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  • Updates from the 6.45pm BST kick-off at Ashton Gate
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LIVE Updated 
Sun 28 Apr 2024 13.57 EDTFirst published on Sun 28 Apr 2024 12.45 EDT
Manchester City's Yui Hasegawa (left) and Bristol City's Amalie Thestrup battle for the ball.
Manchester City's Yui Hasegawa (left) and Bristol City's Amalie Thestrup battle for the ball. Photograph: John Walton/PA
Manchester City's Yui Hasegawa (left) and Bristol City's Amalie Thestrup battle for the ball. Photograph: John Walton/PA

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Key events

12 min: Fowler makes a run down the right before squaring the ball across goal. Kelly goes for goal but her effort flies wide.

9 min: Bristol go on the attack now as Napier makes a run towards the box, Park gets a tackle in but the ball falls to the feet of Rodgers who goes for goal. Greenwood can make the block and clearance, but it hits the referee and play is briefly stopped for a drop ball.

7 min: Another chance for Manchester City as Fowler receives the ball on the right from Kelly. She sends a low driven cross into the box and it takes a few deflections before Yanez collects.

5 min: Chance for Manchester City as Greenwood receives the ball in defence and sends it over too Coombs, who sets up Hemp on the edge of the box. The winger goes for goal but her effort flies well wide.

3 min: Kennedy sends a long pass over to Hemp on the left, who sets the ball inside to Coombs. The midfielder looks to cross it into the box towards Fowler’s direction, but Bristol manage to clear the danger.

1 min: Bristol come flying out of the blocks as Thestrup looks to win a corner within the opening minute, but Manchester City are awarded a goal kick instead.

Just over five minutes to go until kick-off at Ashton Gate. Don’t forget you can email in throughout the match – I’ll be with you all evening!

Elsewhere in the WSL today

  • Everton 1-1 Arsenal

  • Tottenham 1-1 Brighton

  • Aston Villa 1-1 West Ham

  • Leicester 0-1 Man Utd

Here’s how the table looks ahead of today’s match…

Pos Team P GD Pts
1 Man City Women 19 42 49
2 Chelsea Women 18 39 46
3 Arsenal Women 20 27 44
4 Man Utd Women 20 17 35
5 Liverpool FC Women 19 2 32
6 Tottenham Hotspur Women 19 -6 27
7 Aston Villa Women 20 -16 21
8 Brighton & Hove Albion Women 20 -16 19
9 Everton Women 20 -17 19
10 Leicester Women 20 -15 17
11 West Ham Women 20 -23 14
12 Bristol City Women 19 -34 6

Bristol City will be relegated to the Championship if they fail to beat Manchester City this evening.

Discussing her team’s relegation battle ahead of today’s match, Bristol manager Lauren Smith said: “They’re fighting for their lives because they want to win the league, we’re fighting for ours because we want to stay in the league. The match-up is very different. We will do whatever we can to stay in the game and give ourselves a shout but obviously Man City have been playing very well and I think last week’s warning signs against West Ham were very clear. We don’t want to be in that situation after three minutes.”

Manchester City could go six points clear at the top of the WSL table today. Gareth Taylor’s side can pile the pressure on Chelsea with a win at Ashton Gate. Chelsea have missed the last two WSL gameweeks while competing in the Champions League, they next play on Wednesday against Liverpool.

Manchester City will be without leading goalscorer Khadija Shaw today. The striker, who currently leads the WSL Golden Boot race, suffered a foot injury during City’s 5-0 win over West Ham last weekend. Discussing Shaw’s injury during his pre-match press conference, Gareth Taylor said: “We have an issue with Bunny, she’s sustained a foot injury which will keep her out of the game for certain and potentially longer. It’s such a difficult one for Bunny because she’s had an incredible season. We had a feeling it might be an issue when she came off the pitch [against West Ham] even though it was non contact. She’ll be well looked after by the medical team.”

Lauren Hemp will likely step into the No9 position, with Chloe Kelly moving onto the wing.

Team news

Bristol City starting XI: Shae Yanez; Jazz Bull, Brooke Aspin, Megan Connolly, Naomi Layzell, Ffion Morgan; Emily Syme, Amy Rodgers, Rachel Furness, Jamie-Lee Napier; Amalie Thestrup. Substitutes: Fran Bentley, Shania Hayles, Ella Powell, Sille Struck, Abi Harrison, Mari Ward, Sarah Stratigakis, Lisa Evans, Carrie Jones.

Your starting XI for this evening, as drawn by Flax Bourton Primary! 🎨 pic.twitter.com/KLhwkks3Ss

— Bristol City Women (@bristolcitywfc) April 28, 2024

Manchester City XI: Khiara Keating; Leila Ouahabi, Laia Aleixandri, Alex Greenwood, Alanna Kennedy; Laura Coombs, Yui Hasegawa, Jess Park; Mary Fowler, Chloe Kelly, Lauren Hemp. Substitutes: Katie Startup, Steph Houghton, Filippa Angeldahl, Esme Morgan, Poppy Pritchard, Kerstin Casparij, Laura Blindkilde Brown, Ruby Mace.

Your team to face Bristol City! 🙌

XI | Keating, Aleixandri, Greenwood (C), Coombs, Fowler, Kelly, Hemp, Ouahabi, Park, Hasegawa, Kennedy

SUBS | Startup, Stokes, Houghton, Angeldahl, Morgan, Pritchard, Casparij, Blindkilde Brown, Mace #ManCity | @etihad pic.twitter.com/nGo4tXLu5M

— Man City Women (@ManCityWomen) April 28, 2024
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Preamble

Good afternoon and welcome to coverage of today’s WSL match between Bristol City and Manchester City. This could be a defining fixture at both the top and bottom of the table with the hosts looking to avoid relegation and the visitors pushing for the title.

If Bristol lose today, they will be relegated to the Championship with two games remaining. Meanwhile, if Manchester City win they will extend their lead at the top of the WSL table, piling the pressure on Chelsea who have two games in hand.

However, it will not be easy for Gareth Taylor’s side - especially without top goalscorer Khadija Shaw, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a foot injury.

Kick off is at 6:45pm GMT – don’t miss it!

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