For the second group stage game in the FA WSL Continental Tyres cup, Arsenal Women will make the short trip to FA WSL2 side Millwall Lionesses tonight.
The opposition
The Lionesses are a team in form at the minute.
Coming off a strong Spring Series and having made shrewd signings, they are currently top of FA WSL2 and would be on course for promotion had the FA not changed the goalposts so that promotion now depends on a minimum budget and full-time football rather than on-pitch results.
Millwall Lionesses have a strong WSL 2 squad with strength in depth and play a 3-4-2-1 system, something they adopted at the start of the Spring Series back in February.
They use a classic back three, with two hard-working wing backs who deliver crosses. Everything is geared towards the three forwards with the two playmakers bringing the creativity alongside a powerful centre forward.
They have many ex-Arsenal players who were with the youth teams and reserves for many years with Sarah Quantrill, Leigh-Anne Robe, Billie Brooks, Leigh Nicol, Amber Gaylor, Charlotte Devlin and Rianna Dean all in their squad.
Dean left the club last Summer as Pedro Losa was not looking to give her a chance at first team level despite her excellent goalscoring record and it cost her the chance to play at the u19 Euros in Northern Ireland.
Next, injury news
Injury news
Kim Little and Vyan Sampson are still rehabbing with Vyan working on the pitch already.
Josephine Henning missed out on the Everton game altogether but there was no indication if she was dropped or injured.
Ismael Garcia, therefore, should have 19 first team players available.
Next, predicted XI
Predicted XI
It will very interesting to see if the interim manager carries on the policy initiated by Pedro Losa in the first Conti Cup game where a very strong squad was selected with the only youngster on the bench Taylor Hinds who made her first team debut thay night.
Of course, his selection was rewarded with a massive 7-0 win, and that’s certainly not a scoreline you can complain about.
To me, it was a Pyrrhic victory as nothing was learnt on the night.
I mean, we know that an Arsenal side full of international players can beat a WSL2 side easily. Luckily on the night, there were no injuries.
Considering Millwall are stronger than London Bees, I would expect some development team players to get a chance, but we will not see wholesale changes as hoped for in the previous game.
In a game like this one, it would make sense to blood three or four youngsters alongside players who have had less game time for the first team in recent matches.
So my predicted XI would be: Moorhouse; Scott, Quinn, Rose, Hinds; Evans, Janssen, Filbey, James; Mead, J Taylor with a selection of Thomas, Cooke, Kuyken, N’Gunga, Lumsden and M Taylor (if recovered form her injury on Sunday) on the bench alongside a few senior players.
A game like this one is the perfect opportunity to try new things and rest players as Arsenal will be at home to Reading on Sunday.
That game should be a decisive one for the Gunners in the Conti Cup group stage as the winner is likely to win the group.