As Manchester City prepare to head to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday to open their 2024/25 Barclays Women’s Super League campaign, Gareth Taylor reflected on his side’s mid-week victory over Paris FC and issued advice to Vivianne Miedema as she returns to Arsenal for the first time.
What did Gareth Taylor say?
Like Arsenal, Manchester City find themselves already engaged in must-win qualifiers for a berth in the 2024/25 UEFA Women’s Champions League. Both teams were in action on Wednesday, with Arsenal travelling to BK Häcken while Manchester City headed to the French capital to face Paris FC.
Gareth Taylor’s Cityzens recorded a five-goal demolition job of their hosts, and the 51-year-old was full of praise for his side’s performance. He insisted that “to start in that manner was really impressive from the girls,” highlighting a “fantastic result” that puts them in good stead for the home leg on Thursday, 26 September.
Arsenal’s trip to Sweden wasn’t quite as successful, with Jonas Eidevall’s Gunners slipping to a 1-0 defeat at the Bravida Arena. Despite the added importance of next week’s second leg for the Londoners, Taylor doesn’t expect his managerial counterpart’s approach to Sunday’s WSL clash to change.
“We’ll both be preparing as we were regardless of what happened on Wednesday night,” he suggested.
“I don’t see any kind of change in the purpose of what both teams want to do on Sunday.”
Embed from Getty ImagesSunday’s clash in N5 will be rife with emotions. Vivianne Miedema will make her return to North London after her seven-year stint in the capital came to a close at the end of last season, while Manchester City will come face-to-face with the side that essentially ended their hopes of claiming the WSL title last season.
Reflecting on that match, which saw Stina Blackstenius net a late brace to leave City empty-handed, Taylor commented: “We were certainly in control of that game, but we sat off a little bit too deep for my liking.”
“What we got from last season was an opportunity to get into the Champions League,” he said, expressing that he is “really looking forward” to facing the Gunners again on Sunday.
Miedema will be donning a blue shirt this time around, and after scoring on her competitive debut in mid-week, Taylor told reporters that he is “really happy with the player, regardless of her scoring or not.”
“She brings a lot to the team, and has great players around her. We just need to make sure we give her the time to settle into the squad, having been at another club for a long period.”
Asked for any advice he’s offered the Dutch international, Taylor quipped: “Keep it simple. It’s the easiest thing to say. I never played for a club as long as Viv did, but I knew how I felt when I went back to a club – particularly one I had a strong affection for.”
“Viv isn’t unique in that sense – there’s many players that go on to visit their old clubs.”
