Manchester United continued their upward trajectory under the fresh leadership of Eva Olid, as Julia Zigiotti Olme delivered a decisive early chip that secured a 1-0 triumph against Liverpool, marking back-to-back wins for the Red Devils. After a rocky beginning to Olid's tenure—dropping the first two fixtures and suffering a heavy 5-0 defeat to Chelsea—the team appears to have found its rhythm, gathering seven points from the last three matches and dispatching a confident Liverpool side at Leigh Sports Village. The turning point arrived within the opening six minutes when Zigiotti capitalised on a mis‑clearance by Liverpool defender Khiara Keating. Seizing the loose ball just outside the penalty area, she executed a perfectly weighted chip that floated over the goalkeeper, finding the back of the net.
"We wanted to start the game quickly and hope they were not prepared, and that's what happened today," Zigiotti told BBC Sport, reflecting on the tactical intent behind the early strike. That solitary goal proved sufficient, but the match was far from a simple walk‑over. Liverpool, under Gareth Taylor, have been enjoying their strongest start to a Women's Super League campaign in nearly a decade, and they pressed United relentlessly throughout both halves. United came agonisingly close to extending their lead just before the break when Jess Park surged forward from her own half, only to see her powerful effort ricochet off the crossbar.
The near‑miss underscored the fine margins that often decide tightly contested fixtures. Liverpool also threatened to equalise on several occasions. Beata Olsson struck the woodwork with a curling effort, and later, after a rebound from Cornelia Kapocs fell to her again, she failed to convert, prompting goalkeeper Phallon Tullis‑Joyce to produce a spectacular double save that preserved United's slim advantage. The goalkeeper's heroics were a highlight, showcasing her reflexes and composure under pressure.
In the end, Zigiotti's early chip was enough to give United their first consecutive victories since February, and the win left both sides level on points as they head into the international break. The match timeline captured key moments: a goal at the six‑minute mark, a double save by Tullis‑Joyce at 21 minutes, Park's shot clanging off the bar at 37 minutes, and a series of near‑misses and saves that kept the tension high throughout the 90 minutes plus stoppage time. Player of the match accolades went to Zigiotti, who praised the team's confidence and growth.
"I'm so happy with the three points. Very important win for us but it was a hard game. We want to start the game quick and hope they are not prepared and that's what happened today, so very happy about that.
We have just grown confidence in how we play. It was new when Eva came but we have grown a lot of confidence in training, in the games, we had two cup games a lot of players could play and we kept going.
I'm just happy with the goals today," she said. Midfielder Ella Toone echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the project's progress and the morale boost heading into the break. "It's been good, it is a project, we are getting better each week and it is really nice to go into an international break on the back of a win.
Tough game, we had energy today and I do not think in the first half they could deal with the intensity with how we started the game and good goal from Ziggy and then some really good defending kept us in it," Toone explained. Liverpool's midfielder Grace Fisk expressed disappointment, noting that the team had been dominant earlier in the season but struggled to find their footing against United's aggressive and direct approach. "We're disappointed with the performance, most of all.
We've played some really nice football in the first half of this season and been really dominant. We couldn't really find our feet today. Credit to them, they were really aggressive and direct. There were phases where we had good momentum, and chances.
They defended around their box really well. Gareth Taylor is pretty big on performance and he's pretty disappointed in how we played.
We've played at such a high level, shown how dominant we can be, and for whatever reason we didn't do that," Fisk lamented. Overall, the encounter highlighted Manchester United's growing resilience and tactical adaptability under Olid, while Liverpool will need to regroup and address the lapses that cost them points.
The match also served as a reminder of the competitive balance within the WSL, where a single moment of brilliance—like Zigiotti's chip—can tip the scales. As the season progresses, both teams will look to build on their performances, with United aiming to extend their winning streak and Liverpool seeking to rediscover the form that made them early-season favorites.
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