Manchester City Women will wrap up the 2024-25 season when they welcome Crystal Palace Women to the Joie Stadium for Saturday’s contest.
The Citizens are guaranteed to finish the campaign in fourth position, while Palace’s relegation to the Championship has already been confirmed.
Match preview
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Man City interim boss Nick Cushing has found life difficult in his second stint in charge of the club, having overseen three wins, two draws and four defeats since he replaced Gareth Taylor in March.
Cushing, who has had to contend with injuries to a number of key players, has seen his side lose to Chelsea in the Women’s League Cup final and the Women’s Champions League semi-final as well as a defeat to local rivals Manchester United in the last four of the Women’s FA Cup.
They followed that cup loss with a draw against Everton and a win over Leicester City, before they faced Man United again in last Sunday’s crucial WSL clash, knowing they had to claim maximum points to keep their top-three hopes alive.
Unfortunately for the Citizens, they gave up a two-goal lead as Laia Aleixandri and Rebecca Knaak saw their goals cancelled out by Grace Clinton and Melvine Malard, and while Man United were reduced to 10 players following Aoife Mannion‘s 69th-minute red card, Man City were unsuccessful in their quest to find a late winner at Old Trafford.
As a result, the Citizens have failed to qualify for the Champions League for the second time in three years, meaning that even a win on Saturday will do little to change the outlook on a disappointing season.
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Like their hosts, Palace will also be frustrated with how their 2024-25 season has panned out, having failed in their quest to avoid the drop in their maiden WSL campaign.
The Eagles are languishing seven points adrift of Leicester City at the bottom of the table after winning two, drawing four and losing 15 of their 21 league matches this term.
They have ultimately struggled at both ends of the pitch, demonstrated by the fact they are the division’s second-lowest scorers with 18 goals, while they have the worst defensive record with 60 goals conceded in 21 matches.
Leif Smerud‘s side did at least end a four-game winless run in last Sunday’s home clash against Leicester, coming from behind on two occasions to rescue a 2-2 draw thanks to Annabel Blanchard‘s 69th-minute penalty and Abbie Larkin‘s dramatic 98th-minute equaliser.
The Eagles would love nothing more than to finish the campaign with a win, but their hopes of springing a surprise against Man City will be tempered by the fact they lost six of their previous seven WSL away matches, including each of their last four road trips.
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Team News
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Man City remain without the services of Risa Shimizu, Mary Fowler, Bunny Shaw and Vivianne Miedema due to their respective injury issues.
Left-back Leila Ouahabi is unlikely to feature after she was forced off in the 10th minute against Man United with an ankle issue.
Knaak was introduced as Ouahabi’s replacement at Old Trafford, and she is likely to come into the side for Saturday’s home clash.
As for the Eagles, they are unable to call upon their captain Aimee Everett, who has been sidelined since undergoing foot surgery in February.
Aniek Nouwen and Clarissa Larisey were both missing for the recent meeting with Leicester, making them obvious doubts for the final game of the season.
Larkin is pushing for a starting berth after she came off the bench to score a late equaliser in last Sunday’s home draw.
Manchester City Women possible starting lineup:
Keating; Casparij, Prior, Knaak, Greenwood; Hasegawa, Aleixandri; Park, Coombs, Hemp; Kerolin
Crystal Palace Women possible starting lineup:
Yanez; Sharpe, Swaby, Green, Veje; Nolan, Potter, Gejl; Weerden, Blanchard, Larkin
We say: Manchester City Women 4-0 Crystal Palace Women
While they have struggled to find their best form in the last couple of months, Man City should still have enough quality to see off the WSL’s bottom side, and we believe they will do just that by producing a free-scoring display in Saturday’s home clash.
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