Derby weekend in the Barclays WSL starts today. Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal meet in the North London derby at 12.45pm, before Brighton & Hove Albion welcome West Ham United to the American Express Stadium at 5.15pm. Tomorrow brings the Manchester derby and the return of the Barclays WSL2.
The Fantasy deadline is 12.45pm, the same time as kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, so make your final changes before the North London derby starts. Matchday Live is open from 11.15am with team news, Fantasy tips and every goal from today's games.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal
Barclays WSL | 12.45pm, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
The North London derby is one of the most anticipated fixtures of the weekend, and the two sides arrive in very different shape at either end of the pitch.
Martin Ho's Spurs are joint-second for goals scored this season with 18, but they have conceded six in each of their last two league games. Each of their last four league defeats has come with at least five goals conceded, the longest run of its kind by any team in the Barclays WSL.
One of those defeats came against Arsenal, when the sides last met in March. The Gunners won 5-2 at the Emirates Stadium, with Alessia Russo scoring a hat-trick inside the first 27 minutes.
Arsenal have won 10 of their Barclays WSL meetings with Spurs, who have beaten their rivals only once, in December 2023. But Renée Slegers' side have had a difficult start, with one win and just five goals from their opening six games. It's their second-worst start to a Barclays WSL season, behind 2014, when they had four points at this stage.
With bragging rights on the line and both sides chasing their own targets for the season, neither will want to lose this one.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs West Ham United
Barclays WSL | 5.15pm, American Express Stadium
Brighton and West Ham both start the day in the bottom half, and both will see this as a chance to climb the table.
Arturo Ruiz's Brighton are 12th after last weekend's defeat to Manchester City, a game they almost turned around. They were three goals down inside 17 minutes, but goals from the in-form Olivia Garcia and defender Caitlin Hayes took them close to a comeback.
A quicker start would help, though West Ham haven't been fast starters this season. Rita Guarino's side have the joint-second lowest goal tally in the league, with Kelly Gago (3) and Viviane Asseyi (2) the only Hammers to score. Gago got the only goal in last weekend's 1-0 win over Crystal Palace, and another win would give West Ham back-to-back league wins for the first time this season.
These sides have traded wins in recent meetings, and the last one was dramatic: West Ham came from 2-0 down to win 3-2, scoring all three of their goals after the 83rd minute.
A win for either side would bring a confidence boost and some breathing space from the bottom two.
Follow every goal from both games on Matchday Live, and come back tomorrow morning for our Sunday preview, with the Manchester derby and the return of the Barclays WSL2.
