The hosts are looking for a fifth straight triumph in all competitions at Boreham Wood this weekend, while their opponents can extend their own remarkable winning run to six games.
That form has seen Arsenal keep pace with surprise early leaders Sunderland as Man City currently trail by four points but with a game in hand.
Arsenal v Manchester City
FA WSL 1
6pm, Sunday 9 August 2015
Boreham Wood
Live on BT Sport 1
Remaining firmly in contention for the FA Women’s Super League with BT Sport crown with five games to go represents a marked improvement for Arsenal after the relative struggles of last season.
And Byrne believes that both current manager Pedro Martinez Losa and his predecessors, together with the influence of various senior players, are behind the success of the latest generation of Arsenal stars.
“It’s one of those games you look forward to playing, especially at home,” said Byrne. “Man City are a team who have started from scratch but they’re becoming a force and it’s going to be crucial to beat them as far as the title is concerned.
“The league is the big one for us, we want to be champions of England and to get back in the Champions League – we’re still the only English team to have ever won it. We’ve been developing for the last five years, not just when Pedro came in. When Jayne Ludlow, Kim Little and Vic Akers left their roles we had to adapt and it’s an on-going process.
“I feel as an older member of the squad I need to help all the younger players’ transition to senior football, along with the likes of Rachel Yankey and Kelly Smith – and I have great faith in the whole team.”
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Following a 2-1 win over Chelsea last time out in the league, Man City are looking to steal another march on their title rivals and avenge a 1-0 loss to the same opponents earlier in the season.
And England star Lucy Bronze believes she and her fellow returning internationals owe their team-mates another accomplished performance to repay the squad’s efforts in keeping spirits high during the international break.
“It’s a credit to the other girls who perhaps weren’t away but they have helped the England girls slip back in seamlessly,” said Bronze.
“All the girls at City, we love playing football, so coming back into it was easy and it was brilliant that we came back into all of these wins. It’s something that we expected, because we’re a big team.
“You look at our set-up and it’s probably better than most men’s teams, so we’re very grateful for that and you do pinch yourself a bit. It’s what we deserve now.”
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