Women’s Super League clockwatch: all the latest from the season openers – live

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the opening day of the WSL season. England’s triumphant World Cup (in the Italia 90 sense) and the rapid growth of women’s football makes this the most keenly anticipated season of all.

We’ll be covering all six games in a special, marathon, pressure-sore-inducing opening-day clockwatch. The most intriguing is probably at Villa Park, where Aston Villa, easily the best of the rest last season, host title-chasing Manchester United.

The champions Chelsea host Spurs in the late game, Arsenal play Liverpool at the Emirates and Manchester City have a tricky trip to West Ham. Most excitingly of all, a host of star signings, from Alessia Russo to Melvine Malard, should make WSL debuts for their new teams.

We shouldn’t pretend that everything is brilliant – equality remains a thing of the future, and the WSL is a 12-team league in name and a four-team league in nature – but it’s probably fair to say women’s football has never been in a better state.

These are today’s games.

• Aston Villa v Man Utd (12.30pm)

• Everton v Brighton (1pm)

• Bristol City v Leicester City (1pm)

• Arsenal v Liverpool (2pm)

• West Ham v Man City (3pm)

• Chelsea v Tottenham (5.30pm)