Merricks is relishing the challenge, saying: "I think it's a great time to play Man City. We know it's going to be a challenge but we are well and truly up for it. We are here to compete, not just make up the numbers." Birmingham City narrowly missed out on promotion in 2025, but won the WSL 2 title last season to secure promotion and end a four-year stint in the second tier.
Manchester City, who are beginning their first league title defence in a decade, will be without forward Vivianne Miedema until at least late autumn due to a knee injury. Defender Rebecca Knaak will also miss the match with a foot issue. Birmingham City, on the other hand, scored an average of 2.09 per game last season and earned a reputation as an attacking team. Merricks is determined to maintain this identity, saying: "We are a progressive team, we will find ways to create and score. We are really clear on what our strengths are and what we need to maximise."
Manchester City boss Andree Jeglertz knows that his side will face a tough challenge against Birmingham City, who were tactically very good and destroyed all the space on the field in their quarter-final match against City in the Women's FA Cup last year. Jeglertz is warning his players not to drop their performance or attitude, saying: "If we drop a little bit in performance or attitude, teams will go past us."