Matildas Abroad Preview: Aussies face off in Swedish action

The FA WSL title race is heating up in England with three weeks left of competition to decide the winner. While the NWSL Challenge Cup group stage comes to an end. 

As the race in England heats up for the FA WSL title, Chelsea and Arsenal will be hoping to stay neck and neck at the top of the table. While Aussies face off in Sweden.

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Starting in England, fresh off their semi-final Women's FA Cup win, Manchester City will host Leicester City as they look to keep in touch with the top three race.

After a slow start to the season, Manchester City has found their feet once again and will be hoping to show dominance against second to last Leicester City. 


Hayley Raso and Alanna Kennedy's City side will still be without skipper Steph Houghton. City is in a battle with rivals Manchester United to secure the final Champions League qualification spot in the FA Women’s Super League, sitting just three points behind United with one game in hand. 

This game kicks off on Sunday night at 11:00 pm AEST

Over in Reading, Mackenzie Arnold and Tameka Yallop's West Ham are hoping to bounce back from their Women's FA Cup defeat at the hands of Manchester City when they take on Reading FC. 

The Hammers are looking to bounce back after a run of three straight defeats in all competitions, with Manchester City beating them in both the FA WSL and Women's FA Cup this month. 

This game kicks off on Sunday night at 11:00 pm AEST

In London, Sam Kerr's Chelsea will be trying to increase their lead at the top of the table when they take on Kyah Simon's Spurs side. 

Tottenham is trying to bounce back from a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa, after almost a month with no action due to the International window and COVID-19 cases in camp preventing them from playing.

The Blues, on the other hand, will be bringing lots of confidence into the game, having beat title rivals Arsenal 2-0 in their Women's FA Cup semi-final tie. 


With just four games left in the WSL, Chelsea will be aiming for maximum points to claim the FA WSL title for the third season in a row. 

This game kicks off on Sunday night at 11:30 pm AEST

Next up, Emily Gielnik's Aston Villa will take on third-placed Manchester United. 

Villa will be without central defender Anna Patten, on loan from Arsenal, who is been suffering from glandular fever and will be a major blow for Aston Villa. 

Gielnik's side is placed in ninth at the moment, just one spot better than their tenth place finish last season. 

This game kicks off on Monday morning at 3:00 am AEST

The last game in England will see Steph Catley, Lydia Williams and Caitlin Foord's Arsenal reclaim the top spot against an Everton side that has struggled this season. 

Jonas Eidevall's side in recent weeks has been knocked out of both the Women's FA Cup and the UEFA Women's Champions League and will be hoping to rewrite the wrong of their defeat to Chelsea and claim the WSL title for the fourth time. 


Catley and Foord both made the start in the Gunners' recent defeat to the Blues and could be called upon again against the Toffees. 

The last time the sides met earlier in the season, Arsenal ran away 3-0 winners.

This game kicks off on Monday morning at 3:45 am AEST

WATCH: Nevin nets first in Sweden: Siemsen bags assist on debut

READ: Matildas Abroad: Lyon extends unbeaten streak in D1 to 19; Nevin makes debut in Sweden

MORE: We need an #EQUALISER for women's football


Over in the USA, the final game of the NWSL Challenge Cup group stage kicks off. Emily van Egmond's San Diego Wave FC take on Group B ladder leaders OL Reign.

Van Egmond made her starting debut in Wave's narrow 3-2 loss to Portland Thorns last weekend. 

This game will kick off on Sunday afternoon at 12:00 pm AEST. 

Meanwhile, Alex Chidiac's Racing Louisville take on Houston Dash, as the bottom two teams in Group C go head-to-head.

This game will kick off on Monday morning at 9:00 am AEST. 

Moving over to Sweden, three Aussies go to battle as Remy Siemsen's AIK host, Clare Polkinghorne and Katrina Gorry's Vittsjö GIK.


AIK come into this game off a narrow 2-1 loss to defending Damallsvenskan champions FC Rosengård, where Siemsen made her debut and picked up an assist.

While Gorry's debut for Vittsjö saw the midfielder help her new side their first win of the season. 

This game will kick off on Sunday night at 8:30 pm AEST. 

Courtney Nevin, coming off her first goal in Sweden, will be hoping she can help her new side Hammarby to their second win of the season when they take on Umeå. 

This game will kick off on Sunday night at 10:00 pm AEST. 

The last game in Sweden involving Aussies will see Teagan Micah and Charli Grant's FC Rosengård hunt for back-to-back wins to start the season, up against rivals BK Häcken.

Rosengård and Häcken went toe-to-toe in last season's title race, with Micah and Grant's side just edging past Häcken.

This game will kick off on Tuesday morning at 3:00 am AEST. 

In Denmark, Clare Wheeler, Angie Beard and Indi-Paige Riley's Fortuna Hjørring will be hoping to bounce back from their 6-1 defeat when they take on KoldingQ. 

Fortuna Hjørring currently sit in second in the Championship Round, with HB Køge sitting above them on 12 points. 

This game will kick off on Saturday night at 9:00 pm AEST. 

Our last stop takes us to Italy, with Aivi Luik and Ella Mastrantonio's Pomigliano Calcio hosting AC Milan on Sunday night at 10:30 pm AEST.