Man City women's schedule for the final month of the season
By Hidayah Ali
Manchester City's season almost comes to an end, and the Women's Super League title looks closer than before for Gareth Taylor's side.
We have now reached the final month of the 23/24 season, and in the Women's Super League, both Man City and Chelsea continue to fight each other for the trophy.
Manchester City were able to make a six-point gap between themselves and Chelsea, as their opponents were committed to women's Champions League duties for the last two weekends.
But, good news came for City on Wednesday night, as Chelsea failed to beat Liverpool in a goal-thrilling game which saw the Reds win 4-3.
Now, while the six-point gap wasn't accurate in terms of Chelsea making those points up, but due to their loss against Liverpool, City now actually do have a three-point gap going forward.
Man City's schedule
Manchester City vs Arsenal - Sunday, 5th May at 14:15 (UK)
Aston Villa vs Manchester City - Saturday, 18th May at 15:00 (UK)
Only two fixtures stand between the Cityzens and the WSL title, two games that will require victories for the Sky Blues.
First up, comes former title race opponents Arsenal. The Gunners were the third party in this season's title race, but their participation came to an end a month or two ago, especially after a big loss to Chelsea.
Despite this disappointment for Arsenal, they were successful in surpassing Chelsea in the League Cup final, which Arsenal won 1-0 in extra time.
There have already been two meetings between City and Arsenal this season; the first ending 2-1 for the Gunners in the League, and the second coming as a 1-0 win for City in the FA Cup.
It will be a game that could go either way, but for City, only three points will do.
To be noted, Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw's absence has been confirmed. She missed out on the Bristol City fixture last weekend, but luckily her teammates more than stepped up and created a 4-0 score.
However, there is no doubt that her presence will be highly missed in this upcoming task. She's been such a crucial piece of the puzzle this season, and considering the capabilities of the player, it's disheartening for many that she won't be able to take part.
But, City do have a talented squad - as we know - and they have shown they have a few names that are more than capable of getting the ball into the back of the net.
One name that has really stood out, is Mary Fowler. The Australian international scored a brace against Bristol, and she proved very skilful as she attempted two very different types of goals, and was correct in doing so.
On the final day will be Aston Villa. This will be the second fixture between the two, their former game ended in a close 2-1 win for Man City.
On a positive note for City, Aston Villa have not registered a win over Chelsea, Arsenal, Man United or Liverpool. Showing they haven't been able to beat five out of the top six in the League (A win over Tottenham).
Man City will be favoured in this game, but it will still require a performance that has everything in it from City.
Chelsea have three fixtures remaining; Bristol City, Tottenham, and Man United.
Bristol will most likely be an easier game for Chelsea, but after seeing them fall short to Liverpool, could Spurs and United also spring surprises to help guide City to the Women's Super League title?
Let's see what this month has in store for Manchester City.