A dramatic final day of WSL action awaits, as Manchester City and Chelsea battle it out for the trophy. Meanwhile, PSG and Lyon will face off for the Division 1 Féminine trophy, and Nordsjaelland are one step away from the Danish Cup final.
Read our preview of all of the Matildas Abroad action below.
England
All of the final day WSL fixtures will occur at the same time on Sunday, 12am AEST.
Chelsea and Manchester City are locked at the top of the table heading into the final day, on 52 points each. Goal difference separates them – Chelsea has a lead of two and also has the lead in goals scored. This means that, if both teams win, City would have to win by a margin of three or more to overtake Chelsea at the top.
Manchester United host Chelsea at Old Trafford in the first of these crucial fixtures. A win for the FA Cup champions United could see them finish fourth – while it means nothing in terms of European qualification, it would be an important morale boost heading into next season. It is perhaps a dilemma for United fans though, given that a result could see rivals City lift the trophy. Sam Kerr will be watching on the sidelines for Chelsea as she continues her ACL recovery.
Aston Villa are the other team who will have an important say in the title, hosting Manchester City at Villa Park. Villa are guaranteed to finish seventh regardless of the result. City will be firstly hoping to secure the win, and secondly by as large a margin as possible, knowing full well what is required for them to top the league for the first time since 2016.
Mary Fowler has been starting regularly for City and will be part of a front line in need of as many goals as possible. Alanna Kennedy will be available to lend her services if required.
In the other fixtures on the final day, Tottenham Hotspur will host West Ham after what has been a reasonably successful season for Spurs. While they will be hurting after their FA Cup final defeat, they’ve made history with their cup run and have been in no danger of relegation this season. Their opponents, West Ham, will be pleased to have escaped that fate but will be expecting a better season to come in 2024/25.
Charli Grant will be available, likely off the bench, for Spurs. Mackenzie Arnold is likely to start in goals for the Hammers, while Katrina Gorry remains unavailable with injury.
Liverpool travel to Leicester City’s King Power Stadium in the hopes of securing fourth place in the league, their best finish since winning the title in 2014. The Foxes have had a disappointing season after what was a promising start and will hope to finish well to kickstart themselves into 2024/25. Teagan Micah will be available in goals for Liverpool while Courtney Nevin and Remy Siemsen will be available for Leicester.
Relegated Bristol City host Everton in their final game before dropping to the second tier. Bristol’s crowds have been among the highest in the league but it has not been matched by on-field results, only picking up a solitary win and three draws throughout the season. They’ll be hoping for a positive result to reward the fans for their support. A win for Everton will see them secure eighth place. Clare Wheeler will be available to start in midfield for the Toffees.
Third-place Arsenal takes on Brighton & Hove Albion to finish the season. It has been a season of change for the Gunners and they will hope to send off club legend, Dutch international Vivianne Miedema, with a win. Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley and Kyra Cooney-Cross will be available for Arsenal. It is unclear if Charlie Rule will be available for Brighton.
You can catch all of the WSL action on Optus Sport.
France
An Australian is guaranteed to lift a trophy this weekend, as Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain battle it out on Saturday, 5am AEST, in a one-off playoff match to determine the Division 1 Féminine champions.
16-time champions Lyon will go into the match as favourites. They were undefeated in the league and are preparing to contest the UEFA Women’s Champions League final next week. In the five times that the teams have met this season – including twice in the UWCL, and once in the Champion’s Trophy – Lyon has won four, with the other being a draw.
However, in a one-off fixture, PSG have plenty of quality to get the job done. Marie-Antoinette Katoto is one of France’s best and is incredibly difficult to keep at bay. Tabitha Chawinga has also been in goalscoring form as of late.
Tasked as one of the back four aiming to keep a clean sheet will likely be Ellie Carpenter at right-back. Clare Hunt will be available for PSG – she was an unused substitute last week in the semi-final, only her second game since returning from injury – and will likely be called upon from the bench if required.
The losers of the semi-final, Paris FC and Reims, will face off on Saturday, 2am AEST to determine third place. Paris will be favourites after pushing PSG all the way to penalties last week but Reims have shown throughout the season they can pack a punch when called upon. Sarah Hunter has not featured in a Paris FC matchday squad for several months.
Sweden
BK Häcken travels to AIK on Saturday, 11pm AEST. Häcken find themselves third on the ladder after six games and will be hoping for three points to keep them in touch with the best teams in these early stages of the season. Aivi Luik will be unavailable through injury.
Kristianstads DFF take on Växjö DFF on Tuesday, 3am AEST. Kristianstads sit in fourth place after a good start to the season but will face stern opposition in fellow midtable team Växjö. Clare Polkinghorne is expected to start while Amy Sayer remains on the sidelines through injury.
United States
San Diego Wave travels to take on Bay FC on Saturday, 12.30pm AEST. Three points for Casey Stoney’s side could see them finish the round as high as sixth, after what has been a rocky start to the season by the Wave’s standards. Emily van Egmond and Kaitlyn Torpey will be available for San Diego.
You can catch the NWSL on Optus Sport.
Denmark
FC Nordsjælland takes on Naestved BK in the second-leg of the Danish Cup semi-final on Saturday, 10pm AEST. Nordsjaelland have a seven-goal lead from the first leg and will likely rotate their team as a result. An aggregate victory will see them play in the Danish Cup final at the end of the season. Winonah Heatley will be available for her side.