Arsenal Women Prepare to Face Leicester City in WSL

Arsenal Women’s team is set to face Leicester City at the King Power Stadium as part of their Women's Super League (WSL) campaign. The match is scheduled to kick off at 3 pm local time. This clash comes after Arsenal’s recent qualification for the UEFA Women's Champions League, marking an important fixture in their season.

In their WSL opener, Arsenal drew 2-2 with Manchester City, leaving them eager to secure their first league win of the season against Leicester. The Gunners have fond memories of their last encounter at the King Power Stadium, where they made a thrilling comeback from being two goals down at halftime, eventually winning 6-2. Key scorers in that match included Cloe Lacasse, Alessia Russo, Caitlin Foord, Victoria Pelova, Stina Blackstenius, and Lina Hurtig.

Leicester City, who narrowly avoided relegation last season, started their current campaign promisingly with a draw against Liverpool. The team’s top scorer from last season, Jutta Rantala, showed her prowess once again by scoring on the counter-attack. Over the summer, Leicester strengthened their squad by acquiring players like Noemie Mouchon from Reims and Asmita Ale from Tottenham Hotspur. Ruby Mace, formerly of Arsenal, joined Leicester permanently following a loan spell. The team is now under the management of Amandine Miquel, who previously spent seven years at Reims.

Arsenal’s head coach, Jonas Eidevall, has expressed his respect for Leicester’s development and capabilities, noting, “They have a clear identity, it’s a little bit different but a very clear identity. They had a strong transfer window, and they have a strong squad.” He highlighted the competitive nature of the WSL, appreciating the challenges posed by teams like Leicester.

Meanwhile, Leicester’s Sam Tierney acknowledged the stiff competition posed by Arsenal’s squad, saying, “It’s 90 minutes of football and it’s one team against another… We’ll try to be a team that’s difficult to beat and make sure that we put on a good performance for our fans.”

Arsenal’s squad faces some injury concerns, with no update provided on Leah Williamson‘s availability due to concussion protocol. Steph Catley and Lina Hurtig are also likely to miss the upcoming match as they recover from injuries. Victoria Pelova, however, has made strides in her ACL recovery.

Jane Simms will officiate the match, with assistant referees Jade Wardle and Leoni Harland supporting her, alongside fourth official Emily Heaslip. Fans can stream the game online, with updates available via Arsenal’s official social media channels.