Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Liverpool re-christen Prenton Park into the WSL when they host Arsenal for the early match.

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LIVERPOOL WOMEN VS. ARSENAL WOMEN

| Sunday, October 23|
WSL | Prenton Park
12:00PM BST/7AM EST

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Liverpool face another big test in their nascent return to the WSL this Sunday when they take on Arsenal Women. The Gunners have won four straight, including a 5-1 Champions League game against current holders Lyon in midweek. They’ll be coming into this one high on confidence.

Liverpool lost of their last two games, failing to score in either. Their serotonin-boosting victory against Chelsea to open the season was won through two penalties converted by Katie Stengel. This means that the Reds are still waiting to score from open play in the league.

It’s no wonder they’re having trouble, considering the main attacking force of Leanne Kiernan and Shanice van de Sanden remain out injured for the time being. No date has been given on Kiernan’s return, but van de Sanden is thought to only be a few weeks out.

Some good news on the injury front is that Matt Beard indicated that Ceri Holland would be available to start this match. The midfielder played every minute of Wales’ doomed World Cup qualifying over the October international break. The physical strain of the effort and the psychological strain of barely missing out on the World Cup on penalties were both behind the decision for Beard to start her on the bench against Tottenham.

The last time Liverpool faced Arsenal was in February of this year when they met in the FA Cup 5th round. It was a humbling experience after a season of WSL2 dominance when they fell 4-0 against the London side.

But no one expected Liverpool to beat the longstanding league titleholders Chelsea either. In order to win, though, they have to score, so someone will need to step up to lead the line and get some goals.

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Viewing Options

BBC 2 - UK, CBS Sports Network - US; The FA Player - International; Optus Sport - Australia; Sportnet World Now - Canada

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Predicted Liverpool Lineup:

Laws; Flaherty, Fahey, Matthews; Koivisto, Kearns, Holland, Hinds; Daniels, Lawley, Stengel

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What the Managers Had to Say

Matt Beard: “Arsenal have had a fantastic start to the season and obviously the performance against Lyon the other night as well pretty much shows the form they’re in. We know it’s going to be a tough game but these are the games we want to be playing in.”

Jonas Eidevall: “We’re not entitled to anything. You always have to put in the work and it starts with preparation. Now, we need to prepare for Liverpool. That’s gonna require a huge performance from us in order to get the result there.”

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Kickoff is set for 12PM BST/7AM EST tomorrow. Stick with The Liverpool Offside team to keep yourself up to date with team news and match buildup, live updates, and post-match reaction. If you want to join the discussion, sign up for an SB Nation account and have your say on the action as it happens.