Matildas Abroad Preview: Nail-biting WSL title race comes to an end; season wraps up in France

The final match day of the season will decide if Chelsea lifts the WSL title; while the season comes to a close in France with Lyon claiming their 16th Divison 1 title last weekend. 

Find out how to catch our Matildas Abroad in action in our preview. 

Matildas v France tickets banner

England

Kicking off in England, Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley's Arsenal will be aiming to hold on to their place in third, and qualify for European football next season, when they host Emily Gielnik's Aston Villa.

Caitlin Foord of Arsenal celebrates after scoring the team's third goal during the FA Women's Continental Tyres League Cup Quarter Finals match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at Meadow Park on January 26, 2023 in Borehamwood, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Caitlin Foord of Arsenal celebrates after scoring the team's third goal during the FA Women's Continental Tyres League Cup Quarter Finals match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at Meadow Park on January 26, 2023 in Borehamwood, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

The Gunners remain in third place after falling 2-0 to Chelsea last weekend and have just three points between them and fourth-placed Manchester City. 

This game will kick off on Saturday night at 11:00 pm AEST.   

Meanwhile, Lydia Williams' Brighton & Hove Albion will host Courtney Nevin and Remy Siemsen's Leicester City with the sides occupying 10th and 11th, respectively. 

The Foxes are still at risk of relegation heading into the final game of the season, currently sitting two points clear of the bottom of the table.

This game will kick off on Saturday night at 11:00 pm AEST.   

Over in Manchester, Mary Fowler, Hayley Raso and Alanna Kennedy's Manchester City will be aiming to bounce back from their defeat in the Manchester derby when they host Clare Wheeler's Everton. 

City will be without their first-choice keeper in Ellie Roebuck after her red card in last weekend's game, and have backup keeper Sandy MacIver out through injury, with the job now falling to 18-year-old Khiara Keating.

Hayley Raso (13 Manchester City) on the ball during the Barclays Womens Super League match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Prenton Park in Liverpool, England (Natalie Mincher/SPP)
Hayley Raso on the ball during the Barclays Womens Super League match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Prenton Park in Liverpool, England (Photo: Natalie Mincher/SPP)

The last meeting between the two sides ended in a 2-1 victory to City. This game will kick off on Saturday night at 11:00 pm AEST.   

Sam Kerr's Chelsea will be looking to keep their spot at the top of the table and lift their fourth consecutive WSL title when they take on last-placed Reading FC. 

The two sides are on opposite ends of the ladder, with Reading fighting to stay in the top flight, while Emma Hayes' side is looking to make history and claim the title once again. 

am Kerr of Chelsea in action during the FA Women's Super League match between Chelsea and Reading at Kingsmeadow on December 11, 2022 in Kingston upon Thames, England. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Sam Kerr of Chelsea in action during the FA Women's Super League match between Chelsea and Reading at Kingsmeadow on December 11, 2022 in Kingston upon Thames, England. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

The last meeting between the two sides ended in a 3-2 victory to Chelsea. This game will kick off on Saturday night at 11:00 pm AEST.   

Lastly, Mackenzie Arnold's West Ham United will host Kyah Simon's Tottenham Hotspur with the sides currently separated by 3 points, with the Hammers sitting in 8th and Spurs in 9th. 

Both sides will be looking to finish their season on a high. This game will kick off on Saturday night at 11:00 pm AEST. 

France

Over in France, Ellie Carpenter's Lyon will lift their 16th Divison 1 title after a late win over PSG last weekend, ending their season with a clash against Reims.

Lyon will have a chance to lift the title in front of their home fans and end their season on a high. This game will kick off on Sunday morning at 1:30 am AEST.  

Mat_oly_qualifier

USA

Moving over to the USA, Emily Van Egmond's San Diego Wave FC will be aiming to make it three consecutive wins when they return home to face the Portland Thorns. 

The last meeting between the two sides in the NWSL Challenge Cup in April saw the Wave defeat the Thorns 1-0. Van Egmond is still listed as unavailable, suffering from a back injury. This game will kick off on Saturday at 12:00 pm AEST.   

Alex Chidiac's Racing Louisville will be looking to make it three consecutive wins in the league when they host the North Carolina Courage. 

The sides are currently divided by one point on the table, this game will kick off on Sunday morning at 10:00 am AEST.  

Sweden

In Sweden, Aivi Luik's BK Häcken will take on Piteå IF in a top-of-the-table clash, with Luik's side looking to move into first place. 

Both sides have recorded a similar start to their season, each notching 7 wins, however, Piteå comes into the game unbeaten. 

Häckens Aivi Luik during the Damallsvenskan football match between Häcken and Linköping on May 19, 2023 in Gothenburg.
Häckens Aivi Luik during the Damallsvenskan football match between Häcken and Linköping on May 19, 2023 in Gothenburg.

This game will kick off on Saturday morning at 2:00 am AEST.  

Teagan Micah's FC Rosengård will be looking to extend their five-game unbeaten streak when they host KIF Örebro DFF.

Rosengård has sealed back-to-back 2-2 draws in their last two outings, while KIF Örebro are winless in their last two games. This game will kick off on Sunday night at 11:00 pm AEST.  

Meanwhile, Clare Polkinghorne, Katrina Gorry and Charli Grant's Vittsjö GIK will be aiming to extend their own five-game unbeaten streak when they travel to take on 12th-placed Djurgården.

Gorry scored the opener in Vittsjö's 2-1 win over IFK Norrköping last weekend. This game will kick off on Tuesday morning at 3:00 am AEST.  

Lastly, Kyra Cooney-Cross' Hammarby will take on 4th-placed Kristianstads DFF, with both sides currently sitting on 19 points, however, Hammarby sit in third due to a better goal difference. 

This game will kick off on Tuesday morning at 3:00 am AEST.  

Norway

Our last stop takes us to Norway, where Tameka Yallop and Larissa Crummer's SK Brann host Røa IL, with Brann coming into the game off the back of a 2-0 victory last weekend. 

This game will kick off on Saturday night at 11:00 pm AEST.