WSL talking points: Will Man Utd beat Chelsea?

Manchester United boss Marc Skinner says 8,000 tickets have been sold for his side's game with Chelsea at Leigh Sports Village

This weekend's games are the last before the Women's Super League takes a break for international fixtures.

Here are five things to look out for.

Can Man Utd finally beat Chelsea?

In-form Manchester United host defending champions Chelsea at Leigh Sports Village on Sunday at 18:45 GMT with both sides level at the top of the league and United yet to concede a goal this season.

United have never beaten Chelsea in five attempts, having drawn one and lost four.

But with five clean sheets under their belt so far this season, Marc Skinner's side look like a different outfit to the one that were thumped 6-1 at home early last season.

"Hopefully we've shown we have improved. It was a devastating result and Chelsea were ruthless on the day which we know they can be," said Skinner.

"We're a different team but I want us to show that - I want my team to show their maturity and energy in this game. We know how difficult a task it is, they have some wonderful players and historically they are one of the best teams in the WSL but we're confident, not complacent."

Although it's still early days, Skinner's side are already being considered as potential title contenders and he said they enjoy that attention.

"We want to be talked about up there but we have to earn that right," he said. "We have a lot more to do but it's nice at the moment to be considered there. We want to win things."

Chelsea general manager Paul Green, standing in for boss Emma Hayes who is continuing to recover from a hysterectomy, said his side are treating the fixture as just another game.

"We've been impressed with the way they've started but equally pleased with where we are and how we recovered from an opening day defeat," said Green. "We're in a strong vein of form and scoring a lot of goals."

Chelsea have won 14 of their last 15 WSL matches while United have won their last nine home games in the league, conceding only once in this period while scoring 32 times.

Managers coming and going

Brighton announced on Monday that they would be parting ways with Hope Powell, who had been at the club for five years.

Assistant manager Amy Merricks is set to take charge against West Ham on Sunday but, with no indication yet as to who might replace Powell, the interim boss isn't looking too far ahead and gave no hint as to whether she would be continuing in the role.

"My focus is on the next three days, getting the team in a good place for a good and professional performance against West Ham. Let's just focus on this game and go from there," she said.

Meanwhile, Leicester also parted ways with manager Lydia Bedford after their winless start to the season.

They have lost all six of their opening games and will come up against an Arsenal side on a 13-match winning streak on Sunday.

Former Everton boss Willie Kirk will take over training on Saturday and be in the dug-out for the match at the King Power but Gunners boss Jonas Eidevall said he was "surprised" Bedford had been let go and said it meant his side will be facing the "unknown" as they go for a record-extending 14th WSL win.

No Miedema but Arsenal still on track

Earlier this week Arsenal announced that their star striker Vivianne Miedema had been granted a leave of absence to "rest and recharge".

Miedema has struggled for consistency since the start of the WSL season, having scored only two goals in five games and was named on the bench for their past two matches.

Achieving their impressive run of results without a fully firing Miedema - the WSL's all-time record scorer - makes it even more remarkable.

The Gunners have 13 straight league wins with 14 goals scored and just one conceded and two wins from two in the Champions League, including a 5-1 victory over defending Champions League champions Lyon.

The Gunners have showcased their strength in depth with England forward Beth Mead and Sweden forward Stina Blackstenius both bagging three goals each and Norway midfielder Frida Maanum also scoring two.

But Gunners boss Eidevall said his side are still taking things "one game at a time" with his side separated from United and Chelsea only by goal difference.

"If you want to win something in football whether that's a trophy or to beat a record it all starts with performances and that's what we need to focus on," he said.

A break from international breaks?

This international break marks the third one since the teams returned for pre-season, with one at the start of September and another in early October.

The international schedule in the women's game is a sporadic one, with the next one after this coming in February, but Tottenham boss Rehanne Skinner says it has been "really challenging" this season.

"Three-week gaps between each one of these camps is really difficult when you're just trying to get going. There needs to be a wider discussion about player wellbeing," she said.

"We want to get some momentum and it's definitely created a disruption getting into our flow this year. That's not to say that others haven't experienced the same thing, but we want to finish this block in a positive place," she added.

Manchester City manager Taylor said "there's never a good time" to have an international break.

"We have to deal with it," he said. "It comes down to communication with the nations to make sure they're aware of individual players. Managing all of the small details and logistics, it's important to work together in that."

On Thursday Uefa announced the introduction of a women's Nations League from 2023, meaning the international schedule could be more congested than ever from next season.

Noise around Neville

England fans may have been disappointed to see that in-form Tottenham defender Ashleigh Neville was not included in Sarina Wiegman's England squad for the upcoming friendly matches in Spain.

The 29-year-old has impressed this season, scoring three goals in five games, including two goals and two assists in Spurs' 8-0 victory over Brighton last weekend.

Tottenham boss Skinner said: "You can see what she brings to the team week in week out, phenomenal person. Loyal person, dedicated to her team and players. She's focused on doing what she needs to do and whatever evolves from that evolves from that.

"The support is testament to her as a person and player and at some point people have got to pay attention to that.

"She's consistent, she's incredibly effective. She knows where she stands and what she offers. I can only see her getting better. It's inevitable that this is what's happened, she's now able to excel and long may it continue."