PREVIEW: High-flying London City Lionesses look to build gap over Arsenal

Arsenal will look to build on an encouraging week when they welcome third-placed London City Lionesses to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, with six points separating the two sides in the Women’s Super League.

Renée Slegers’ side return to domestic action following Thursday’s 1-1 draw away to Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League, a result that extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to six matches.

Frida Maanum gave Arsenal a first-half lead at the Camp Nou before Caroline Graham Hansen equalised shortly before the hour mark. Despite spending long periods under pressure, the Gunners showed defensive resilience to secure a point against the European champions.

That performance followed a 2-1 victory away to Liverpool last weekend, with Alessia Russo scoring twice to give Arsenal a much-needed league win after an inconsistent start to the campaign.

The England international has now scored in three consecutive WSL appearances and has been responsible for Arsenal’s last seven goals in all competitions, underlining her importance to a side that has often struggled to turn promising performances into victories.

However, their home form remains a concern. Arsenal have drawn all four of their league matches at the Emirates this season, leaving them sixth in the table with 13 points from nine games.

London City Lionesses, meanwhile, arrive in north London having established themselves as serious contenders for European qualification. Eder Maestre’s side have won six of their opening nine league fixtures and currently occupy third place, six points ahead of Sunday’s opponents.

The visitors responded to their recent defeat against Manchester City with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Birmingham City last weekend. Poppy Pattinson and Delphine Cascarino gave London City a two-goal advantage before Grace Geyoro and Kadidiatou Diani added further goals after the break.

Their attacking options could present a significant challenge for Arsenal, particularly with the pace and directness of Cascarino and Diani offering opportunities to exploit space behind the hosts’ defence.

London City also possess considerable experience in midfield, with Geyoro and former Arsenal midfielder Daniëlle van de Donk providing the technical quality to compete against more established WSL opponents.

For Arsenal, much could depend on whether they can impose themselves in possession while maintaining the defensive organisation that helped them withstand Barcelona’s sustained pressure on Thursday.

Slegers must also manage a relatively short turnaround between the two fixtures, although the opportunity to close the gap on a direct rival adds further importance to Sunday’s encounter.

Arsenal won both league meetings between the sides last season, but London City’s impressive start to the current campaign suggests they will provide a considerably different challenge this time around.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 4:30pm (BST) on Sunday 15 November at the Emirates Stadium.