Man United continued their upward trajectory under the guidance of new manager Eva Olid, thanks to an early, expertly placed chip from Julia Zigiotti that clinched a 1-0 triumph against Liverpool. After a rocky beginning to Olid's tenure – dropping the first two matches and suffering a heavy 5-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea – the team appears to have found its rhythm, accumulating seven points from the last three fixtures and dispatching a determined Liverpool side at Leigh Sports Village. The decisive moment arrived within the first ten minutes when Zigiotti capitalised on a mis‑clearance by Liverpool defender Khiara Keating.
Spotting the ball rolling just outside the penalty area, Zigiotti lofted a perfectly weighted chip from roughly six yards out, sending the ball sailing 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," she told BBC Sport after the match.
That solitary goal proved enough to secure the win, although United had several opportunities to extend their lead in both halves. Liverpool, meanwhile, fought back fiercely, enjoying their best start to a Women's Super League campaign in almost a decade.
The most dramatic near‑miss came five minutes before halftime when Jess Park surged forward from her own half, only to see her powerful strike strike the crossbar by a whisker. Liverpool also threatened the United goal with a series of attempts that rattled the woodwork. Beata Olsson saw her free‑kick strike hit the post, and a follow‑up rebound from Cornelia Kapocs fell to her again, but her finish was off‑target, allowing goalkeeper Phallon Tullis‑Joyce to complete a spectacular double save. In the end, Zigiotti's early strike was the difference, delivering Man United their first consecutive wins since February and drawing them level on points with Liverpool heading into the international break.
Key match moments: - 6' GOAL! Zigiotti intercepts Keating's clearance and chips the ball from 20 yards out, putting United ahead. - 21' DOUBLE SAVE! Tullis‑Joyce produces a superb double stop, denying Liverpool as both Kapocs and Olsson see shots saved in quick succession.
- 37' OFF THE BAR! Park's long‑range effort from just inside the Liverpool box ricochets off the crossbar. - 40' POST!
Olsson's free‑kick curls onto the near post, only to be turned away by Tullis‑Joyce. - 45+3' BIG SAVE!
Ella Toone delivers a cross to Medina, but Keating rushes off her line to smother the one‑on‑one chance. - 69' CLOSE! Jenna Clark heads a corner narrowly missing the goal, squeezing the ball past the far post.
- 80' SAVE! Terland's curling effort forces another save from Keating, the ball skimming just outside the keeper's reach. Player of the match, Julia Zigiotti Olme, reflected on the victory: "I'm so happy with the three points.
Very important win for us but it was a hard game. We wanted to start quickly and they weren’t prepared, so I’m very pleased with that. We've grown a lot of confidence in training and during games since Eva arrived.
We’ve had two cup games where many players could feature and we kept progressing. I'm just happy with the goals today." Midfielder Ella Toone added her perspective: "It’s a project, we’re improving week by week and it feels great to go into the international break on a win. It was a tough game; we had the energy, and I think in the first half they struggled with our intensity. Ziggy’s early goal and solid defending kept us in control." Liverpool midfielder Grace Fisk expressed disappointment: "We’re disappointed with the performance, especially because we played some excellent football earlier this season and have been dominant.
Today we couldn’t find our rhythm. Credit to United – they were aggressive and direct. There were phases where we had momentum and chances, but they defended well around their box.
Gareth Taylor is big on performance, and he’s disappointed in how we played. We’ve shown we can dominate at a high level, but today we fell short." The match underscored the growing confidence of Man United’s squad under Olid’s leadership.
After a bleak start, the team has shown resilience, tactical discipline, and an ability to seize moments – as demonstrated by Zigiotti’s decisive chip. Liverpool, despite their promising start to the season, will need to regroup and address defensive lapses if they hope to maintain their early momentum. Looking ahead, United will aim to build on this victory, hoping to translate the confidence gained into further points once the international break concludes.
Meanwhile, Liverpool will seek to bounce back, learning from the mistakes that allowed a single early goal to dictate the outcome. Play Super 6 for a chance to win £1m! Enter for free.