Manchester United vs Arsenal LIVE: Women’s Super League result, final score as Lacasse scores late Gunners equaliser

The players have come out and are lining up in front of the small but sold-out stadium.

Last season Arsenal lost twice to Manchester United and they won three matches, losing two against the top four in the WSL.

The teams are getting ready to come out onto the pitch at the Leigh Sports Village for this Friday night WSL clash...

Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall brushed off suggestions that summer signing Alessia Russo will put herself under extra pressure when she faces former side Manchester United on Friday.

The 24-year-old England striker completed the free transfer in July before she left for the Women’s World Cup in Australia, though it was the conclusion of a courtship that extended at least as far back as the January transfer window.

Russo may be met with disappointment from the home support on her first trip back to Leigh Sports Village, but Eidevall insisted she is taking everything in stride.

Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall has signed a new “long-term” deal, the Women’s Super League side have announced.

The PA news agency understands the Swedish head coach, who was first appointed in June 2021, has agreed to a three-year contract with the Gunners.

Last season, the 40-year-old led Arsenal to the Continental Cup trophy and steered his side to the Champions League semi-finals.

He said: “I’m full of pride to have signed a new contract with this football club.

Here’s a reminder of how Arsenal got on in the first game of the season:

This was not the start to the new Women’s Super League season that any of the record-breaking crowd at the Emirates had been expecting. Arsenal, the big movers of the summer transfer window, are playing catch-up already after Miri Taylor silenced the record WSL crowd of 54,115 and earnt an organised and impressively resilient Liverpool a shock victory.

What was written as the grand unveiling of new striker Alessia Russo suddenly became an opening-day setback for Jonas Eidevall’s side when Taylor steered Liverpool ahead shortly after half time. The Gunners were expected to lead a stronger challenge to champions Chelsea in this season’s title race but England star Russo, after arriving from Manchester United on a free transfer, was the landmark signing who struggled on her debut. Collectively, Arsenal did not play with their usual fluency and Liverpool survived the late pressure to claim a famous win.

Manchester United XI: Earps, George, Le Tissier, Blundell, Toone, Zelem, Galton, Ladd, L. Garcia, Turner, Geyse

Arsenal XI: D’Angleo, Beattie, Catley, Little, Waltie, Maritz, Pelova, Russo, Blackstenius, Codina, Ilestedt

Here’s a look at how the defending Champions Chelsea got on in their opening match:

Champions Chelsea opened their Women’s Super League title defence with a 2-1 win over Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.

Australia striker Sam Kerr, who had been injured at the World Cup, was not in the squad - but Chelsea debutant Mia Fishel headed the home side into a 27th-minute lead.

England international Lauren James added another early in the second half from a cross by Guro Reiten, whose initial effort looked to have been cleared away from behind the line.

Here’s a look back at the summer transfer window:

As the women’s game in England continues to grow, so do transfer fees with one Women’s Super League manager describing this summer’s window as “wild” following plenty of big spending.

Fifa reported three million US dollars (£2.4m) was spent during the 2023 mid-year transfer window, which was double the amount (£983,000) that women’s clubs outlay across the globe in 2022.

While the spending in women’s football is far behind the sums chucked around in the men’s game, the past 12 months in particular has seen spending rise rapidly as more funds are used following a golden period for the Lionesses.

Jonas Eidevall’s Arsenal will be looking to show that their surprise defeat at home to Liverpool in front of a sold-out crowd during the WSL’s opening weekend was a blip.

Arsenal narrowly pipped Manchester City to third place last season, but just a few weeks after the World Cup final, their tired squad was unable to qualify for the Women’s Champions League group stage, and they were knocked out by Paris FC.

Manchester United finished second in the WSL last year, qualifying automatically for the group stages, and managed to win on the opening weekend.