Arsenal fixture a six-pointer for Manchester City says forward Kelly.
Manchester City forward Chloe Kelly says that her side’s opening day fixture at Arsenal could be a six-pointer come the end of the season.
The Cityzens travel to the Emirates Stadium to get the 2024/2025 Barclays Women’s Super League season underway on Sunday afternoon.
Both clubs are expected to be in the thick of the title race this season and Manchester City forward Kelly says that she views big games like the Arsenal fixture as six-pointers given their relevance in the battle for top spot.
“When you pick up points from teams around you, you see how big a difference it makes in the league table,” Kelly said when speaking in a Barclays Women’s Super League media event. “When you do look at the table, sometimes it’s very tight and you can see that you’ve got one of the big teams coming up and that can really make a difference.
In the season, I definitely check for those [big games].
“Having Arsenal first game of the season is a three-pointer but it’s actually a six-pointer come the end of the season. It’s about winning those games under high pressure and what a way to kick-off at the Emirates.”
Manchester City were cruelly beaten to the Barclays Women’s Super League title on goal difference by Chelsea on the final day of last season. Kelly says that there will be no hangover from that disappointment and that all of the focus is now on the season ahead.
She said “I wouldn’t say ‘hangover’ because then you’re always looking back instead of looking forward. It’s really important that we use it as fuel. Where did we go wrong? We didn’t score enough goals and Chelsea beat us on goal difference.
“In some games last season, we dropped points and we know we can’t do that because the league is strong, it’s very tough. You can’t look back at the end of the season, it’s always in the moment, looking forward.
