Manchester United Women made it seven straight victories in all competitions, but were made to work extremely hard for the three points against newly promoted London City Lionesses. The visitors took a shock early lead through Nikita Parris before Jess Park produced a moment of magic to level things up, with Millie Turner heading home late on to seal a 2-1 win that keeps United second in the WSL table.
https://twitter.com/tooneslundkvist/status/2023117163242942922
This was a really poor performance from Marc Skinner’s side for long periods. London City came flying out of the blocks with Parris terrorizing the United backline in the opening stages. Her fifth minute header gave the visitors a deserved lead, and United looked rattled.
Park’s brilliant solo goal against the run of play dragged United level on the half hour mark. She picked up the ball, drove forward, and curled a beauty into the far corner from distance. This was world class stuff from the 24 year old when her team desperately needed rescuing.
United improved after the break but still struggled to create clearcut openings. Turner, playing her first match since September, popped up to head home from a Le Tissier free kick deep into the second half. London City nearly snatched a point in stoppage time when Isobel Goodwin’s header flashed just wide. United got away with one here.
https://twitter.com/ManUtdWomenXtra/status/2023056725033848920
Goalkeeper & Defence
Phallon Tullis-Joyce (6/10): Gifted the ball straight to Parris in first half injury time, which could have been disastrous. Commanded her area reasonably well otherwise.
Jayde Riviere (4/10): Had an absolute nightmare against Parris before getting injured late on. Booked for a stupid challenge and lucky not to see red. Terrible afternoon.
Maya Le Tissier (8/10): United’s best defender by a country mile. Made crucial blocks, cleared off the line, and delivered the assist for the winner. This is what captains do.
Millie Turner (8/10): First appearance since September and marked her return with the match winning goal. Looked rusty at times, but her aerial dominance was crucial. What a way to announce your comeback.
Gabby George (5/10): Hooked at halftime after getting repeatedly destroyed by Godfrey down the left flank. Forgettable first half from the left back.
https://twitter.com/TheUnitedTake/status/2023096224316801395
Midfield & Attack
Lisa Naalsund (6/10): Helped United wrestle back control in the second period after London City dominated the opening 45 minutes. Battled hard in midfield.
Hinata Miyazawa (7/10): One of few United players who looked composed in possession throughout. Kept things ticking over nicely when others were panicking around her.
Simi Awujo (4/10): Hauled off at the break after an ineffective first half. Completely overrun in midfield as London City bossed proceedings early on.
Ellen Wangerheim (5/10): Substituted after an hour, having done virtually nothing. One decent moment, but otherwise invisible against opposition, United should be dominating.
Jess Park (7/10): Went missing for large spells but produced a moment of absolute brilliance to level the scores. This is why United paid big money for her talent.
Lea Schuller (6/10): Worked her socks off up front without getting a sniff of goal. Battled manfully but lacked service for most of the match.
https://twitter.com/girlactico/status/2023019570253217985
Subs & Manager
Hanna Lundkvist (6/10): Came on at halftime and helped United get a grip on proceedings. Did a better job than George at limiting Godfrey’s influence.
Julia Zigiotti Olme (5/10): Brought on at the break to add control, but gave the ball away sloppily several times. Helped steady the ship slightly though.
Marc Skinner (7/10): His halftime substitutions changed the game, but questions must be asked about why United started so poorly. Seven wins on the bounce is impressive regardless.
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