Preview: Manchester United Women vs. West Ham United Women - prediction, team news, lineups

Manchester United Women will look to extend their 13-game unbeaten league run when they welcome West Ham United Women to Leigh Sports Village on Sunday.

The visitors, meanwhile, will be hoping to produce a positive response after failing to win any of their last three Women's Super League games.

Match preview

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Although Man United have made an unbeaten start to the WSL season, Marc Skinner will be frustrated by the fact that his side have drawn three of their five league matches.

After beginning the WSL campaign with a narrow win over Aston Villa, the Red Devils went on to play out back-to-back draws against Arsenal and Leicester City, before they returned to winning ways with a comfortable 5-0 victory over Everton.

Skinner's charges missed the chance to claim consecutive league wins last weekend, and instead, they were fortunate to take a point from their away meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion, after coming from behind on two occasions to draw 2-2 thanks to Ella Toone's 78th-minute piledriver and Rachel Williams's stoppage-time winner.

With Man United currently sitting in sixth place, they will be looking to embark on a run of victories as they look to close the four-point gap to leaders Chelsea.

The hosts will at least carry some momentum into Sunday's contest after they thrashed Everton 7-0 in their midweek League Cup clash following a Nikita Parris hat-trick as well as goals from Williams, Geyse and Leah Galton.

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West Ham will be underwhelmed with their start to the season, having won just one of their five WSL matches (D1, L3), leaving them in eighth place with four points to their name.

They would have been particularly disappointed with last weekend's defeat to newly-promoted Bristol City, who had failed to pick up a point prior to their visit to the capital.

Despite taking the lead through Viviane Asseyi's 27th-minute penalty, West Ham found themselves trailing after 37 minutes following two quick Bristol City goals.

Although the in-form Riko Ueki pulled a goal back in first-half stoppage time, Brooke Aspin's second-half effort condemned West Ham to a 3-2 defeat, which extended their winless home league run to nine matches.

Having failed to win any of their last six competitive meetings with Man United, the Hammers will be looking to beat the Red Devils for the first time since December 2019 when the two sides face off on Sunday.

Team News

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Man United will be unable to call upon Gabby George, Emma Watson and Aoife Mannion, who are all long-term injury absentees.

Spain international Irene Guerrero, who has missed the last two matches, is expected to be absent once again due to a knee problem.

After scoring a hat-trick in the midweek cup win, Parris could be presented with her third start of the WSL season.

As for the visitors, Dagny Brynjarsdottir is currently on maternity leave, while Emma Snerle remains sidelined with an injury issue.

Jess Ziu, who has returned from a lengthy layoff, made her first competitive appearance in over 13 months when she appeared as a late substitute against Bristol City, and the 21-year-old could be given more minutes off the bench on Sunday as she looks to build up her match fitness.

Having scored three goals in five WSL appearances, Ueki will be looking to continue her fine form when she features up front against Man United.

Manchester United Women possible starting lineup:

Earps; Riviere, Le Tissier, Turner, Blundell; Miyazawa, Zelem, Toone; Geyse, Galton, Parris

West Ham United Women possible starting lineup:

Arnold; Smith, Cissoko, Cooke; Denton, Shimizu, Hayashi, Evans; Harries, Asseyi, Ueki

We say: Manchester United Women 3-1 West Ham United Women

After drawing three of their last four league games, Man United will be determined to claim all three points on Sunday, and we think that they will enjoy a successful outing against a West Ham side that has lost three of their five WSL matches this season.

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