On Saturday, title-chasing Arsenal Women will play host to Everton Ladies in their first Women's Super League outing of 2024.
The Gunners begin the new year in third position in the WSL table, while the Toffees are currently sitting in seventh place.
Match preview
Arsenal come into the new year with aspirations of ending their five-year wait for the WSL title, having seen Chelsea crowned champions in each of the last four seasons.
Unfortunately for the Gunners, their title tilt received a setback in their final outing of 2023 when they fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat to North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
The result ended Arsenal's eight-game winless league run, while it also ensured that they went into the winter break in third place and three points adrift of leaders, Chelsea.
Despite experiencing disappointing in the North London derby, Arsenal will head into Saturday's fixture in a positive mood after cruising to a 5-1 FA Cup victory over second-tier Watford thanks to goals from Alessia Russo, Lia Walti, Stina Blackstenius, Amanda Ilestedt and Frida Maanum.
The Gunners will be confident of recording another victory this weekend, having won each of their previous 18 head-to-head meetings with Everton.
Everton are currently four points adrift of the top half of the table after winning three, drawing two and losing five of their 10 matches.
After finishing 2023 with a heavy 4-1 defeat against Manchester City, the Toffees handed out their own thrashing to Aston Villa in last weekend's FA Cup fourth-round clash.
Karoline Olesen opened the scoring against the Villans, before Katja Snoeijs netted a brace to round off a comfortable 3-0 victory.
As a result of their FA Cup success, Everton have now won each of their last three competitive away matches, including their last two WSL road trips against Aston Villa and West Ham United.
While they have also avoided defeat in their previous four away league games, Brian Sorensen's side will be fully aware that their unbeaten away run will come under threat by the title-chasing Gunners.
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Team News
The hosts will be without the injured quartet of Leah Williamson, Laura Wienroither, Teyah Goldie and Kim Little.
After joining from North Carolina Courage, Emily Fox made her Arsenal debut in the FA Cup win over Watford, and she is now set to make her first appearance in the WSL.
Viviane Miedema could make her first WSL start since returning from an anterior cruciate ligament injury after playing over an hour against Watford.
As for the visitors, they are unable to call upon the services of Emily Ramsey, Justine Vanhaevermaet and Karen Holmgaard.
Defender Nathalie Bjorn recently joined WSL champions Chelsea, while Nicoline Sorensen announced her retirement from football prior to the international break.
Rikke Madsen is likely to be among the substitutes following her arrival from North Carolina Courage earlier this month, but her fellow January addition Kathrine Kuhl is ineligible to face her parent club after recently signing on loan from Arsenal until the end of the season.
Arsenal Women possible starting lineup:
Zinsberger; Fox, Ilestedt, Wubben-Moy, McCabe; Pelova, Walti; Mead, Miedema, Foord; Russo.
Everton Ladies possible starting lineup:
Brosnan; Stenevik, Finnigan, Galli; Olesen, Wheeler, Bennison, S. Holmgaard; Snoeijs; Payne, Bissell
We say: Arsenal Women 3-1 Everton Ladies
Although Everton have performed well in recent away games, we think that their four-game unbeaten away run will come to an end against an Arsenal side that has won each of their last four matches.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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