Manchester United Women will learn if their Women’s Super League title credentials are real on Sunday evening when they host Chelsea Women at Leigh Sports Village.
The game will see United, league leaders, take on three-time consecutive and defending champions Chelsea in a real test of their chances of maintaining an impressive start to the season.
After five games, the Red Devils are the only team yet to concede a single goal and are joined by Arsenal Women as the only sides with a 100% record.
Marc Skinner’s side recruited well over the summer and this is their first real test against one of the big WSL rivals and a chance to make a statement.
Big Test for Manchester United Women as They Host Chelsea
Final workout before matchday = complete 💪✔️#MUWomen || #WSL pic.twitter.com/0u3BPTiuhx
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) November 5, 2022
Why Expectations Must Remain Realistic
Whilst Manchester United Women are well-placed at this early stage, it remains important to be realistic about their aspirations this season. The focus has to be on qualifying for the Women’s Champions League. In truth, participation in Europe will attract the level of quality United need to seriously consider themselves alongside Chelsea and Arsenal.
For example, since signing USWNT stars Tobin Heath and Christen Press for a season in 2020, United have struggled to make signings of that level of quality in the women’s game since – and simply put, with the name the club carries, the only reason for that can be the lack of participation in Europe’s elite women’s competition.
A title win in unison with qualification would be a truly magnificent achievement for all involved and will of course remain the dream for the United faithful. Sunday is a game they can hint at how far they can go this season. The WSL is a difficult league for any desired top team as the quality of the rivals at the top means that you have to be near perfect to lift that silverware at its culmination.
United’s Best Recruits This Summer
The key addition this summer for Manchester United Women was defender Maya Le Tissier from Brighton & Hove Albion Women. The 20-year-old had a dream start on the opening day when scoring a brace v Reading Women but her work at the other end of the pitch is as solid as it gets and for her age, she possesses great potential of being one of the finest in the WSL for years to come.
Guernsey-born Le Tissier, who has captained England Women at U23 level, received her first senior call-up for the Lionesses by Sarina Wiegman earlier this week.
Women’s Euros winner Nikita Parris has made a big impact too, leading the Reds’ scoring tally for the season in all competitions with three goals.
Read More: England Women Triumph at Euro 2022; What It Means for the Women’s Game
The added quality in depth has been the theme for Marc Skinner over the summer months. United’s bench is far stronger than it has been in recent years and that will be important over the course of the season. Then, perhaps next summer, the Red Devils will hope to focus on adding European quality to their line-up in a bid to become a real force in the women’s game, after reforming in 2018.
