Manager Rehanne Skinner has made two changes from the side that fell to a narrow defeat at Tottenham Hotspur for the visit of Arsenal in the Barclays Women’s Super League on Friday night.
West Ham United women’s team kick-start our home campaign under the lights, in front of the Sky Sports cameras, against the UEFA Women’s Champions League holders, in what is set to be an enthralling London derby.
Following Kinga Szemik’s injury against the Lilywhites on Sunday, goalkeeper Megan Walsh, who replaced the Poland international in the 56th minute at BetWright Stadium, comes in from the off to face the Gunners at Chigwell Construction Stadium.
The 30-year-old penned a new two-year deal with the Club in the summer and is set to make her fourth WSL start for the Hammers.
Subsequently, Katie O’Hanlon, who signed her first professional contract in July, is named amongst the substitutes.
The other change to the starting XI sees defender Amber Tysiak make her first start of the campaign, with forward Seraina Piubel named on the bench.
Meanwhile, defender Yu Endo is on the substitutes’ bench after recovering from an injury that ruled her out of the opening-day fixture at Spurs, and midfielder Anna Csiki - on loan from Tottenham - makes the matchday squad after she was ineligible to play on Sunday.
So, with Walsh in between the sticks, Belgium international Tysiak lines up in defence alongside Anouk Denton, formerly of Arsenal, Shelina Zadorsky, Eva Nyström and Verena Hanshaw.
Captain Katrina Gorry and Oona Siren will once again marshal the midfield, with Viviane Asseyi, Riko Ueki and Shekiera Martinez looking to fire home the goals.
Alongside O’Hanlon, Endo, Csiki and Piubel on the substitutes’ bench are defender Inès Belloumou, midfielder Sarah Brasero and forwards Manuela Paví, Ffion Morgan and Leila Wandeler.
The referee for this evening’s London derby is Megan Wilson.
West Ham United: Walsh, Denton, Zadorsky, Nyström, Tysiak, Hanshaw, Gorry ©, Siren, Asseyi, Martinez, Ueki
Subs: O’Hanlon (GK), Endo, Belloumou, Paví, Csiki, Brasero, Morgan, Wandeler, Piubel
Arsenal: Van Domselaar, Fox, Catley, Caldentey, Mead, Little ©, McCabe, Foord, Russo, Reid
Subs: Zinsberger (GK), Borbe (GK), Wubben-Moy, Codina, Smith, Pelova, Hinds, Blackstenius, Cooney-Cross
Referee: Megan Wilson
