neither side unable to really string together a sustained period on the ball.
41 min: Huge chance for United! García plays a delicious cut-back from the right and Toone’s run from midfield into the box is perfectly timed … but her finish flies over the bar.
39 min: Koivisto is back up on her feet which is good to see. Play resumes.
Matt Beard is sent off!
Liverpool’s head coach has been shown a red card by the referee! Seems like he said something after Koivisto went down, and that’s landed him in a bit of bother.
37 min: Koivisto is down after colliding with an advertising board out on the right.
36 min: Clark cleans up at the back for Liverpool after García chases a ball over the top. The United forward was offside anyway.
34 min: Both sides gift each other the ball rather easily as Holland pings in a cross from the left that is dealt with by United’s defence.
32 min: United’s brightest bit of play so far as Le Tissier pings a ball into the middle before García is played in to cross from the right. No one is there on the end of it.
31 min: Galton finally has a bit of space out on the left for a cross, but Clark is vigilant at the front post.
30 min: Hinds has to put the ball out for a throw, facing pressure from García on United’s right.
29 min: Clark thunders in on Galton with a heavy challenge. It’s all rather stop-start at present.
27 min: Earps tries to find Galton with a long punt towards the left, but it’s just a touch heavy.
26 min: Fisk is bandaged up, Terry Butcher vibes, and play resumes. Not sure as to the cause of her injury.
22 min: Fisk and Holland are in a bit of bother at the moment, being seen to by the docs.
21 min: Liverpool have a free-kick out on the left, with Hinds and Höbinger standing over it. The latter delivers, and Turner responds in the box with a strong defensive header.
19 min: Höbinger delivers a Liverpool corner from the right – it’s low and booted away for a throw. Liverpool work it back into the box as United’s defence goes to sleep, with Koivisto popping out of nowhere to get on the end of a bouncing ball … she heads on to the post and can’t react quick enough for the rebound, sending it wide.
17 min: Now it’s Earps’ turn to show off her work; the ball drops kindly for Holland on the edge after a Liverpool free-kick into the box is diverted away, and Earps moves to her left to palm away the effort.
15 min: … Micah saves again! Naalsund gets a head on the corner, it’s blocked in the mix of shirts and Turner launches a powerful hit through the traffic that the Liverpool keeper gets in the way of.
14 min: Fisk’s clearance goes wrong, providing United with a corner.
13 min: Holland displays the first real bit of quality in the game, pulling off a neat turn in midfield before launching a left-footed hit from range that just went over Earps and the bar.
12 min: Hinds hassles down the left for Liverpool but can’t stop United from collecting a goal kick. Earps’ flat hit is poor and meets a Liverpool head as the ball stays in the United half.
10 min: Holland skips down the left for Liverpool before Hinds has a go from outside the box, Earps saving after an awkward bounce in front of her.
9 min: Earps collects easily from the free-kick. This game is lacking in rhythm at the moment.
8 min: Liverpool win a free-kick out on the left and are going to try and pump it long into the box.
7 min: Evans pushes forward to disrupt Koivisto but Liverpool survive United’s high press and win a free-kick in the centre circle.
4 min: Koivisto crunches into Evans on the right-hand side for Liverpool before United work it back to Earps. And then, suddenly, Galton finds herself slipped in, one on one, with Micah to beat inside the box. The United No 11 fires straight at the keeper, her effort lacking in power and accuracy. United really should be one up.
Updated
2 min: A scrappy opening minute is followed by United winning a free-kick in the centre circle. Long punts and little on the floor to begin with.
Peep!
United get things underway, moving from right to left on my screen.
The players bump fists, You’ll Never Walk Alone rings around Prenton Park. We’re a couple minutes away from kick-off.
Sarah Rendell’s got an eye on the title fight. Can Arsenal do Emma Hayes a massive favour (even if that means the Gunners briefly move ahead of Chelsea)?
I’ve crunched the numbers: Liverpool are unchanged from their midweek win over Chelsea, while Manchester United have three from the starting XI in their 1-0 win over Leicester last weekend. Ella Toone, Nikita Parris and Lucía García start; Hinata Miyazawa, Geyse and Melvine Malard make way.
Just in case you don’t want my company (your loss):
The teams
Here’s how they’re looking …
🔴 #LIVMUN TEAM NEWS 🔴
— Liverpool FC Women (@LiverpoolFCW) May 5, 2024
Here's how we line up this afternoon against Manchester United 👊 pic.twitter.com/60YSWFeh9w
📋 Presenting your penultimate United XI of the #BarclaysWSL campaign 👊#MUWomen pic.twitter.com/tBwk4y106G
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) May 5, 2024
Liverpool: Micah, Clark, Bonner, Fisk, Koivisto, Nagano, Holland, Höbinger, Hinds, Enderby, Haug
Subs: Leath, Kiernan, Lawley, Daniels, Parry, Spencer
Manchester United: Earps, Blundell, Le Tissier, Turner, Evans, Zelem, Naalsund, García, Toone, Galton, Parris
Subs: Mannion, Guerrero, Malard, Ladd, Riviere, Miyazawa, Geyse, Williams, Tullis-Joyce
Updated
Preamble
Hello, hello, hello and welcome to coverage of Manchester United’s visit to Prenton Park, a venue which has already hosted one thriller this week.
Yes, it was some night on Wednesday, with Chelsea’s title hopes going up in flames in a thrilling 4-3 victory for Liverpool. The hosts were clinical with their set-pieces, and Gemma Bonner was on hand for the injury-time winner against her old club.
And now we find ourselves with the nerviest of battles for fourth place. Both United and Liverpool are on 35 points after 20 matches, with today’s visitors sat ahead on a superior goal difference. For Liverpool, victory would be the perfect farewell to this ground; they’re off to St Helens Stadium next season after signing a 10-year lease. United are here to try ruin the goodbye. Kick-off’s at 2pm BST.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City Women | 20 | 46 | 52 |
| 2 | Chelsea Women | 19 | 38 | 46 |
| 3 | Arsenal Women | 20 | 27 | 44 |
| 4 | Man Utd Women | 20 | 17 | 35 |
| 5 | Liverpool FC Women | 20 | 3 | 35 |
Updated
