Man Utd Women vs. Arsenal Women Betting Tips: Two bets for Friday night's WSL game

Man Utd take on Arsenal on Friday night in a huge early season clash in the Women's Super League, which can be viewed live on Sky Sports Main Event at 7.30pm.

Jack Kitson previews the duel and provides his top two tips.

The WSL title race has been won by the barest of margins in each of the last four seasons. Each time, Emma Hayes' Chelsea have found a way to beat the rest and lift trophy, doing so on a points-per-game basis, by two points on two occasions, and also by one point.

This time, the chasing pack will hope things pan out differently.

With that in mind, Arsenal will have been bitterly disappointed to have suffered a shock defeat at home to Liverpool on the opening day of the current campaign, which followed a desperately dispiriting early Champions League exit to Paris FC.

To add salt to Arsenal's wounds, Chelsea, Man City, and Friday's opponents Man Utd all stamped early wins on the board, with the latter leaving it late to record a last-gasp 2-1 win against Aston Villa, who had led with just 14 minutes remaining.

United, who missed out on the title on the final day last season, will now be hoping to pile more early misery on Arsenal. The hosts can be backed at 13/8 to make it two wins from two games and stretch six points ahead of the Londoners, while the capital club are a shade shorter at 6/4 to bounce back from what has been a tough start to the season.

For whatever reason, Arsenal simply haven't clicked so far this season.

The penalty shoot-out defeat to Paris FC in the Champions League first qualifying round was a bitter pill to swallow. However, one tiny positive to take from it was The Gunners could then divert all of their energy into the domestic competitions, only to then suffer another setback in front of a record WSL 54,115 crowd at the Emirates.

In contrast, there were smiles on the faces of the Man Utd players after they came from behind to carve out a 2-1 win at Aston Villa thanks to goals from Lucia Garcia and Rachel Williams.

After pushing Chelsea all the way last season, United will be doubly determined to race out of the blocks this term, especially after losing Alessia Russo to Arsenal in the summer - more on her in a moment.

If you take last term into account, United have won their last eight successive WSL games, while they can bank on an impressive home record in the league, having won 16 of their last 18 matches in front of their own fans.

United, who have won two and drawn two of their last four games against Arsenal, are available at 13/8 to win yet again on Friday night, but I really like the look of the larger 15/4 to win and both teams to score, a bet which has landed in three of their last six games.

Opponents Arsenal may be in somewhat of a sticky patch but while they failed to score last weekend, they did unleash 18 shots and were unlucky not to find the back of the net. With new signing Russo returning to her former stomping ground, I can definitely see the visitors scoring this time around.

I've mentioned her a couple of times already. It's a talking point that's impossible to ignore as Alessia Russo returns to the familiar surroundings of Leigh Sports Village to face the team she left in the summer.

I may have backed her former employers for the win, yet I do feel Russo is going to have some part to play in the match.

Not only is Russo a deadly finisher - she hit double-figures in the league last season - but she offers both a physical and aerial presence.

The striker bagged a brace against Paris FC, now she's on the hunt for her first Arsenal WSL goal, and what better time to open her league account - she's 6/4 to score anytime with bet365 - then against opponents she knows inside-out.