Bristol City name five of their new signings in their first starting XI of the season, with Meaghen Sargeant, Jasmine Mathews, Vita van der Linden, Yana Daniels and Charlie Wellings all included.

There is a new look about Brighton too, with boss Hope Powell including three of her summer signings in the Seagulls' starting line-up.

Megan Walsh, Matilde Lundorf and Lea Le Garrec are all in, while a fourth, Danique Kerkdijk, is on the bench.

Bristol City: Baggaley, Dykes, Evans, Mathews, Brown, Van der Linden, Humphrey, Daniels, Wellings, Sargeant, Harrison.

Substitutes: Cumings, Salmon, Allen, Strippel, Robinson, Wilson, Chance.

Brighton & Hove Albion: Walsh, Lundorf, F Whelan, Williams, Gibbons, Bowman, Connolly, Le Garrec, Brazil, Green, A Whelan.

Substitutes: Harris, Barton, Kerkdijk, Natkiel, Nilden, Simpkins, Umotong.

On the eve of the season kicking off, Bristol City handed manager Tanya Oxtoby a new contract.

The Australian last season led City to a sixth-placed finish.

To shift focus to the day's other game at Ashton Gate.

Former England boss Hope Powell says her Brighton side are "in a better place" as they prepare for their second season in the Women's Super League.

Powell's Seagulls finished ninth of 11 teams in their first WSL campaign last term, their first season as a full-time outfit.

They begin their 2019-20 campaign at Bristol City today, with the game being played at City men's Ashton Gate.

Read more about how Powell wants her side to be "fitter, faster and stronger" this term by clicking on the link below.

Manchester United manager Casey Stoney tells Football Focus about the Reds' pre-season squad exercises, including Crystal Maze, street dance and sumo wrestling.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport at Etihad Stadium

There’s a real buzz of excitement at the Etihad and one man who didn’t want to miss out was Phil Neville. The England boss, who has been in the headlines this week, was pitchside a few moments ago, having a chat with new Man City striker Ellen White. The World Cup star is injured of course but she will be hoping young gun Georgia Stanway will step up and fill her goalscoring boots today.

Image source, BBC Sport

For more from our BBC pundits, click on the link below!

The Manchester neighbours are expected by some to be the closest of rivals this season.

Not only did former England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis pick Man City to finish third, she has gone "left-field" to say that Manchester United will come in just behind them in fourth.

"We won't know what their consistency of form is going to be like until they're regularly coming up against WSL opponents, but from what I saw last season, Man Utd really have some good talents," she said.

And she is not alone, with BBC commentator Robyn Cowen "confident" the Red Devils will be in the top four at the end of the season.

"Their recruitment has been excellent, adding Mary Earps, Hayley Ladd, Jane Ross and Jackie Groenen, who are all proven at the highest level. They also possess one of the most natural talents in forward Lauren James," Cowen said.

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Manchester City collected a Cup double last season and finished runners-up in the league, but a majority of BBC Sports pundits that have previewed the season see them sliding down the table this term.

Four of the six experts predict the Citizens to drop out of the Champions League places and finish third... a big early call for a side that has collected six major trophies (including the 2016 WSL crown) since 2014.

The loss of Nikita Parris is a major reason that both former England internationals Laura Bassett and Rachel Brown-Finnis feel they will finish outside the top two for the first time in five seasons.

Bassett said: "With 19 goals and seven assists in the league last season, she (Parris) contributed to more than half of their goals, so her move to Lyon will leave such a big hole."

Brown-Finnis added: "Nikita Parris was a huge player for them, plus Abbie McManus and Jen Beattie have gone. Nevertheless, they have brought in good players, like young overlapping Portuguese full-back Matilde Fidalgo."

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport at Etihad Stadium

With under half an hour to go, people are just starting to take their seats. Karen Carney and Rachel Brown-Finnis are joined by Phil Neville for some pre-match build-up. The City team are warming up to my left and manager Nick Cushing is stood watching on. Meanwhile, Casey Stoney is getting stuck in with the Man Utd warm-up, shouting and encouraging intensity as they play a small possession game.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Reuters

The Netherlands midfielder Jackie Groenen's move to Man Utd was among this summer's bigger WSL transfers, while England striker Ellen White joined Man City from Birmingham City and Arsenal snapped up Scotland's Jen Beattie.

For a full list of ins and outs for every WSL club, see our comprehensive club-by-club guide.

From World Cup hotshots and headliners to record breakers, the Women's Super League is spoiled for talent.

BBC Sport takes a look at five players that impressed in France this summer.

In July, an audience of 11.7m watched England's semi-final loss to the United States, while a record-breaking 28.1m people watched BBC coverage of the Women's World Cup on television and online.

Following that interest, organisers have targeted September's men's international break in a bid to maximise interest in Saturday and Sunday's opening games of the top-flight season in England.

"It's a crucial time. If we step back now and don't push on, we'll lose that window to really push forward in the women's game and get the attraction," Chelsea and England defender Millie Bright said.

"Off the back of the World Cup, now is the time to keep people invested in the game - not just at national level but at club level, and keep people coming and watching.

"It's about getting people to come to the games, actually experience it, see how good the football is, see that it is a different game to the men's, and you could end up falling in love with the women's game."

Attendance records for the Women's Super League are set to be obliterated as England's top clubs return to league action for the first time since the World Cup.

More than 20,000 tickets have been sold for Manchester City and newly-promoted Manchester United's first WSL meeting, played at City's men's home.

The existing record crowd for a WSL fixture is the 5,265 that saw Arsenal clinch last season's title at Brighton's Amex Stadium in April.

That figure is set to be smashed again on Sunday, with a near-capacity crowd anticipated at Chelsea men's 41,000-seater home of Stamford Bridge, where the Blues host WSL newcomers Tottenham, in a game live on BBC television.

Image source, Getty Images

It's the opening day of the Women's Super League season and one that promises to be a record breaker.

In Manchester, last season's FA Cup and League Cup winners Manchester City host newly promoted cross-city rivals Manchester United.

Not only that, but the first Manchester derby in the WSL is being hosted at the Etihad Stadium where a new record crowd for the competition is expected today.

But that's not all, as Bristol City entertain Brighton at Ashton Gate - the 27,000-capacity stadium where the men's team play.

It was a scintillating summer...

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We were enchanted by the England team as they reached the Women's World Cup semi-finals...

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Today, eyes return to club football...

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