🏏 Sat, 3 Oct 2026 13:30 BST
Manchester United Women
vs
Liverpool Women
4-2-3-1 vs 4-1-4-1
Substitutes
Substitutes
Match Preview
- Liverpool arrive in fifth on seven points from two wins, a draw and a defeat, while Manchester United sit ninth on four points with a 1-1-2 record. The three-point gap is flattered by goal difference: Liverpool are +4, United -5. Leaders Manchester City already have 12 points from four games, five clear of Liverpool and eight clear of the hosts.
- United's season has been uneven. They were thrashed 5-0 at home by Chelsea on matchday two, drew 1-1 away at Arsenal, then finally opened their win account by beating West Ham 2-1 at home on matchday four. Liverpool opened with a 4-0 romp at Charlton, drew 1-1 at home with Tottenham, conceded four in a 4-2 loss at Manchester City, and responded by beating Everton 2-0.
- There is a Japan international duel inside this fixture. United's Hinata Miyazawa, 26, won the Golden Boot at the 2023 Women's World Cup and produced a Player of the Match display with a stunning strike in last season's Manchester derby. Liverpool's Fuka Nagano, 27, is described as the heart of her side, controlling games through precise passing and relentless pressing. Both start.
- The midfield geometry decides this one: United's 4-2-3-1 against Liverpool's 4-1-4-1. Nagano screens the Liverpool back four as the lone pivot, while United rely on Sweden's Julia Zigiotti Olme, 28, a Bundesliga winner with Bayern Munich, to hold the base. Ahead of her, academy graduate and EURO 2022 champion Ella Toone, 27, looks to find pockets between the lines.
- Elisabeth Terland leads the United line. The 25-year-old Norway striker scored 13 WSL goals at Brighton to finish joint-second in the Golden Boot race, and has collected multiple Player of the Month awards since joining in summer 2024. Alongside her is Jess Park, 24, a EURO 2025 winner with England who signed a four-year deal from Manchester City in September 2025.
- Nine goals conceded in four matches makes defensive repair United's priority. Captain Maya Le Tissier, 24, and Netherlands skipper Dominique Janssen, 31, a former Arsenal and Wolfsburg player, anchor the centre. Behind them stands Phallon Tullis-Joyce, the 185cm United States international who shared the 2024-25 WSL Golden Glove after keeping 13 clean sheets.
- Liverpool's nine league goals are more than double United's four. Sweden striker Beata Olsson, 25, leads the line after arriving from Kristianstads DFF with a varied attacking repertoire. Compatriot Cornelia Kapocs, 26, offers versatility through the middle or out wide, having taken an unusual route to the WSL via Florida State and Florida in American college soccer.
- At the back Liverpool lean on captain Grace Fisk, 28, appointed skipper in September 2025 after joining from West Ham, and Scotland international Jenna Clark, 25, whose 178cm frame dominates aerial duels. In goal is 21-year-old Khiara Keating, a Manchester City academy product who was nominated for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award in 2024.
- United's first signing of the summer, Spanish defender Andrea Medina, is in the starting eleven. The 22-year-old joined on a free transfer on 1 July 2026 on a three-year deal with a further year's option, after 131 appearances across four seasons at Atlético Madrid and a 2023 Copa de la Reina triumph. She started all three Champions League meetings against United last season — for the other side.
- Both benches carry genuine quality. United can turn to Germany's Lea Schüller, 28, a former Bundesliga top scorer at Bayern Munich, Sweden's Ellen Wangerheim, 22, a domestic double winner with Hammarby, and Mexico captain Rebeca Bernal. Liverpool's wildcard is Austria playmaker Marie-Therese Höbinger, 25, a technical creator who scores from attacking midfield.