That’s about all we’ve got time for; thanks for joining this live blog. A good day for Man United, who are flying at the start of the season.
Here’s today’s WSL roundup to conclude with.
Updated
It was a strange game in truth and the stats will not reflect the scoreline. But that’s a testament to the quality of United’s finishing, in particular that of Elisabeth Terland. Her two expert finishes just before half-time truly defined this game – after that Spurs were always chasing it and, despite the amount of possession they enjoyed and the set-pieces they had, they couldn’t find a way past Tullis-Joyce and the hosts’ defence.
It’s a third successive win to nil for United in the league; they join Chelsea as the only sides to have won three from three in the WSL so far this season. Spurs look more like a mid-table side than one that will be pushing for Europe, even though they showed promise at times this afternoon.
Here’s the penalty from the United skipper that put gloss on the scoreline.
Great composure from @MayaLeTissier 🙌#BarclaysWSL @ManUtdWomen pic.twitter.com/qvbobaqUwN
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) October 13, 2024
Full time: Manchester United 3-0 Tottenham
That’s it. A straightforward victory for United in the end and it’s all smiles for Marc Skinner’s side and the crowd at Leigh Sports Village.
It finishes Manchester United 3-0 Tottenham.
Updated
90 min + 5: It’s another fine save from Tullis-Joyce, with Spence trying her luck from distance this time. She just can’t find a way past the United shot-stopper.
90 min + 4: Tullis-Joyce sprawls to deny Spence, whose shot isn’t powerful enough to trouble the United keeper. The American keeper is another United player who has shone like a beacon today.
90 min + 3: Gabby George shepherds the ball out of play; she’s typified the kind of defensive resilience United have shown this afternoon, with Le Tissier barely putting a foot wrong either.
They simply will not concede a goal.
90 min: A whopping eight minutes are added on at LSV.
Have the officials no mercy on Tottenham?
89 min: Lenna Gunning-Williams replaces Jessica Naz, who has ran herself into the ground today.
87 min: Both managers can still be heard barking instructions at their players from the sidelines.
United will be desperate to keep another clean sheet, while Spurs probably deserve at least one goal.
85 min: Bizet has taken a knock to the head from a stray elbow. She’s a tough cookie though and shakes it off. She’s done really well this afternoon for United at right-back, it must be said.
82 min: The pace has dropped from this game now, with United happy to operate on the counter and Spurs just short of ideas and motivation, you sense.
79 min: Vinberg turns, shoots and demands another Spurs corner for a deflection. There’s nothing doing in every sense.
78 min: Neville flashes a shot across the face of goal. Time is running out for Tottenham.
76 min: That comes to nothing and United will now make a triple change. Hinata Miyazawa, Rachel Williams and Simi Awujo are on, with Elisabeth Terland, Ella Toone and Lisa Naaslund going off.
There’s a deserved standing ovation for Terland from the fans at LSV.
74 min: Spurs have their eighth corner of the afternoon and England goes close, flicking a header that balloons over to the back post, with Galton heading it off the line.
Time for a ninth corner…
72 min: Ashley Neville with a well-timed challenge on Galton. That potentially stopped a goal; the United winger was bearing down on goal.
4-0 to the hosts now looks more likely than 3-1.
71 min: Clinton hustles and harries and forces the mistake from Hunt and Toone should do better once Terland has fed her. The England forward blazes it over.
69 min: If Spurs get a goal now…
(They no longer really look like getting one).
67 min: Thomas hasn’t given up, to be fair to her, she’s still running the channels down the left, with Vinberg also making her presence felt down that side now.
64 min: United may have a problem, with Clinton down on her haunches and receiving some medical attention.
Toone has been booked for a late challenge.
63 min: Spurs look completely sapped at the moment. I don’t think they can quite believe they’re 3-0 down.
60 min: I was surprised neither Toone nor Terland took that penalty, so the pressure was on Le Tissier to some extent. She didn’t show any signs of feeling it. United surely have this wrapped up now.
GOAL! Man Utd 3-0 Tottenham (Le Tissier, 59)
Ella Toone spots down the ball and, despite the fact Terland is on a hat-trick, Maya Le Tissier takes it.
And the United captain makes no mistake, slotting it into the bottom right corner.
Updated
Penalty United! Ashley Neville is adjudged to have handled in the area.
56 min: Spurs are making a fairly early change, as it looks like Summanen won’t be able to continue. Matilda Vinberg is on.
54 min: United are exhibiting some fine buildup play now and they look the most likely to get the (crucial, obviously) next goal.
52 min: Skinner is talking to Bizet on the sideline. You have to say his decision to play the winger at right-back had borne fruit so far.
She’s put in two fine crosses for the United goals.
Summanen has been getting some treatment on the field for Spurs.
50 min: Oh, United should have three and Terland should have a hat-trick, she’s played clean through and hits the post. Spencer just about touched that onto the woodwork.
48 min: Spurs are keeping the ball well. Their problem so far has been a lack of cutting edge in the final third.
46 min: Spurs start the second half in much the same way they started the first – pressing high and winning set-pieces as United attempt to win it back.
Second half: We go again. Can Spurs find a way back into this one?
Here’s Terland’s second:
Headed home by Terland! 👊#BarclaysWSL @ManUtdWomen pic.twitter.com/34lVRJQZUE
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) October 13, 2024
Spurs should remember how well they’ve played and, if they can, take heart. The link-up between Thomas and England has been effective, with Jessica Naz a consistent threat down the right too.
The problem is they’ve switched off at the back a couple of times and been punished by some ruthless finishing.
I’m off to grab a coffee and reflect on that first half.
