Manchester United Women delivered a commanding performance to beat Brighton and Hove Albion 3-0 at Leigh Sports Village in the Women's Super League, climbing to second in the table. The Red Devils bounced back in style following their midweek League Cup defeat to Manchester City, with early goals setting the tone for Marc Skinner’s side.
The match started at a rather fast pace, with Ella Toone opening the scoreline for the night in just the second minute. Elisabeth Terland held up the play and then found Toone with a threaded pass, who calmly slotted the ball into the corner past Brighton’s Sophie Baggaley. This was Toone’s fifth goal contribution this season continuing a brilliant season so far.
United doubled their lead in the 11th minute through Hinata Miyazawa. A cleverly worked free kick routine saw Toone pick out the Japanese international, whose initial shot was blocked but Miyazawa was quick to react and pounded on the ball, smashing home her her first goal since November.
Brighton struggled to make amends for the early setbacks against a dominant United side. Manchester United continued making chances and pressed high, looking to threaten the Brighton goal. Manchester United pressed high and created several opportunities, with both Terland and Leah Galton coming close to adding a third. Baggaley was called into action multiple times, denying both Miyazawa and Terland before halftime to keep the score at 2-0.
Brighton’s best chance came early in the second half when Nikita Parris fired over from close range following a corner. However, it was United again who responded with another goal in the 69th minute when Celin Bizet nutmegged Maisie Symonds before unleashing a powerful strike from outside the box that left Baggaley with no chance, sealing the victory at 3-0. The goal for Bizet was on the cards as she was having a quality game and kept knocking on the Brighton door.
After a comfortable 3-0 lead, United controlled the remainder of the match while keeping Brighton’s possession based play to a bay and ensuring goalkeeper Tullis-Joyce was rarely troubled for the game. Skinner’s side secured their third clean sheet in four league matches, cementing their second place in the WSL.
This victory moves Manchester United above local rivals Manchester City into second place, seven points behind league leaders Chelsea. The Red Devils will look to maintain their position and try to lessen the gap at the top as they travel to face Tottenham Hotspur next Sunday.
With Champions League qualification in their sights, Skinner’s team continues to impress, climbing further up in the table. The manager praised her players’ energy and determination during the post-match press conference, emphasizing the importance of maintaining their winning form in the race for European football.
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