West Ham United women’s team manager Rehanne Skinner has made two changes to the starting XI that drew against Manchester United for her side’s Barclays Women’s Super League trip to struggling Crystal Palace.
The Hammers head to the VBS Community Stadium to face the league’s basement outfit looking to extend their unbeaten run to five matches.
Skinner has made a change in both her defence and attack, as Anouk Denton and Seraina Piubel come into the starting line-up.
England U23 international Denton replaces Li Mengwen, who played her final match for the women’s team on Saturday as she returned to China to represent Jiangsu province in the National Games.
Replacing Mengwen, who was on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion for the 2024/25 campaign, in the matchday squad is midfielder Marika Bergman Lundin, while Soraya Walsh comes in for Manuela Paví, who misses out through injury.
Meanwhile, Piubel replaces defender Eva Nyström, as Skinner looks to re-shape her side to a back four for the trip to Palace.
That means a defence of Denton, Amber Tysiak, Shelina Zadorsky and Vereana Hanshaw will protect Kinga Szemik, who is set to make her 20th Hammers league appearance having started in every WSL match this term.
Captain Katrina Gorry and Finland international Oona Siren will martial the midfield. The skipper added Skinner’s side’s fifth from close range in the reverse fixture at Chigwell Construction Stadium back in December.
Also on the scoresheet that afternoon were Viviane Asseyi and Piubel, and they are two of the attackers who line up in south London. They will be joined by Riko Ueki, who was the Barclays Player of the Match for her battling performance against Man United, and Shekiera Martinez, who will be looking to add to her WSL tally, which currently stands at five goals in nine matches.
Skinner has nine substitutes for the trip to Crystal Palace: goalkeeper Megan Walsh, defenders Camila Sáez, Kirsty Smith and Nyström, midfielders Dagný Brynjarsdóttir and Bergman Lundin, while Emma Harries, Soraya Walsh and Princess Ademiluyi will look to add the firepower in attack.
Crystal Palace: Yanez, Cato, Weerden, Nolan, Öling, Potter, Larlsey, Gejl, Woodham, Nouwen, Stengel ©
Subs: Majasaari (GK), Veje, Arthur, Sharpe, Hughes, Blanchard, Green, Riley, Larkin
West Ham United: Szemik, Denton, Zadorsky, Tysiak, Hanshaw, Siren, Gorry ©, Martinez, Asseyi, Piubel, Ueki
Subs: M.Walsh (GK), Smith, Sáez, Nyström, Brynjarsdóttir, Bergman Lundin, Harries, Ademiluyi, S. Walsh
Referee: Kirsty Dowle
