Key Highlights
- Arsenal Women prepare to face London City Lionesses in a crucial league fixture.
- The game takes place on Sunday at Bromley’s Copperjax Community Stadium.
- Renee Slegers’ team returns from an extended international break, looking to build on their recent victory over Manchester City.
- LCL boast globally renowned talent and have shown high ambitions under new management.
Arsenal’s Road to Redemption
And here we are again. Arsenal Women return from a three-week international break, their eyes set on reclaiming the form that saw them beat Manchester City 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium six weeks ago. Renee Slegers will be hoping for a repeat performance this Sunday, but there’s no ignoring the fact that her team has lost some key players to national teams and injuries.
Team News
But, before we get too carried away, let’s take stock of who Arsenal are missing. Steph Catley, Kyra Cooney-Cross, and Caitlin Foord are all representing Australia at the Asian Cup. Beth Mead is returning from a shin injury but will be without Manu Zinsberger, Katie Reid, Michelle Agyemang, and Olivia Smith for now. The latter’s return might just be timely, as she and Freya Godfrey have been Arsenal’s shining lights on the right wing.
Olivia Smith has forced her way into the England squad with her performances from the right-wing.
The Opponent: London City Lionesses
But it’s not all about Arsenal. The Londoners, led by Spanish coach Eder Maestre, have been making waves in their debut WSL season. With a roster filled with global superstars like Grace Geyoro and Kosavore Asllani, LCL are not to be underestimated.
Key Performers
And then there’s Chloe Kelly, who has had her fair share of injury troubles but remains Arsenal’s most valuable asset on the wing. Her importance will increase even further with Caitlin Foord out of the picture and Beth Mead unlikely to start due to an injury.
Chloe Kelly has endured a stop-start season in 2025-26 due to knee issues.
Predicting the Lineups
Given the nature of their upcoming opponents, Arsenal are likely to make some adjustments. With the Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea looming and three players away at the Asian Cup, this is a critical period for Arsenal’s season.
Subs: 5.L.Codina, 9.Mead, 13.Votikova, 21.Pelova, 24.Hinds, 25.Blackstenius, 28.Borbe, 31.Holmberg
Prediction
Renee Slegers will likely stick to a defensive setup, with Freya Godfrey set to continue her impressive form from the right wing. But with Kelly and Smith ready to swap positions frequently, expect this to be an exciting matchup.
It’s going to be an extremely difficult game, I expect to see Olivia become a number 9 at some point in the game.
The Game Plan
And don’t forget, the match will take place at Bromley’s Copperjax Community Stadium on Sunday morning. Sky Sports will have it live for UK viewers, and full global listings are available.
Full global listings are available here.
Conclusion
Arsenal Women need to get back to winning ways if they’re to maintain their position in the WSL standings. With a tough opponent and key players away or injured, of character for Slegers’ side. It’s shaping up to be an interesting Sunday at Bromley.
Expectations are high, but it will be a challenging match indeed.