Marc Skinner hailed Manchester United’s first away win against Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester City as “huge” as his side recovered from a second-half slump to end their opponents’ perfect start to the season and draw level with them at the top of the table thanks to a thrilling 3-2 victory.
“It’s huge, there’s no doubt about that,” said a jubilant Skinner. “It’s three points, let’s be very clear, we lost three against Chelsea. I’m not blowing it up. But tonight we decided we did not want to leave this game without showing bravery and personality. When I look at a Manchester United team, famous on the men’s side, it’s about that never-give-up attitude, and we’re going to keep going until the final whistle. Tonight we got a full Manchester United [spirit]. Our job is to bring the women under that same banner: we might go down but we’re never beaten.”
In front of the second-largest WSL crowd of 40,064, after the 47,367 that attended Arsenal’s defeat of Tottenham at the Emirates, United took the lead through Ella Toone late in the first half before Arsenal struck back in the second. Frida Maanum drew Arsenal level before Laura Wienroither gave them the lead.
United flipped the script though, with Katie Zelem delivering twice from set pieces, first for Millie Turner, then Alessia Russo to send the hefty away contingent wild.
The international break has taken its toll on the increasingly depleted Arsenal but Lotte Wubben-Moy was fit enough, following a mild quad strain, to return to partner Steph Catley at the back, with Leah Williamson and Rafaelle both still out with foot injuries. Jordan Nobbs, Beth Mead, Manuela Zinsberger and Wienroither all also started despite all suffering injuries at different points during the break. For United, Ona Batlle returned at right-back having not played since mid-October.
In the first half you could have been forgiven for thinking the visiting team in green were the unbeaten side flying in the league. United were slick and rampant and the Gunners gifted them possession in the middle far too often, with the trio of Nobbs, Maanum and Lia Wälti struggling in the absence of the injured Kim Little.
But United did not capitalise on their display until six minutes before the break, when the unmarked Toone, who had snuck in behind Wubben-Moy, side-footed in at the back post.
United’s profligacy was punished instantly in the second half, as Maanum hustled the ball from Nikita Parris inside the centre circle before gliding towards the edge of the area and sending in a shot that would loop off the centre-back Maya Le Tissier and in. Arsenal had come out of the dressing room fighting, playing with an intensity sorely lacking in the first half and United were rattled.
After the hour mark Vivianne Miedema came on, in place of Nobbs, and hard work from the Dutchwoman contributed to Arsenal’s second. Having broken in on the left she was forced to shift the ball backwards to Caitlin Foord, who fed Katie McCabe who swung the ball to the back post where Wienroither volleyed in her first goal for Arsenal from close range.
The lead held until there were five minutes left, and after Turner’s equaliser Russo scored the winner early in added time.
Arsenal’s manager, Jonas Eidevall, said: “I thought in the first half it was a lot to do with our positioning, we were too disconnected, we didn’t provide enough short passes around the ball. In the second half it was our decision making, we were better with our positioning, but we made some strange decisions with the ball.”
An altogether happier Skinner said: “I invented dance moves when we scored tonight. I spun, I pirouetted – it wasn’t pretty. It made me, for a moment, lose where I was, and that’s what football should be.
“It’s only three points. Please report this: it’s only three points. I’m just really happy.”
