Manchester City v Arsenal: Women’s Super League – live

Hello and welcome to live, minute-by-minute coverage of the WSL match between Manchester City and Arsenal at th- hang on, is that a flipping pachyderm over there? The elephant in the room, or at least in the build-up to today’s game, is the extent to which City’s women’s team will be indirectly affected by you know what.

There’s no direct link, nor any suggestion that City will be investigated by the WSL. City’s manager Andree Jeglertz says it’s “business as usual”, but morale is morale and image is image. The ferocity of the external condemnation will surely have some impact. In the short-term that impact could be positive, strengthening the women’s team determination to retain their title.

It’s impossible to speak with authority on the subject, so let’s move on to a different subject: the actual football. (What do you mean we can’t speak with authority on that either?) This is a pretty big game between last season’s top two; and for Arsenal, it has an uncomfortable amount riding on it.

City, the reigning champions, have four wins from four games and are already seven points clear of Arsenal, who were eighth in the table at the start of play. They’ve had a rough start to the season, not helped by a sadistic fixture computer that served up Chelsea and both Manchester clubs in the first five games.

Defeat at the Etihad would leave Arsenal 10 points behind City and with a mountain to climb. A mountain even bigger than that elephant over there.

Kick off 4.30pm.