Man Utd Women's big Old Trafford day and Man City revival shows what the future could look like

Sunday marks a historical day in Manchester football history as 20,000 fans flock to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United Women play at the historic stadium for the first time.

Five miles away, shortly before United's big clash with Everton finishes, Manchester City Women were due to be kicking off at the Academy Stadium hoping to continue their brilliant form as both sides battle for the final Champions League spot in the Women's Super League.

City's match was postponed last night because of a Covid outbreak in the Birmingham squad. But with the WSL getting more attention than usual due to the Premier League's international break, the message from both managers is intriguingly the same - try to block it all out and 'control the controllables.'

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United have been marketing their fixture for months, using the men's international break as an opportunity to give the women's team their most high-profile fixture since reforming in 2018. They played at Old Trafford last season, but behind closed doors due to Covid restrictions, as they beat West Ham 2-0.

That occasion was diluted not only by the lack of fans, but the shameful lack of awareness by the FA to give the fixture a big TV slot. Only sustained criticism in the build-up, including from then-manager Casey Stoney, led to a late decision to show the game on BT Sport Extra 1, behind the red button rather than online.

Things have changed this year, though. United were keen to give the women's side proper Old Trafford exposure with a full marketing campaign, while the new broadcast deal with BBC Sport and Sky Sports has seen United and the rest of the WSL given comparable