Manchester United Women are in need of three points on Sunday, when they travel to Brighton & Hove Albion Women, who currently sit third with 15 points in the Women's Super League.

Both of these teams are aiming to bounce back from defeat last time out in the league, and if the Seagulls are victorious they will go six points clear of Man United.

Match preview

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Hope Powell will still be pleased with the start her side have made to this WSL campaign, but a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Reading before the international break was disappointing for Brighton.

Reading were efficient with their chances in front of goal whereas the Seagulls wasted too many efforts that flew off target, but they remain in the control seat for third spot.

That result ended a three-game winning run in the WSL, but Brighton will need to find that sort of form again if they are to stay above Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham or Man United.

The Seagulls have only lost once at home this season and they need to use that to their advantage on Sunday, when they face a tough test against a team that is unbeaten on their travels in four matches.

Man United are winless in their last four WSL matches, having played out three draws before their 2-0 defeat against Arsenal three weeks ago.

Marc Skinner's side struggled to create many chances when they faced the league leaders, who sealed three points in the second half of that game thanks to goals from Vivianne Miedema and Katie McCabe.

Sunday's visitors may be sharper than their hosts having already played since the end of the international break, with an outing last weekend against Leicester City in the League Cup.

Alessia Russo and Katie Zelem equalised twice in that match to send the game to penalties for an extra point in Group B, but the Foxes were the side which gained two points by beating Man United 4-3 from the spot kicks.

If the Red Devils are serious about achieving their goal to secure European football for next year, then Sunday's fixture feels like a must-win game for the away team as they cannot allow Brighton to go six points clear of them.

Powell's side will be hoping for the same result which occurred the last time Man United travelled to Brighton, who edged past the Red Devils by one goal courtesy of Inessa Kaagman's penalty.

Team News

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Brighton could set up in a 5-3-2 formation with Felicity Gibbons and Emma Koivisto pushing higher up the pitch in their wing-back roles when the Seagulls go on their attacks.

Danielle Carter and Geum-Min Lee will lead the line for the hosts, and they will both be looking to add to their tally of two goals each in the WSL this season.

Goalkeeper Megan Walsh has kept four clean sheets, the second best out of any other keeper in the division, and she will want to add to that particularly after conceding two against Reading last time out.

Manchester United's back four including Hannah Blundell Maria Thorisdottir, Aoife Mannion and Ona Batlle has almost been consistently picked for the starting lineup all season, and they will all begin again on Sunday.

Russo and Ella Toone are Man United's top goal scorers so far, both with three goals to their name, and they will start with Russo leading the line while Toone operates from an attacking midfield position.

Brighton & Hove Albion Women possible starting lineup:
Walsh; Gibbons, Williams, Kerkdijk, Le Tissier, Koivisto; Whelan, Connolly, Kaagman; Carter, Lee

Manchester United Women possible starting lineup:
Earps; Blundell, Thorisdottir, Mannion, Batlle; Zelem, Staniforth; Galton, Toone, Hanson; Russo

We say: Brighton & Hove Albion Women 2-2 Manchester United Women

Three points to either side on Sunday will feel invaluable for slightly different reasons, which is why it could be quite a high-scoring encounter with both teams going out to win the match.

However, they are likely to cancel each other out and a point a piece could be how this one ends, with Man United one of the draw specialists in the division this campaign.

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