Manchester United continued their upward trajectory under the guidance of new manager Eva Olid, thanks to a decisive early goal from Julia Zigiotti that secured a 1-0 triumph against Liverpool and marked the team's second consecutive win. After a rocky beginning to Olid's tenure – losing the first two fixtures and suffering a heavy 5-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea – the Red Devils appear to have found their rhythm. They have collected seven points from their last three matches, and the recent encounter at Leigh Sports Village showcased a side that is beginning to click, especially when facing a Liverpool outfit that has enjoyed its strongest start to a Women's Super League campaign in nearly ten years.
The decisive moment arrived within the first six minutes of play. Liverpool defender Khiara Keating attempted a clearance that fell short, allowing Zigiotti Olme to pounce. From just outside the penalty area, she executed a perfectly timed chip that sailed over the goalkeeper and into 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 after the match.
That solitary strike proved enough to separate the sides, although United had several opportunities to increase their lead in both halves. Early on, they pressed hard, forcing Liverpool into a series of defensive actions.
Midway through the first half, Jess Park launched a powerful run from her own half, only to see her effort crash against the post, narrowly missing an equaliser. Liverpool, meanwhile, created their own chances. Beata Olsson struck the woodwork twice – first from a free‑kick that rattled the post, and later when a rebound from Cornelia Kapocs fell to her feet, only for her finish to be denied by a spectacular double save from goalkeeper Phallon Tullis‑Joyce.
The match narrative was punctuated by a series of notable incidents that highlighted the intensity of the contest. At the 21st minute, Tullis‑Joyce produced a superb double save, denying both Kapocs and Olsson in quick succession. In the 37th minute, Park’s long‑range effort from just inside Liverpool's box hit the crossbar, underscoring United's threat. Liverpool responded at the 40th minute when Olsson’s free‑kick was deflected onto the near post by Tullis‑Joyce, again emphasizing the fine margins that defined the game.
Just before halftime, United’s Ella Toone delivered a clever pass to Medina on the left side of the box, but Keating rushed off her line to smother the one‑on‑one opportunity, showcasing Liverpool’s defensive resilience. In the second half, Jenna Clark’s corner header squeezed past the far post, only to be denied by a well‑placed defender. Later, at the 80th minute, Liverpool’s Terland curled a shot that forced another save from Keating, though the ball was too close to the keeper to pose a real threat. When the final whistle blew, Zigiotti’s early chip stood as the match‑winning goal, delivering Manchester United their first back‑to‑back victories since February and bringing them level on points with Liverpool heading into the international break.
Post‑match, Zigiotti reflected on the significance of the three points: "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 [Olid] 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." Midfielder Ella Toone added her perspective, emphasizing the project nature of the team’s development: "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." Liverpool midfielder Grace Fisk expressed disappointment, noting the contrast between their early‑season dominance and the performance on the day: "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." Overall, the match highlighted Manchester United's growing confidence under Olid, the tactical acumen of Zigiotti in exploiting early opportunities, and the fine line between victory and defeat in a tightly contested league.
The win not only adds three points to United's tally but also reinforces the belief that the squad can compete with the league's top sides as the season progresses.