11 min: Coombs wins a free kick in a dangerous position following a challenge from Carabalí. Greenwood steps up to take it and sends the ball over to Shaw in the box. The striker attempts to chest it down but her touch is slightly too heavy and Brighton can make the clearance.

9 min: Manchester City are playing some great football in these early stages. Keating kicks off an attack by passing the ball out from the box, with Hasegawa, Fowler and Hemp all getting involved before it finds Park, but the midfielder loses possession in the final third.

6 min: The visitors patiently pass the ball around the back while waiting for an opening. It finally comes as Greenwood sends a long pass over the Brighton defence to Hemp, who goals for goal, but her effort is comfortably saved by Baggaley.

3 min: Manchester City have a corner in the early stages. Greenwood’s cross floats into the box, but Brighton are able to clear the danger. The visitors are beginning to press high.

1 min: Brighton get off to a positive start. The ball is played back to Baggaley who attempts to play it long, but Coombs wins possession in midfield. The hosts win it back and Terland is sent through on goal, but she is penalised for a foul on Hasegawa.

Kick-off

Here we go… The teams are out and kick-off is just a few minutes away!

Don’t forget you can email in this afternoon with your thoughts, feelings, predictions, reactions and all that jazz. I’ll be with you all afternoon!

Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor tells BBC Sport: “It’s the one competition we have left. Outside of what Chelsea have done, nobody has done it for a long time. We’re right in there. Our league form has been fantastic. Our start to the season has been really good.

“A little bit of disappointment in the cup competitions but the margins were really tight. I expect the same today. I don’t expect it to be an easy game. Opportunity for us to go level on top and that’s really exciting. If you had given us that with seven games to go we would have really taken it.”

The WSL’s two most in-form strikers go head-to-head this afternoon. Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw currently leads the Golden Boot race with 15 league goals to her name, while Brighton forward Elisabeth Terland has 11. The only player that separates the two is Chelsea’s Lauren James, who has scored 13 goals since the start of the campaign.

Will either of the two stars add to their tally today?

Elsewhere in the WSL

Manchester United currently lead Bristol City 1-0 at Leigh Sports Village. Meanwhile, Liverpool vs West Ham is goalless. Tottenham are set to face Leicester City this afternoon.

• Chelsea 3-1 Arsenal

• Everton 1-2 Aston Villa

Here is what the WSL table is looking like ahead of kick-off.

Chelsea have a three point advantage over Manchester City, but that gap could be closed today. Meanwhile, Brighton sit comfortably above the danger zone.

Manchester City’s season reached a turning point last week, and not a positive one. On Monday the club’s treble hopes were still well and truly alive, but a midweek defeat to Chelsea ended their Continental Cup dreams. Another loss, this time to Tottenham, subsequently put a stop to their FA Cup run in dramatic fashion, meaning the only piece of silverware City can win this season is the WSL. But, of course, they will have to be on top form for the remainder of the season – and Brighton will provide a tough test today.

Team news

Preamble