Leah Galton seals emphatic WSL win for Manchester United against Spurs

Marc Skinner would not be drawn on whether Manchester United were now challenging for the title after a 3-0 defeat of Tottenham put them second in the Women’s Super League, albeit having played two games more than third-placed Chelsea.

“Title contenders? Only if we keep winning games,” he said. “We’ve got Bridgewater next, nothing else. If we take our eyes off them it can hurt us.”

It has taken time for the United players to find their flow under Skinner. Despite his WSL pedigree, having arguably overperformed with a threadbare squad at Birmingham City before moving to Orlando Pride, there was frustration among fans early into his tenure. With his style of play and, seemingly, an inability to get the best out of United’s previous highest achievers, he had doubters aplenty.

However, if Skinner’s two-and-a-half years in the US showed anything it was that patience would likely pay off. At the close of the manager’s first campaign in the States, Orlando Pride had slumped to their lowest ever points tally and sat rock bottom of the NWSL table. By the time he departed for Manchester, the Pride had picked up 15 points from their opening seven games of the season, a club record.

Having been unable to string together back-to-back victories since the team’s opening two games of the season, taking in all competitions, United are now six games without a defeat. It’s a feat they have not achieved since a run of six wins completed their 2018-19 season in the women’s Championship, in what was the team’s first season after it was relaunched by the club.

Skinner’s insistence on sticking to a regular XI despite results is paying dividends now, and the synergy to their play continued to impress at a bitterly cold Leigh Sports Village