Manchester United continued the upward trajectory they have been enjoying under the guidance of new manager Eva Olid, thanks to an early, expertly placed chip from Julia Zigiotti that secured a 1-0 triumph over Liverpool and marked the club's second consecutive win. After a rocky introduction to Olid's tenure – the team stumbled in their first two fixtures and then suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea – the Red Devils appear to have found their footing.
Accumulating seven points from the last three matches, United entered the clash at Leigh with confidence, and they were rewarded for their resilience when they managed to outplay a Liverpool side that has been enjoying its strongest start to a Women's Super League campaign in nearly ten years. The decisive moment arrived within the first ten minutes.
Liverpool defender Khiara Keating attempted a clearance that fell short, allowing Zigiotti Olme to pounce. Positioned just outside the penalty area, she executed a perfectly timed chip from roughly 20 yards, sending the ball sailing over the Liverpool 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, reflecting on the tactical plan that paid off instantly.
That solitary goal proved enough to seal the win, but United were not short of opportunities throughout both halves. In the first half, Jess Park made a daring run from her own half, surged into the Liverpool box and unleashed a powerful shot that struck the crossbar, narrowly missing an equaliser. Liverpool, meanwhile, had their own brushes with the woodwork.
Beata Olsson's effort hit the post after a rebound from Cornelia Kapocs fell to her, and the goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce produced a spectacular double save to keep United's lead intact. The match featured a series of notable incidents that highlighted the intensity of the contest. At the 21st minute, Tullis-Joyce's double save denied an increasingly threatening Liverpool attack, with both Kapocs and Olsson seeing their attempts thwarted in rapid succession. Later, around the 37th minute, Park's long-range strike ricocheted off the crossbar, underscoring how close the visitors came to drawing level.
Liverpool responded quickly; Olsson's free‑kick was deflected onto the near post by Tullis-Joyce, again emphasizing the fine margins that decided the game. In the second half, United continued to press, and midfielder Ella Toone created several chances down the left flank. At the 45+3 minute mark, Toone found Medina in the box, but Keating recovered quickly, smothering the one‑on‑one opportunity and preserving the clean sheet.
Liverpool attempted to mount a comeback, with Jenna Clark heading a corner narrowly missing the goal, and later, a curling effort from Terland forced another save from Keating, but the ball stayed just out of reach. When the final whistle blew, Zigiotti's early chip had earned her the match‑winner accolade and the Player of the Match award.
She expressed her delight to BBC Sport, saying, "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." Toone added her perspective, noting the significance of the victory ahead of the international 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." Liverpool midfielder Grace Fisk offered a candid assessment of her side's performance.
"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," she explained.
The win not only gave United their first back‑to‑back victories since February but also brought them level on points with Liverpool heading into the upcoming international break, setting the stage for a tightly contested race in the WSL. Both managers will now look to build on the positives and address the shortcomings revealed during the match as the season progresses. In addition to the on‑field drama, fans were reminded of an ongoing promotion: the Super 6 competition, offering a chance to win £1 million with free entry. This added a further layer of excitement for supporters following the thrilling encounter.