Then on Sunday, four further matches see the teams battling to avoid finishing bottom all in action.

Here's some of the things to look out for in a crucial few days in the WSL...

Shaw v James - top scorers collide

Amid the myriad of subplots from Friday night's blockbuster involving Chelsea and City, comes the promise of plenty of goals from two women who have lit up the WSL this campaign.

Khadija Shaw and Lauren James are well ahead of the pack in the top scorer race this season, with 13 and 12 goals respectively. Brighton's Elisabeth Terland, in third place, has nine.

City's Shaw was narrowly beaten to the top scorer accolade last season by Rachel Daly of Aston Villa, but is back in contention this year against a different Lioness, with James living up to her early career promise with her most complete attacking season yet.

Both women are going at more than a goal a game - Shaw is hitting the target every 69 minutes on average, James every 73 minutes - and both have scored with one out of every three of their shots this season.

It hopefully should make for a Friday night goal-fest - while there is certainly no love lost between the teams either, after the reverse fixture saw the most bookings in WSL history with 11 yellows and two sendings-off.

'A lot of pressure' on Arsenal v Man Utd

Out of the FA Cup, long out of the Champions League and six points off the top in the WSL, these are tough times for Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall.

Defeat at home to United on Saturday would surely end their lingering hopes of a first league title since 2018-19, while victory would put them seven points clear in third place and well on course for European football again next term.

"If United win they will be very close to putting a lot of pressure on Arsenal for Champions League spots, but then Arsenal could creep away from United and stick with that third spot," former England striker Ellen White told the BBC's Women's Football Weekly podcast.

"I think there is a lot of pressure to win. United have got the momentum and the confidence so I think Arsenal have to do everything to win that game."

Jonas Eidevall saw his Arsenal side exit the FA Cup at the hands of Manchester City last Sunday

Are Bristol City being marooned?

Bristol City have found the WSL very tough going following promotion last season, with just one win from their 13 league matches so far while conceding a league-high 33 goals.

Their task has been made even more daunting by the new-found form of West Ham, who have earned back to back wins - beating Bristol at Ashton Gate before stunning Arsenal last week - to move themselves away from the relegation place.

It leaves Bristol five points from safety, and in dire need of a result away to Leicester on Sunday.

Can Everton finally win at home?

Above Bristol City on six points, there are a pack of three teams on 11. Two of those sides - Everton and West Ham - meet at Walton Hall Park on Sunday, with the winner able to take a giant step towards safety.

While West Ham have found form, Everton remain winless at home in all competitions this season and in the league as a whole since 10 December.

Manager Brian Sorensen says their home stadium blues can be put down to a tough fixture list - they have played Chelsea and both Manchester clubs at home already in the WSL - but they must start picking up points in front of their own fans soon.

Everton are also struggling with a lack of goals, just 10 in the WSL this season - the lowest in the division - although they got a confidence booster in the FA Cup last weekend by putting seven past third-tier Nottingham Forest.

'I'm here as long as I can'

Mikey Harris was named interim Brighton manager following the departure of Melissa Phillips

Following the shock sacking of Brighton manager Melissa Phillips earlier this month, interim boss Mikey Harris has endured a baptism of fire at the Seagulls helm.

His first WSL game was a tough visit to Manchester United, ending in a 2-0 loss, before they failed to score from four penalties in their League Cup quarter-final shoot-out loss to Aston Villa.

A 4-1 win at Wolves in the FA Cup last weekend gave Harris his first win, although they were being held by the third division side in the 88th minute before Emma Kullberg's last-gasp, eight-minute hat-trick.

Now Harris will finally make his home WSL debut this weekend against Liverpool with Brighton needing a win to pull clear of the drop zone, and he is focused on this game rather than talk about him getting the job full time.

"I'm just here to support the players and staff," he said. "I think it's far too early to talk about that. We have spoken about this as a club and this is an interim position. I'm here to do it as long as I am, and while I'm here I'll give it absolutely everything."