Gareth Taylor had originally kept faith with the same starting eleven that secured a superb 4-1 win away at Brighton and Hove Albion last week.
But the issue which affected Aleixandri ahead of kick-off meant that Alanna Kennedy was drafted in from the bench with Poppy Pritchard stepping up to the replacement’s bench.
City meanwhile, who lie second behind leaders Chelsea only on goal difference, will go into the game seeking to maintain a superb run of form in the league and so maintain our charge for a first WSL title since 2016.
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Teams
CITY XI: Keating, Casparij, Kennedy, Greenwood (C), Ouahabi, Hasegawa, Park, Coombs, Fowler, Bunny, Hemp
Subs: MacIver, Stokes, Houghton, Morgan, Angeldahl, Mace, Pritchard, Blindkilde-Brown, Kelly
UNITED: Earps, Garcia, Le Tissier, Blundell, Zelem, Toone, Parris, Turner, Riviere, da Silva Ferreira, Naalsund,
Subs: Tullis-Joyce, Mannion, Guerrero, Malard, Ladd, Evans, Rabjohn, Williams, Aherne.
Tactics
City will deploy a familiar tried and trusted line up for today’s latest showdown with United.
Khiara Keating will be the familiar figure in goal, shielded by a back four of Kerstin Casparij, Laia Aleixandri, Alex Greenwood and Leila Ouahabi.
Yui Hasegawa will be the holding figure in midfield with Laura Coombs and Jess Park also deployed in the crucial engine room.
Upfront meanwhile, ‘Bunny’ Shaw leads the line with Lauren Hemp and Mary Fowler operating on either flanks.
Record in her sights
Bunny Shaw will step out at the Etihad this afternoon needing just one more goal to become City’s all-time record goal scorer.
Ever since arriving from Bordeaux in the summer of 2021, the Jamaican international has proved a revelation with her eye for goal, superb technique and fierce will to win marking her out as a key component in Gareth Taylor’s side.
Such has been her impact, Bunny has already accrued 67 goals from just 81 appearances to date, drawing her level with fellow all-time City record scorer Georgia Stanway.
So often the player for the big occasion, what price Bunny choosing an Etihad derby to create another slice of memorable City history?
Time for elevenses?
City will kick-off at the Etihad this afternoon not only seeking to extend the Manchester bragging rights over our closest rivals but also to maintain a quite magnificent run of form in the Barclays Women’s Super League.
Gareth Taylor’s side go into one of the most eagerly-awaited fixtures of the season on the back of a fantastic run that has seen us chalk up 10 consecutive league wins in a row.
It’s a passage of play that has not only seen City serve up a series of memorable displays but also piloted us right into the heart of the title race.
Going into this weekend’s set of fixtures, City sit in second place in the table level on 40 points with Chelsea but with the Londoners boasting a slightly better goal difference tally of 34 to our 32.
It means that there is everything to play for this afternoon – not just the derby spoils.
Stats
● Following a 3-1 win at Old Trafford earlier this season, City are aiming to win back-to-back games against Manchester United in the WSL for the first time, despite winning four of the eight Manchester derbies in the competition (D3 L1).
● Manchester United are winless in four meetings with City away from home in the Women’s Super League, losing the first three without scoring before a 1-1 draw in December 2022.
● City have lost just one of our last 27 home WSL games (W22 D4), winning five in a row since a 1-0 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion at Joie Stadium in November; we have twice before played at the Etihad Stadium in the competition, winning 1-0 in September 2019 and drawing 1-1 in December 2022, both times against Manchester United.
● Manchester United have failed to win any of their last three away games in the Women’s Super League (D1 L2) and only once before have the Red Devils gone four matches on the road without victory in the competition, doing so between November 2019 and February 2020 under Casey Stoney.
● City have conceded just 10 goals in 16 Women’s Super League matches this season, at least four fewer than any other side. At home, City have conceded just five goals and haven’t conceded more than one goal in a single home match this season.
● City’s Khadija Shaw has been directly involved in four goals in her four WSL appearances in the Manchester derby (2G 2A), boasting the best minutes-per-goal involvement rate of any player to play at least 90 minutes in this fixture (goal or assist every 79 minutes).
