Manchester will be the focus for Women's Super League fans on Sunday.
The WSL is back from its winter break, and the headline fixture sees Manchester City welcome Manchester United to the Etihad Stadium.
Both sides are chasing Chelsea, who are still unbeaten at the top of the table, so there is more than just bragging rights on the line.
This will be the 10th Manchester derby in the WSL with Man City leading the head-to-head by five wins to one.
These rivals are forces to be reckoned with, though. Gareth Taylor and Marc Skinner have built teams that have challenged for the WSL title in recent years, though both teams have fallen short against the all-conquering Chelsea.
As it stands, City are second in the table with 22 points, trailing Chelsea by six. United are in fourth spot, just a point behind their neighbours and level with Arsenal, who have a better goal difference.
Here, we preview an enthralling Manchester derby.
Can City cope with the injuries?
The winter break could not have come at a better time for Taylor's City, who were ravaged by injury in their last game in December.
Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood have suffered long-term injuries, and Khadija "Bunny" Shaw also experienced issues before the break.
Man City have lost two of their last three WSL games (W1) after only dropping points in two of their previous 23 league matches (W21 D1 L1). They suffered a shock 2-1 loss to Everton in their last game before the break.
They also lost 3-0 to Barcelona in the Champions League, losing a game for the first time in the group stages this season, affecting their seeding for the knockout rounds when they begin in March.
The loss of Hemp may have been the biggest blow.
She is one of two players in the league, along with Alessia Russo, to have recorded seven goal contributions. Hemp has provided five assists and scored twice. Hemp also leads the WSL for expected assists (3.56) and chances created (26).
The injury setbacks have also hinted at City's over-reliance on Shaw. Her absence proved costly at the end of last season, and it was arguably decisive in them failing to get across the line in the title race.
Shaw is the WSL's leading scorer, with nine goals. She is also the leader for goal contributions (10), with no other player having played a direct role in more than seven goals, but they need other players to step up.
City will be buoyed by Vivianne Miedema's return to action last weekend in their 3-0 FA Cup victory over Ipswich Town. Miedema, making her first appearance since October after recovering from a knee injury, scored the third goal.
Only time will tell if these injuries will be detrimental to their title chances, but they must beat United on Sunday to try and keep Chelsea within their reach. Historically, City have had the edge in this tie, but the two sides have possibly never been closer.
Is this town big enough for two?
Manchester United have never won an away WSL game against City (D1 L4), with their only victory over the Citizens coming by a 2-1 scoreline in May 2023 at home.
City have also won their first WSL game in each of the last five calendar years by an aggregate score of 23-2, so the odds are against United.
Taylor's team are the league's second-highest scorers, with 21 goals, though that is 10 fewer than league-leading Chelsea (31). City also rank second for expected goals (21.89 - behind Chelsea's 22.98), shots (168) and shots on target (64). City's shot conversion rate (12.5%) ranks fifth in the division.
But United are a solid unit. No team has conceded as few goals as United in the WSL this season (three). Across the first 10 games of a WSL campaign, only eventual champions Man City (two) in 2016 have conceded fewer goals in the history of the competition.
That is despite United conceding chances worth 11.06 xG against, which is a higher figure than Arsenal (5.85), Man City (7.98) and Chelsea (8.54).
United have kept the joint-most clean sheets (seven), along with Arsenal, so City will need to ensure their attackers that are fit, are fully firing.
The Citizens have had more big chances (32) than United (25), but the Red Devils boast a better big chance conversion rate (40% to City's 37.5%).
Indeed, only Arsenal (27) have missed more big chances than City (20) in the WSL this term. The Gunners have also faced fewer shots on target than Man City (30) this season.
A tale of two tacticians?
There are some significant milestones on the line for City boss Taylor.
Should City win, he will move into place as the manager with the second most wins in WSL history, on 73, ahead of Nick Cushing (72) and behind only Emma Hayes (151).
This game will also mark Taylor's 99th WSL match in charge of Man City. Not including the Spring Series, Taylor will become just the third WSL manager to hit 100 games in charge of one club, after Kelly Chambers (134 with Reading) and Emma Hayes (204 with Chelsea).
Taylor is desperate to lift City's first trophy since they won their first and only WSL title in 2016. He has been a runner-up twice in the past four seasons - in 2020-21 and 2023-24 - while City finished third in 2021-22.
He has a fine record against United, having won three of his six WSL derbies, including each of the last two. He will certainly think he has Skinner's card marked.
Skinner, on the other hand, has only one league win against Taylor and that came in 2023, when United beat City 2-1. Indeed, from 11 meetings with Man City in the WSL as a manager, Skinner – who was previously at Birmingham City – has claimed just two victories, losing six times.
United lost the WSL's best goalkeeper last summer, as Mary Earps departed for Paris Saint-Germain. However, Skinner had a plan…
Who are United's breakout performers?
United have found another superstar between the sticks in Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who has made 30 saves in her 10 WSL matches. Her 90.91 save percentage is the best of any goalkeeper in the division this season.
She also tops the WSL for save percentage from shots inside the box (88%) and is joint-top for save percentage from shots outside the box (100%).
The American's 6.06 goals prevented figure is the best in the WSL by far, with Arsenal's Daphne van Domselaar (3.08) next. Tullis-Joyce has kept seven clean sheets, another league-high.
Ahead of her is a mean defence, marshalled by Maya Le Tissier and Millie Turner.
No defenders in the league have featured in more clean sheets this season than Turner and Le Tissier (seven). The latter has also shone for England, with Euro 2025 just around the corner.
Le Tissier leads United's defenders for clearances (47), headed clearances (21), interceptions (15), tackles (24), successful duels (49), aerial duels (34, level with Turner), aerial duels won (22), passes (636) and successful passes (495).
Turner boasts the best tackle success rate (84.62%) of any United defender this season, completing 11 of her 13 attempted tackles. In addition, Dominique Janssen – who joined in the summer – has helped to create a red wall.
It is no coincidence at all that United find themselves in the mix at the top, and they have only been beaten this season by league leaders Chelsea. But they also have flair going forward.
Earlier this month, United triggered a one-year extension clause in Grace Clinton's contract. Skinner has the chance to build this United side around one of the most exciting talents the league has to offer.
Clinton has scored four goals from just 1.98 xG, displaying a high calibre of finishing.
She has created 13 chances, more than any other United player this term in the WSL, while Geyse (47) is the only one of her team-mates to attempt more dribbles than Clinton (40).
Clinton (37) is also second only to Elisabeth Terland (38) for open-play shot-ending sequence involvements among United players this term in the WSL.
But the midfielder is no stranger to an all-action display. She has contested (173) and won (80) more duels than any other player in the WSL this season.
With one eye on the summer, Clinton will want to ensure she shines in the biggest games and prove she can be a starter for Sarina Wiegman at Euro 2025. In a match that could be too close to call, Clinton could be the difference maker and paint the town red.
What does the Opta supercomputer say?
With all that said, how does the supercomputer call this one?
City have taken 18 points from a possible 27 in the WSL against United, scoring 18 goals in those matches and conceding just nine in return, so it is perhaps not surprising to see that our model makes them the big favourites, with a 60.8% win probability.
Despite United's good form coming into this tie, our model gives them only an 18.6% chance of victory.
The threat of the draw, meanwhile, is 20.6%.
