The last international break of 2024 has officially wrapped up and the Women's Super League (WSL) returns for two final fixtures before the Christmas hiatus.
Chelsea are currently five points clear at the top of the league standings, and are yet to drop a point under the leadership of Sonia Bompastor. A battle at the bottom of the table sees three teams remain in relegation danger, with Crystal Palace, Leicester City and West Ham United all on five points.
Heading into gameweek nine, Liverpool's visit to Manchester United is a big one to look out for. An important clash at the bottom of the table will also feature in east London, as West Ham host Crystal Palace.
Ahead of matchday nine in the WSL, 90min has predicted all of the weekend's games...
Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur - Barclays Women's Super League
Manchester United will be hoping for a win / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages
The WSL kicks off at Leigh Sports Village as Manchester United host Liverpool in the first game of a super Sunday. The Red Devils will be looking to regain the momentum they had at the start of the season against a side that haunted them in the 2023/24 campaign.
Liverpool got the better of United in both league meetings last season, but have struggled to find their footing so far in 2024/25. Matt Beard's side will be eager to right recent wrongs as they travel to Greater Manchester.
United have proved to be very strong at the back, keeping six clean sheets in the league so far. On the other hand, Liverpool have really struggled defensively, conceding 12 goals to United's three.
Both sides have lacked creative edge over recent weeks and will be eager to put on a far more inspiring display as they go head-to-head. With neither side in a consistent groove, the contest is certain to be a close one.
Prediction: Manchester United 1-1 Liverpool
Matilda Vinberg, Drew Spence, Jessica Naz
Tottenham have struggled this season / Visionhaus/GettyImages
It has been a turbulent start to the WSL season for Tottenham Hotspur, having picked up just two wins across eight games. Robert Vilahamn's side will be eager to capitalise on an injury-riddled Everton as they host the Toffees at Brisbane Road Stadium.
Despite the slow start, Everton return to WSL action off the back of a 1-0 win over Liverpool in the Merseyside derby last month. Brian Sorensen's team currently occupy 9th spot in the league standings, just one point clear of the relegation zone. They've conceded 13 goals, scoring just three, placing them on a -10 goal difference.
Spurs will be eager to grab their second win at home this season, and should have enough to come out on top.
Prediction: Tottenham 2-0 Everton
Laura Blindkilde Brown
Manchester City will want to keep the pressure on Chelsea / Naomi Baker/GettyImages
Manchester City will need to make a strong account of themselves this weekend if they want to stay within touching distance of Chelsea at the top of the table.
Gareth Taylor's side will be without Lauren Hemp and Vivianne Miedema for the meeting with Leicester City at Joie Stadium this Sunday. The Cityzens are yet to prove their strength without Hemp, losing to Chelsea before narrowly scraping past Hammarby before the international break.
The Foxes have really struggled to gather any momentum under the management of Amandine Miquel, picking up just one game in eight so far. Sunday is set to be another tough challenge for Leicester, with the Man City attack expected to make a real dent in the Foxes defence.
Prediction: Manchester City 4-0 Leicester City
Lucy Bronze, Sjoeke Nusken, Oriane Jean-Francois, Millie Bright
Chelsea are top of the WSL table / Ryan Pierse/GettyImages
A battle in the top half of the table will be one to keep an eye on, as Dario Vidosic comes face-to-face with his biggest challenge yet.
Brighton will travel to west London to face an unbeaten Chelsea side at Kingsmeadow. The Seagulls currently occupy third position on the WSL table with five wins, two losses, and a draw.
Vidosic was turned on his head last time his team faced a top side, losing 5-0 in an emphatic battering by Arsenal. Brighton will have to be less stubborn in their game plan coming up against the Blues if they want to remain unpunished.
Chelsea should prevail once again, with Bompastor's Blues continuing to look more ruthless as each game comes.
Prediction: Chelsea 3-1 Brighton
Alessia Russo
Arsenal returned to winning ways under Renee Slegers / Justin Setterfield/GettyImages
Arsenal return to Emirates Stadium this weekend as they host Aston Villa on matchday nine. The Gunners will seek to make it eight games unbeaten under the leadership of interim head coach Renee Slegers.
This meeting brought all of the dramatics in the 2023/24 season, as the Reds came from behind to win 2-1 thanks to a last minute winner from Alessia Russo. The stakes may not be as high this year, but Arsenal should have the firepower to get the job done.
They will also have the home crowd advantage, and a shaky Villa outfit may struggle to play through the pressure. Robert de Pauw's start to life in Birmingham doesn't look great on the stat sheet, with the side having picked up just one win. The performances may tell a different story, as the Villans put in an impressive shift against both Chelsea and Man City.
Time will tell whether or not Arsenal can maintain their positive momentum under the management of Slegers, but the Gunners should be able to slide over the line on Sunday.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Aston Villa
Amber Tysiak, Seraina Piubel
A bottom of the table clash will take place this weekend / Jaimi Joy/GettyImages
A London derby awaits Chigwell Construction Stadium, as West Ham United host Crystal Palace in a bottom of the table clash.
Rehanne Skinner's West Ham side have had a rocky start to the 2024/25 campaign, picking up just one win in the 2024/25 campaign so far. The Irons narrowly avoided the relegation zone last season, and Sunday's game against the Eagles will be a must-win if they are to survive the drop again.
As for the visitors, Crystal Palace's last place standing in the WSL feels slightly unjust after some impressive performances. The Eagles have shown glimpses of positive football since their promotion in the top-flight, and a win against the Irons will be exactly what they need to kickstart their campaign.
The contest is certain to be a cagey affair, with both teams desperate for the three points that will catapult them out of the drop-zone. West Ham's fast-paced front line of Riko Ueki and Viviane Asseyi will certainly test the Eagles, but Palace's grit may just clinch them the win.
Prediction: West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace
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