This time last year, West Ham United Women went by a different name, were not a Women’s Super League (WSL) side, and possessed an unrecognisable team from the one that will line up at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
The east Londoners have come a long way in a short amount of time, but they face formidable foes in Manchester City Women this weekend. This season’s WSL runners-up lifted the FA Cup two years ago, and were crowned Continental Cup winners in February.
Nick Cushing’s players have a pedigree in these fixtures that West Ham have not had the chance to prove yet, but any team that gets this far in a competition has every chance of winning it.
Matt Beard’s side may be underdogs against City’s team full of internationally capped players - the likes of Karen Bardsley, Steph Houghton, Jill Scott and Nikita Parris - but anything can happen in a cup final.
What time does it start?
Manchester City Women vs West Ham Women kicks off at 5:30pm (GMT).
Where can I watch it?
The match will be shown live on BBC One, with coverage beginning at 5:10pm, and on the BBC’s Red Button from 5:15pm.
BT Sport subscribers can also watch on BT Sport 2 from 5pm.
Predicted line-ups
Manchester City: Bardsley; McManus, Houghton, Beattie, Stokes; Wullaert, Scott, Walsh, Weir; Parris, Stanway
West Ham: Moorhouse; Simon, Flaherty, Hendrix, Rafferty; Longhurst, Cho, Visalli; Leon, Ross, Lehmann
Head-to-head…
West Ham 1 (Ross) Manchester City 3 (Weir, Hemp, Parris), Women’s Super League, January 2019
Manchester City 7 (Weir, Parris x2, Stanway x2, Houghton, Wullaert) West Ham 1 (De Graaf), Women’s Super League, October 2018
Form guide…
Manchester City: DWWWWW
West Ham: LWDDLW
Odds…
Manchester City to win: 1/5
West Ham to win: 11/1
Draw: 5/1
(Above odds apply to 90 minutes)
Prediction… Manchester City 2-1 West Ham
It may help West Ham that this is not their first clash with Manchester City since the Hammers were demolished 7-1 by the WSL runners-up in October.
Between that rout and Saturday’s FA Cup final stands a more competitive fixture (albeit still a loss for West Ham), when the east London club were beaten 3-1 by City in January.
The winning team this weekend may be the one that best deals with the occasion, and with five trophies in the last five years, City are the safer bet to handle the atmosphere and lift the trophy.
West Ham have the ability to make it close, though, and should certainly not be counted out.
