Manchester United v Arsenal: Women’s Super League – live!

• 11.17am GMT11:17 Team news
• 11.00am GMT11:00 Preamble

44 min United are a couple of minutes away from reaching half-time unscathed. They need to change something, though, because it’s been a 0-0 battering.

40 min McCabe threads a brilliant through pass to Little, who has a split-second opportunity to shoot first time but then tries to comes back inside Thorisdottir and loses the ball. That was unusually indecisive from Little.

40 min Miedema drags the ball away from Batlle on the left side of the area and chips a cross that is crucially headed clear by Mannion (I think).

38 min Hanson, on the right, curls a dangerous long pass that just evades the stretching Toone. Had she controlled that she would have been through on goal.

37 min Every time I look up, Arsenal are on the attack. If United weren’t hanging on earlier, they are now. They are desperate to get to half-time at 0-0.

34 min It wouldn’t surprise me if Marc Skinner brings on Hayley Ladd at half-time, because United are being overrun in midfield.

33 min: Good save by Earps! McCabe plays a lovely one-two with Maanum on the left and cuts the ball back from the byline. It hits a United defender and rolls across to Maritz, whose rising shot is pushed over by Earps. It wasn’t, in truth, the most convincing attempt by Maritz.

32 min The main positive for United is that, though they have been outplayed, Mary Earps hasn’t had a difficult save to make. But it does feel like an Arsenal goal is in the post.

30 min Russo plays a fine pass down the right to Hanson, whose cross is headed away bravely by Maritz. She knew she was about to be clattered from behind by Galton but kept her eye on the ball.

28 min McCabe’s floated corner is headed towards goal by Catley, under pressure from Thorisdottir, and Earps makes a comfortable save.

27 min United have lost the ball in their half a few times already, and another instance leads to Miedema winning a corner...

26 min McCabe’s hits the free-kick straight into the wall. That was, for her, an unusually tame effort.

25 min Mead is fouled just outside the area by Blundell. The free-kick is a fair way to the right of centre, which suits the left-footed Katie McCabe.

22 min Little, spotting Mead’s off-the-ball run, clips a lovely angled pass over the defence to find her on the right of the area. Mead’s cutback is half blocked by a defender, Blundell I think, and runs through to the keeper Earps.

21 min I wouldn’t quite say that United are hanging on, but there’s no doubt Arsenal look the likelier scorers. The relaxed confidence to their passing and movement really stands out.

17 min Batlle pokes a clever pass to release Toone on the right side of the area. For once she makes a mess of a decent opportunity, overhitting a cross on the turn that goes out for a throw-in on the other side of the field.

16 min Mead and McCabe have swapped wings, as is their wont. After a slow start, Arsenal look really menacing in attack.

14 min Batlle loses the ball in a dangerous area to Mead. She plays a through pass towards Miedema, but Mannion reads it and scurries across to clear. That was a vital piece of defending.

13 min Mead’s inswinging croner is headed away by Galton and United break. Blundell tries to play in Toone, who is tracked expertly by Little.

12 min Maanum’s low cross is put behind for a corner. It’s all Arsenal now.

11 min Maanum shoots over the bar from the left edge of the area. This is a very good spell for Arsenal, who have pinned United back in the last few minutes.

9 min Mead’s header from the edge of the area is easily saved by Earps.

8 min “Arsenal didn’t miss Leah Williamson much against Koge, but (Man United fans will hope) this should be a bit of a tougher test,” says Charles Antaki. “Wubben-Moy was charged with trying to bring it out of the back, but she doesn’t yet have the experience and nous of Williamson. Maybe Little will drop back a bit and do the honours?”

We’ll soon see. At the moment she’s playing quite far forward.

7 min: Mead hits the bar! Arsenal almost take the lead with their first attack. McCabe played a short pass across the area to Mead, who shifted the ball away from Mannion and rattled a left-footed shot off the crossbar. The rebound came to Miedema, who couldn’t control an awkward ball and was tackled desperately by Blundell.

5 min Lots of early possession for United. Russo charges infield from the left and screws a long-range shot that is blocked.

2 min United are also playing 4-2-3-1, with Lucy Staniforth playing deeper alongside Katie Zelem.

2 min Arsenal’s formation is closer to 4-2-3-1, with Kim Little behind Vivianne Miedema.

1 min Peep peep! Arsenal, in their yellow away strip, kick off from right to left. United are in red.

It’s a lovely winter’s day in Leigh - sunny, if a little brisk. Arsenal’s players emerge first, followed by the home side.

I never know how much crossover there is - or should be between - women’s and men’s teams, but in case you missed it, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been put out of his misery by Manchester United.

“Hiya Rob,” says John Burrell. “As an Aussie, I am hoping for ManU women to take the points today and then for Sam Kerr to take Chelsea-W to the top of the league. Is it possible? PS why aren’t they playing at Old Trafford?”

Leigh Sports Village is their home ground at the moment, though they usually play one game a season at Old Trafford.

Probable formations

Manchester United (4-2-3-1) Earps; Batlle, Mannion, Thorisdottir, Blundell; Zelem, Staniforth; Hanson, Toone, Galton; Russo. Substitutes: Baggaley, Boe Risa, Ladd, F Fuso, Smith, Turner, Jones.

Arsenal (4-3-3) Zinsberger; Maritz, Wubben-Moy, Beattie, Catley; Walti, Maanum, Little; Mead, Miedema, McCabe.Substitutes: Williams, Stenson, Goldie, Patten, Nobbs, Houssein, Parris, Foord.

Manchester United make two changes from last weekend’s draw at Everton. Lucy Staniforth and Kirsty Hanson replace Vilde Boe Risa and the injured Martha Thomas. That probably means Staniforth starting alongside Katie Zelem in midfield, which would be a pretty aggressive selection from Marc Skinner. He might also have switched to a 4-1-4-1, with Ella Toone playing slightly deeper. We’ll find out soon enough.

Arsenal rotated in the week, when they beat HB Koge in the Champions League, but there is only one change from their last WSL game at Spurs. The injured Leah Williamson is replaced in defence by Jen Beattie.