Renee Slegers has confirmed Arsenal will sign a goalkeeper in January after revealing Daphne van Domselaar will miss the remainder of 2025 with a quad tendon issue, leaving the club relying on debutant Anneke Borbe and teenager Amy Liddiard.

The Arsenal boss made the admission during Friday’s press conference ahead of Saturday’s clash with Liverpool, where summer signing Borbe will make her full debut with 17-year-old Liddiard providing backup from the bench.

Van Domselaar requires an injection for her quad tendon problem and won’t return until the new year, compounding Arsenal’s goalkeeper crisis. Manuela Zinsberger is already out for the season after rupturing her ACL in October, one of 17 players across the WSL to suffer knee injuries during that month alone.

“We Need Three Goalkeepers Available”

Asked directly if Arsenal want to sign a goalkeeper in January, Slegers didn’t hesitate. “Yes, definitely, because Manu is out and Daphne has been managing issues, so we’re definitely looking,” she said.

“We’re definitely looking at that position because we think we need a really strong goalkeeper union with three goalkeepers available and we’re not in that situation at the moment so we’ll have to solve that for the second half of the season.”

Arsenal have also been linked with Swedish right-back Smilla Holmberg as they look to strengthen multiple positions during the winter window.

Chloe Kelly Adds to Injury Woes

The goalkeeper situation isn’t Arsenal’s only injury concern for Saturday’s noon kick-off. Chloe Kelly suffered a knee injury on England duty against Ghana on Tuesday and will miss the Liverpool match. Like van Domselaar, Kelly could be unavailable until the new year.

Katie Reid and Michelle Agyemang (on loan at Brighton) have also suffered season-ending ACL injuries this campaign, highlighting the brutal injury toll Arsenal have endured.

Slegers Dismisses Dressing Room “Unrest” Reports

Slegers was also asked about The Athletic’s report claiming the dressing room has been “splintered for many years” with some players “wielding significant influence” and underlying tension between squad members.

The Arsenal boss firmly rejected the narrative. “We won the Champions League, historically we are the most successful club in England, there is noise on the outside, there will always be noise, but on the inside we know what we are doing,” she responded.

“I didn’t agree with it and I think it is unfortunate that this is what is written about us while we are doing so many good things and a lot of people invested in the process.”

Also read: Arsenal Women vs. Liverpool Women: Predicted Lineups + Match Preview

Manchester United Women return to WSL action on Sunday looking to end a two-game losing streak when they host struggling West Ham United at Leigh Sports Village.

Sunday’s 12:00 GMT kick-off marks United’s first league fixture since the November international break, following back-to-back defeats to Manchester City (3-0) and Wolfsburg (5-2 in the Champions League). Marc Skinner’s side sit third in the WSL table but will be desperate to get back to winning ways before a congested December schedule.

West Ham arrive second from bottom with just one win all season, a 3-1 victory over Everton before the break. Manager Rehanne Skinner’s side have yet to keep a clean sheet this campaign, while their recent 2-0 League Cup defeat to Portsmouth suggests defensive fragility remains a major concern.

Predicted Lineups

Manchester United Women (4-2-3-1): Tullis-Joyce; Riviere, Le Tissier, Janssen, Sandberg; Miyazawa, Toone; Park, Zigiotti Olme, Terland; Rolfo

West Ham United Women (4-3-3): Musovic; Patten, Fisk, Houssein, Shimizu; Atkinson, Gorry, Smith; Asseyi, Stengel, Kapi

Tullis-Joyce Returns as Skinner Demands Improvement

The major team news sees Phallon Tullis-Joyce available for selection after missing three matches with a fractured eye socket. “Phallon is ready. Phallon has been training the last few days, so Phallon will be available for selection,” Skinner confirmed Friday.

Millie Turner remains unavailable but could return later this month before the winter pause. Celin Bizet Donnum has announced she’s expecting her first child in 2026, with Skinner offering his congratulations.

Skinner’s Tactical Message

The United boss has challenged his players to improve in both penalty areas after consecutive defeats without scoring. “I want us to be better in both boxes, the little details; defend effectively, are we in the right positions at the right times with the right aggression and then I want to see the front-line invading,” Skinner said.

He acknowledged West Ham’s attacking threat despite their league position, highlighting their dangerous front three. “Their front-three can unpick any defence. They have such quality in the way that they interact, so you’ve got to be really focused when defending against them.”

Kick-off: 12:00 PM Sunday, December 7, 2025
Venue: Leigh Sports Village
TV: Sky Sports Mix (UK)

Also read: Manchester United Skipper Continues Impressive England Run With Commanding Display Against Ghana

Tottenham Hotspur Women welcome Aston Villa Women to Brisbane Road on Sunday, December 7, 2025, in their final home game of the calendar year.

Spurs enter the fixture 5th in the WSL table with 16 points, while Villa sit 8th with 10 points, setting up an important mid-table battle.

Kick-off: 12:00 UK / 14:00 GMT
Venue: Brisbane Road (BetWright Stadium)
Competition: Barclays Women’s Super League – Round 10
Broadcast: Sky Sports+ / WSL YouTube

Form Guide

Tottenham have enjoyed a strong start to the 2025–26 season but come into this match looking to regain momentum. They remain firmly in top-half contention with 16 points from their opening nine league games.

Aston Villa have endured a mixed campaign. With 10 points from eight matches, they sit 8th but have shown competitive performances away from home and remain capable of troubling any side on their day.

Historically, the fixture has been evenly balanced, with six wins each and five draws across all competitive meetings.

Team News

As of December 6, neither club has released an official injury report or confirmed squad list for this fixture.

Aston Villa have also not publicly confirmed any major absences.

Because no official lists are available yet, all lineup information remains predicted rather than confirmed.

Predicted Lineups

Tottenham Women (4-2-3-1):

Kop; Nildén, Hunt, Bartrip, Morris; Summanen, Ahtinen; Holdt, Spence, Naz; Thomas

Aston Villa Women (4-2-3-1):

D’Angelo; Maritz, Patten, Turner, Pacheco; Staniforth, Nobbs; Hanson, Dali, Daly; Lehmann

Match Outlook

With both sides looking to close out the year positively, this fixture has the makings of a tight and competitive meeting.

Tottenham’s strong home form and stable core squad could give them the edge. Aston Villa, however, have proven difficult to break down on the road and have the attacking quality to make this a challenging afternoon.

A narrow Spurs victory or a tense draw appears the most likely outcome.

Also read: Arsenal Women vs. Liverpool Women: Predicted Lineups + Match Preview