Arsenal Women will begin the 2023-24 Women's Super League season with a home fixture against Liverpool Women on Sunday.
The hosts will be hoping to mount a title challenge, while Liverpool will want to improve upon last season's seventh-placed finish.
Match preview
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Despite having to contend with a number of injuries to key players, Arsenal still managed to finish the 2022-23 campaign with silverware after winning the League Cup for the first time since 2018.
The Gunners also held off Manchester City to finish in third place and achieve European qualification, but their hard work was quickly undone in Champions League qualifying earlier this month.
Arsenal beat Linkopping 3-0 to advance to the final of a mini-tournament against Paris FC with a place in the second round of qualifying at stake.
After playing out a 3-3 draw over 120 minutes of action, Arsenal were beaten in the subsequent penalty shootout, ensuring that their short-lived Champions League journey came to an end, leaving Jonas Eidevall's side to focus on domestic matters for the remainder of the campaign.
The North London club will go into the new WSL season with some fresh faces after bringing in Laia Codina, Amanda Ilestedt, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Cloe Lacasse and Alessia Russo.
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After winning promotion from the Championship in the 2020-21 campaign, Liverpool would have been pleased to avoid relegation in their first season back in the top flight.
The Reds collected 23 points from their 22 league matches to achieve a respectable seventh-placed finish, ensuring that they will be competing in the top flight for a second straight season.
With Liverpool looking to push on this season, they have been busy adding to their squad over the summer, bringing in goalkeeper Teagan Micah as well as defensive duo Grace Fisk and Jenna Clark.
Marie Hobinger has bolstered Liverpool's midfield options, while the attacking department has been strengthened by the arrivals of Natasha Flint, Sophie Roman Haug and Mia Enderby.
The Reds will hope that their new additions can help them end their poor run of form against Arsenal and claim their first win over the Gunners since July 2016.
Team News
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Arsenal forward Beth Mead could be given her first minutes off the bench since returning from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Vivianne Miedema, Leah Williamson and Laura Wienroither are further back in their recoveries from ACL injuries and remain sidelined for Sunday's league opener.
Ilestedt, Lacasse, Codina and Cooney-Cross are expected to be involved in the matchday squad, with the quarter all hoping to make their WSL debuts.
As for the visitors, Beard has revealed that Haug will see a specialist after sustaining a nose injury while on international duty with Norway.
Zara Shaw and Faye Kirby are set to miss the season with ACL injuries, while Niamh Fahey is expected to be sidelined for around six weeks.
Melissa Lawley, Leanne Kiernan and Shanice van de Sanden are progressing well in their injury recovery, but the trio will not be available for Sunday's encounter.
Arsenal Women possible starting lineup:
Zinsberger; Maritz, Wubben-Moy, Ilestedt, Catley; Maanum, Little, Walti; Foord, McCabe; Blackstenius
Liverpool Women possible starting lineup:
Laws; Clark, Fisk, Matthews; Koivisto, Hobinger, Nagano, Hinds; Holland; Flint, Daniels
We say: Arsenal Women 3-1 Liverpool Women
Arsenal would have been disappointed to exit the Champions League in the qualifying rounds, but we think that they will use that experience as motivation for their domestic campaign.
Although Liverpool have made a number of additions to their squad, we believe that they will fall short against an Arsenal side stacked with quality.
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