Manchester United prepare to take on newly promoted side London City Lionesses for the second time this season

This Sunday (15^th February) Manchester United take on London City Lionesses at Leigh Sports Village, with a kick off scheduled for 12pm. In the reverse fixture, Man United delivered a dominant 5-1 victory setting the tone early when Maya Le Tissier converted a penalty just three minutes into the match. Goals continued to flow throughout the game with the Lionesses struggling to match United’s tempo. Jess Park capped off the performance securing a late goal on her first WSL start for the club.

📸via manunited.com

With Manchester City dropping points against Arsenal last weekend, Man United will be eager to maintain their winning momentum as they look to secure a Champions League spot for next season.

London City currently sit sixth in the league and despite this triumphant first WSL campaign, their recent form has dipped, with just one win in their last six league matches. Their most recent outing against Everton was a disappointing 1-0 loss which allowed the Toffees to claim their first league victory under interim manager, Scott Phelan.

Prior to that loss, the lionesses secured an impressive 2-1 away win against Brighton, courtesy of stunning strike from Freya Godfrey. Despite significant investment over the summer and further reinforcements in January – including Delphine Cascarino and Malou Marcetto – consistency has been elusive. Improving their away form will key, having only won 4 out of 8 away matches so far this season.

Manchester United, meanwhile, sit second in the WSL, eight points behind league leaders, Manchester City, and will be determined to close the gap with another victory this weekend. United are in exceptional form and remain unbeaten in their last 6 matches conceding just 15 goals in 15 games. Their home performances have been particularly impressive, scoring over 2.5 goals in each of their last three matches at the Leigh Sports Village.

The odds appear to be firmly in United’s hands, having won all twelve of their previous WSL matches against newly promoted sides – the only team in the league with a 100% record in these fixtures.

The January signing of Lea Schüller could also play a key role. The forward arrived from Bayern Munich, where she scored and impressive 103 goals in 181 appearances across all competitions. She will be eager to open her account in United colours and make an immediate impact.

With United’s first-class recent form and the numbers backing it up, they look to be a level above their opponents heading into this game. If they play anywhere near their recent standards, I can see this finishing as a comfortable 5-0 win.