Manchester City have discovered the fixtures for the 2024/25 Barclays Women’s Super League season, with an exciting opening assignment against Arsenal on Sunday, 22 September.
Gareth Taylor’s side will then welcome Brighton to the Joie Stadium a week later. Both matches are set for television coverage in the UK.
The clash with Arsenal is significant, pitting last season’s second and third-placed teams against each other in North London.
It will also be memorable for new striker Vivianne Miedema, who joined City from the Gunners this summer after seven years with the club as reported by Sportsbuddy.
Manchester City’s WSL Opening Day Form
The upcoming match against Arsenal is the first time these two teams have faced each other in a WSL season opener.
Wins
- Manchester City have won six of their previous 11 opening day matches, starting with a 1-0 victory over Notts County in 2016.
- Other notable wins include a 4-0 defeat of Yeovil in 2017/18, and three consecutive wins from 2019 to 2021 against Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Everton respectively.
- Last season, City claimed a 2-0 success at West Ham United with goals from Lauren Hemp and Jill Roord.
Draws and Defeats
- City have had three opening day draws, including two against Birmingham City and a goalless draw with Chelsea in 2018.
- The two defeats came against Liverpool in 2014 and in a 4-3 thriller against Aston Villa in 2022/23.
Goals and Clean Sheets
- In 11 opening day games, City have scored 18 times and been shut out only three times. They’ve scored at least once in their last five season openers.
- Defensively, City have conceded just six goals, managing eight clean sheets. Six of these clean sheets have come in the last seven opening day games.
- The biggest wins were 4-0 victories against Yeovil in 2017 and Everton in 2021.
Top Scorers
- Georgia Stanway is City’s leading scorer on opening days with goals against Yeovil in 2017 and a brace against Villa in 2020.
- Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw and Laura Coombs have each scored two opening day goals.
- Shaw, who surpassed Stanway’s tally of 67 goals last season to become City’s record goalscorer, could soon overtake Stanway’s opening day goal record as well.
