Matildas Abroad Preview: Manchester derby in the WSL; Top of the table clash in France

It's Manchester derby weekend in the WSL and over 40,000 tickets have been sold for the game at Etihad Stadium; while a top-of-the-table clash is in store in France.

See where all our Matildas Abroad will be in action in our preview! 

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England

Kicking off in Manchester, Mary Fowler, Hayley Raso and Alanna Kennedy's Manchester City will host second-place Manchester United, with 40,000 tickets already sold for the derby. 

City has racked up nine consecutive wins in all competitions and six successive WSL victories, with Fowler finding the back of the net in their midweek Conti Cup victory. 

Hayley Raso of Manchester City and Katie Zelem of Manchester United in action during the Vitality Women's FA Cup Fifth Round match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Leigh Sports Village on February 27, 2022 in Leigh, England. (Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)
Hayley Raso of Manchester City and Katie Zelem of Manchester United in action during the Vitality Women's FA Cup Fifth Round match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Leigh Sports Village on February 27, 2022 in Leigh, England. (Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)

Their last meeting in the WSL ended in a 4-1 victory for City, with Lauren Hemp, Ellen White, Caroline Weir and Bunny Shaw all on the scoresheet in the win. 

This game will kick off on Sunday night at 11:30 pm AEDT

Over in Brighton, Clare Wheeler's Everton will be aiming to bounce back from a narrow 1-0 defeat when they take on Brighton.

Wheeler did not appear in the matchday squad for Everton's last WSL outing and missed their midweek Conti Cup defeat to Manchester United. This game will kick off on Monday morning at 1:00 am AEDT

Meanwhile, Kyah Simon's Spurs will host Mackenzie Arnold's West Ham United, with both sides neck and neck on the ladder at the moment. The Hammers currently sit in sixth place and the Spurs are just behind them in seventh, separated by three points. 

Both sides come into the game off the back of WSL defeats, with Spurs going down 1-0 to Reading in their last outing and West Ham defeated 2-0 by Liverpool. 

This game will kick off on Monday morning at 1:00 am AEDT

In Birmingham, Emily Gielnik's Aston Villa will host Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley's Arsenal as the Gunners look to make it eight wins in the WSL season. 

Villa comes into the game after a 5-0 defeat in their last WSL game against Manchester United, while Arsenal recorded a narrow 1-0 victory over Everton. 


Both have been in action midweek, with Aston Villa winning 2-1 in the Conti Cup while Arsenal remains undefeated in the UWCL group stage after a 1-0 win.

This game will kick off on Monday morning at 3:15 am AEDT

Lastly,  Sam Kerr's ladder leaders Chelsea will host 10th-placed Reading FC, as the Blues look to increase their lead at the top of the table. 

Both sides recorded victories in their last WSL games, Reading beating Spurs 1-0 and Kerr getting on the scoresheet as Chelsea ran rampant and beat Leicester City 8-0. 

This game will kick off on Monday morning at 5:45 am AEDT

France

Moving over to France, a top-of-the-table clash is set in the D1, as Ellie Carpenter's Lyon host Lydia Williams's Paris Saint-Germain.

Lyon and PSG are yet to taste defeat so far in the D1 this season, with just two points separating the two rivals at the moment. 

Lydia WILLIAMS of Paris Saint Germains (PSG) during the Women's Champions Trophy match between Lyon and Paris Saint Germain at Marcel Tribut Stadium on August 28, 2022 in Dunkerque, France. (Photo by Baptiste Fernandez/Icon Sport via Getty Images)
Lydia Williams of Paris Saint Germain (PSG) during the Women's Champions Trophy match between Lyon and Paris Saint Germain at Marcel Tribut Stadium on August 28, 2022, in Dunkerque, France. (Photo by Baptiste Fernandez/Icon Sport via Getty Images)

Their last meeting earlier this year in the Trophée des Championnes final ended with a 1-0 victory to Lyon, with Daniëlle van de Donk scoring the winner to seal the trophy with Williams in goals for PSG. 

This game will kick off on Monday morning at 7:00 am AEDT