An astonishing 476 international caps worth of experience comes into the Melbourne City line-up for their away trip to Perth Glory, with the club for the first time able to pull together their full squad, complete with all their blue chip internationals.
In for their City debut’s come Scottish duo Kim Little and Jennifer Beattie, as well as Welsh superstar Jess Fishlock, capped off by the returning Matildas quartet of Steph Catley, Laura Alleway, Larissa Crummer and captain Lisa De Vanna.
It’s a squad who on paper could lay claim as the best ever W-League team assembled in the leagues modest history; this clash may best be remembered for the proper arrival of a true powerhouse club in the league.
While they did barnstorm to a 6-0 opening round win over Sydney FC – a large statement in its own right – the amply backed that up with a solid 2-1 Melbourne Derby win over the Victory with a second-string outfit on the park.
MATCH REPORT > Melbourne City 2 defeated Melbourne Victory 1
The strong performance levels in the absence of all their star names was testament to the depth of talent available to the club.
Those names however all made way for the incoming international talent, who headed into Perth earlier this week ahead of today’s clash.
READ MORE > Vlajnic proof of Victoria’s depth of talent
Perth backed up an opening round win over Melbourne Victory with a tight 0-0 draw against Newcastle Jets.
They’ll be up against it if they plan on keeping that defensive record in shape, as they face the unenviable task of keeping De Vanna, Crummer and co. quiet.
Selection News:
As mentioned, Little, Beattie and Fishlock all come in for their Melbourne City debuts, with the four Matildas – De Vanna, Crummer, Catley, Alleway – all also returning.
Those seven should slot straight into the starting XI amongst a swell of changes from last weeks derby.
Hannah Brewer, Tyla-Jay Vlajnic, Racheal Quigley and Tessa Sernio all depart as per their replacement contracts, while the quartet of Kelsey Quinn, Melina Ayres, Anisa Guajardo and Olivia Ellis are all omitted.
Former Melbourne Victory replacement keeper Erin Herd steps in to fill the void on the bench left by Quinn.
Marianna Tabain will most likely start in the front third after a blistering start to the season, as will Trudy Burke in the absence of Brianna Davey – who is listed as two-four weeks away from her return.
Rebekah Stott should once again partner Laura Alleway in defence, while the final spot in midfield will be hotly by Amy Jackson and Aivi Luik.
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Key Players:
Jennifer Beattie
The signing of Beattie was sneakily hinted at last night by skipper Lisa De Vanna, whose tweet revealed the Manchester City defender was with the City squad in Perth. She brings a wealth of top-flight and international experience to City, and is all but certain to start at right-back in the absence of Anisa Guajardo. Expect her to bomb down the wing and provide a strong attacking threat from fullback.
Marianna Tabain
Tabain has started the season in fine fashion for City and has provided a little bit of consistency amongst the in’s and out’s of the squad to date. She’s played in a number of different roles already for her club side but looks set to take to the field as a winger, as she did in the derby last week. The Perth defence will have to be on guard for the creative outlet.
Predicted Line-up:
Substitutes: Erin Herd (GK), Amy Jackson, Beattie Goad, Alex Chidiac
Prediction:
This City line-up looks to be one of the strongest ever W-League squads assembled on paper. But games aren’t won on paper, so it’s imperative that the squad settle and find their feet as a cohesive unit with so many new names. Regardless, their star power should shine through in another victory. 3-0 win.