Miedema set to start in WSL Etihad derby | OneFootball

Vivianne Miedema is expected to lead the line for City against Manchester United in her first start since October.

The Dutch international made a goalscoring return following knee surgery in our last outing, coming off the bench to round off the scoring in a 3-0 FA Cup win over Ipswich.

And the forward has been given the nod to start proceedings for the Blues at the Etihad for the first time since our 2-0 win over Barcelona three months ago.

Elsewhere, new signing Aemu Oyama has been named among the substitutes as Taylor makes six changes from that victory over the Tractor Girls, but fellow January arrival Rebecca Knaak maintains her place in the XI and is set to make her WSL debut tonight.

This evening’s clash with Marc Skinner’s side represents the first meeting between the cross-city rivals this season with only one point separating us in second and the visitors in fourth.

TEAMS

CITY XI: Keating, Casparij, Aleixandri (C), Knaak, Ouahabi, Hasegawa, Park, Roord, Fujino, Fowler, Miedema.

Subs: Annets, Yamashita, Kelly, Coombs, Blindkilde Brown, Prior, Oyama, Murphy, Davies.

WATCH: 250117 Gareth Taylor Press Conference Man United (H)

TACTICS

Khiara Keating comes in between the sticks and is protected by a back four of Kerstin Casparij, captain Laia Aleixandri, Knaak and Leila Ouahabi.

Yui Hasegawa returns at the base of our midfield and sits behind Jill Roord and Jess Park.

The latter will be looking to repeat her derby heroics from March 2024 where she scored twice and registered an assist in a 3-1 success.

Our front line is led by Miedema with Aoba Fujino operating on the right of the three and Mary Fowler on the left.

The Dutch forward has history with Manchester United when she became the first player in WSL history to score against every team they’ve faced when netting against them for Arsenal in November 2021.

WATCH: Oyama details ambitions after City arrival

MATCH STATS

This will be the 10th Manchester derby in the Women’s Super League with Manchester City leading the head-to-head over Manchester United by five wins to one (3 draws).

● Manchester United have never won away to Manchester City in the WSL (D1 L4), with their only victory over the Citizens coming by a 2-1 scoreline in May 2023 at home.

● Manchester City have won their first Women’s Super League game in each of the last five calendar years by an aggregate score of 23-2.

● Manchester United have won seven of their last eight WSL matches in the month of January (L1), losing 3-1 to Chelsea and beating Aston Villa 2-1 in 2024.

● Manchester City have lost two of their last three WSL games (W1) after only dropping points in two of their previous 23 league matches (W21 D1 L1).

● Manchester United have conceded just three goals so far in the 2024-25 Women’s Super League, with only eventual champions Manchester City in 2016 (2) leaking fewer goals after 10 games of a WSL season.

● Only Manchester City (8.5) allow fewer passes per defensive action (PPDA) than Manchester United (8.6) in the 2024-25 WSL season while only Chelsea’s (7.30s) opponent’s sequences end quicker on average than the Citizens’ (7.34s) and the Red Devils’ (7.64s) opponents.

● Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor is chasing his 73rd win as a WSL manager in this match and will move into outright second for most wins in the competition should his side pick up all three points (Emma Hayes - 151, Nick Cushing - 72).

● Ella Toone could become the first player to make 10 appearances in WSL Manchester derbies, though Manchester City are the opponent she has faced most often in the competition without ever scoring (9).

● Of all players to make 10+ starts in the Women’s Super League while aged 21 or under, only Kim Little (1.22) and Nicole Rolser (1.14) have averaged more goals and assists per start than Manchester City’s Mary Fowler (0.74), who has been involved in 14 goals in just 19 WSL starts (7 goals, 7 assists).