Arsenal Women host Manchester United this Saturday looking for their first home win of the Women's Super League season. The Gunners sit fifth in the table with four points from their opening two matches, a win and a draw. They have scored just one goal in 180 minutes of league play, which came from Lisa Baum in the 87th minute of their opening match.

Head coach Renée Slegers reflected on the slow start at the Emirates. "Arsenal open their home game of the season to newly promoted Crystal Palace that ended in a 0-0 draw between the two London sides," she said. That stalemate followed a 1-0 away victory at Brighton, secured by a debut goal from 19-year-old winger Lisa Baum.

Team news and injuries

Arsenal will be without several key players for the visit of United. Goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar, defender Katie Reid and forward Michelle Aygemang are all ruled out through injury. Summer signings Selina Cerci and Géraldine Reuteler are yet to make their competitive debuts, while defender Élisa de Almeida is also sidelined.

Manchester United arrive in North London in even more difficult circumstances. Under new manager Eva Olid, who replaced Marc Skinner in the summer, they have lost their first two league games. They were beaten by London City Lionesses and Chelsea, scoring just once through Simi Awujo's 100th-minute consolation. Olid is still searching for her first win in charge, a run that includes pre-season matches.

United's injury list is significant. Defender Jayde Riviere is out with no return date, winger Emma Watson is expected back in a few weeks, and forward Fridolino Rolfö is unavailable due to pregnancy.

Key players and lineups

All eyes will be on Arsenal's teenage talent Lisa Baum. The German winger, a new signing, scored the club's only league goal so far in her debut against Brighton. The club believes she is a major prospect. One report described her as "a superstar talent waiting to happen" who "is being allowed the chance to blossom and bloom in the Arsenal starting XI at just 19-years old."

The likely Arsenal lineup features Borbe in goal, with a back four of Fox, Williamson, Catley and Batlle. Cooney-Cross and Little could anchor midfield, supporting an attacking trio of Mariona, Baum and Smith, with Alessia Russo leading the line.

For United, Tullis-Joyce is set to start in goal behind a defence of Lundkvist, Le Tissier, Janssen and Sandberg. Miyazawa, Park and Toone may operate in midfield behind forwards Bah and Terland, with summer signing Andrea Medina, who joined from Atletico Madrid, also in contention.

The context and what's next

This fixture has produced two consecutive 0-0 draws in the league, adding another layer of intrigue. Arsenal's recent form across all competitions is strong, with three wins and a draw in their last four outings, leaving them unbeaten. They are just two points behind leaders Manchester City, who have six points.

For United, rooted in 14th place with zero points, this trip to the Emirates represents a daunting challenge to stop the slide. The match kicks off at 17:30 GMT on Saturday, 19 September, at the Emirates Stadium and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Football in the UK. Highlights will be available after the final whistle. Fans can view the full fixtures schedule and the current standings on our site.

First reported at vavel.com