WSL: Man City boss Gareth Taylor hypes up heavyweight WSL clash with Chelsea and claims it could decide the title
Man City boss Gareth Taylor believes Sunday's clash with Chelsea could have a huge impact on this season's WSL title race.
Third-placed City host leaders Chelsea this weekend in what has been billed as a heavyweight clash. Emma Hayes' visitors go into the game with a three-point lead over Manchester United, while Arsenal are a further five points back. Taylor's side, currently six points off top spot, will be aiming to cut that gap when they face their title rivals at the Academy Stadium.
And the City boss is under no illusions about the importance of the fixture, admitting it could go a long way to determining who lifts the trophy in May.
"It's a massive game," Taylor said. "Chelsea are a top team, they're the champions, and they're always going to be up there challenging for the title.
“We know it's going to be a tough game, but we're confident we can get a result."
City have won just one of their last five league games, but they will be hoping to rediscover their form against Chelsea. The hosts have won three of their last four encounters with their rivals, and they will be confident of causing an upset on Sunday. “We've got a good record against Chelsea, and we're confident we can beat them again,” Taylor said. “We're going to be at home, and we'll have our fans behind us.
“We know it's going to be a tough game, but we're confident we can get a result. We're going to go into the game with a positive mindset, and we're going to try to win the game.”
Team News
- Manchester City will be without the suspended defender Ruby Mace for the visit of Chelsea.
- The hosts could also be without the injured duo of Esme Morgan and Khadija Shaw.
- Chelsea are expected to be without the injured Maren Mjelde and Jelena Cankovic.
Predicted Lineups
Manchester City: Roebuck, Casparij, Greenwood, Kennedy, Stokes, Walsh, Stanway, Coombs, Hemp, White, Raso
Chelsea: Musovic, Charles, Bright, Eriksson, Andersson, Ingle, Cuthbert, James, Kirby, Kerr, Harder
Key Battle
The key battle in this game is likely to be between City's Lauren James and Chelsea's Niamh Charles. James has been in excellent form for City this season, scoring six goals in all competitions. Charles, meanwhile, has been one of Chelsea's most consistent performers in recent months. The England international is a powerful and dangerous winger, and she will be looking to use her pace and skill to cause problems for City's defence.
Prediction
This is a tough game to call, but I think Chelsea will just edge it. They are the more experienced team, and they have a better record against City. However, City are in good form at home, and they will be confident of causing an upset. I'm going for a 2-1 Chelsea win.