HALF TIME
Manchester United 2-0 Tottenham.
The visitors will feel completely shellshocked. They dominated for long periods in that first half but they now trail by two after two fine finishes from Terland. That’s the price you can pay for profligacy, I guess.
United’s more clinical finishing has put them in control, on course for a third straight WSL victory, and Robert Vilahamn looks perplexed to say the least.
In off the crossbar from Elisabeth Terland 🙌#BarclaysWSL @ManUtdWomen pic.twitter.com/vlyh3TTN36
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) October 13, 2024
GOAL! Man Utd 2-0 Tottenham (Terland, 45+4)
A flowing United move and another fine goal for Terland, made by Bizet! Wow.
Clinton held onto it nicely and laid the ball for Bizet to whip in from the right, in similar fashion to the first goal. This time Terland latches onto it with her head and Spencer has no chance. A fine double-salvo from the United striker.
Updated
45 min + 2: United almost scrambled one in from the corner but the referee blows up for a foul on Spencer.
Tottenham will feel really aggrieved if they’re trailing at the break. But United have had good spells in the half, especially in the past five to 10 minutes.
45 min: That’s pretty special from Elisabeth Terland, her first United goal. And it will live long in the memory.
I said it came on the stroke of half-time, but we’ve got six added minutes now, as Terland has another effort blocked. United sense the chance to nick another.
GOAL! Man Utd 1-0 Tottenham (Terland, 44)
Terland on the stroke of half-time! United lead and it’s against the run of play really.
The Norwegian striker hasn’t had much of a kick but it’s a super volley to meet Bizet’s fine cross from the right, with far too power for Spencer to keep it out.
Updated
41 min: United are least battling hard in midfield, in the face of a fierce Tottenham press.
Can they conjure something before the interval?
38 min: As I type that, it nearly clicks for United, with Galton stretching to shoot following a good move down the left, but it’s easily collected by Spencer.
37 min: Some United fans are chanting ‘attack, attack, attack’ – such has been their frustration at watching the home side’s struggle to click into gear. Toone hasn’t been in the game at all.
Lisa Naalsund’s passing has been one of the few bright spots for United in the opening 38 minutes.
35 min: Brilliant trickery from Thomas to evade her markers down the left, eventually crossing for England who cannot quite stoop to direct her header at goal. United are living increasingly dangerously, though.
33 min: Another Spurs set-piece, surely one of these will pay off soon … nope not this one. Summanen doesn’t clear the first player and Janssen wallops clear.
31 min: Tullis-Joyce is OK. But the game has turned slightly scruffy, with United in particular struggling to string their passes together.
The sun has peaked through the grey Leigh clouds though, which is pleasing.
This has been United’s best chance of the game:
A BIG save from Becky Spencer 🧤#BarclaysWSL @SpursWomen pic.twitter.com/tea53lmUoL
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) October 13, 2024
Updated
27 min: The United keeper may well have been hurt while making that clearance. Looks like she took a hefty knock on the knee from England. She’s down and needs treatment.
26 min: Spurs are getting a fair few set-pieces in this game, with Eveliina Summanen the player charged with getting the delivery right.
Tullis-Joyce makes a strong punch from this latest corner, with Beth England lurking right under the ball.
24 min: It’s almost a back three at times for United, with Bizet pushing high and wide into a wing-back role and Clinton playing narrow right midfield, while George stays back on the left side of a three-player defensive line.
It’s a fluid formation that’s for sure and it’s starting to pay off with United growing into the game.
22 min: Sarina Wiegman is in situ at Leigh Sports Village, pen in hand making notes and sporting a pair of pink trousers.
Updated
20 min: Marc Skinner said this would be tight before kick-off and it’s proving that way, now that United have gained a foothold in the contest.
Updated
18 mins: Spurs break through Naz but they cannot make the most of the space afforded to them. Tullis-Joyce collects easily after a pot-shot from Ahtinen.
17 min: That’s United’s best chance of the game and it really ought to have gone in from Clinton. She hit it cleanly enough with her left foot but Becky Spencer produced a fine reaction save.
14 min: It’s been a bit better in the past few minutes from United and it’s largely thanks to the coolness of Dominique Janssen in midfield. She’s the player that can help the hosts take better care of the ball and shift them upfield.
11 min: Super feet from England to draw in defenders and lay it off to Spence, who tries to curl a shot from 20 yards or so, which is just tipped over the crossbar by Tullis-Joyce.
10 min: A pattern has been established in this game. It goes like this:
United try and pass it out from the back, Spurs press high and aggressively, win it back and fashion a chance of sorts. United need to break that cycle quickly.
8 min: Clare Hunt strikes the outside of the post with a header from a corner. There was never any real danger of it going in but still… Tottenham are on top.
7 min: Spurs are having a good spell early on and lots of their joy is coming down their left. I suspect Celin Bizet doesn’t want to do a huge amount of defending but she’s the nominal right-back for United and needs to help the likes of Le Tissier and Turner out.
5 min: Goodness me that’s a big chance for Martha Thomas. She gets the better of Le Tissier, cutting in from the left, but the United keeper Tullis-Joyce stays tall and strong to make the stop.
Updated
3 min: United are looking to play through Spurs with short passes and quick exchanges in central areas. Toone looks to be playing the No 10 role to link it all together, with Clinton shifted out to the right.
1 min: It looks like Galton will play higher up rather than at left-back, where she’s been stationed previously this season. Bizet is slotting in at right-back with Gabby George on the left side of the back four.
KICK OFF
Here we go, here we go.
Back in the rather colder confines of Leigh, we’re approaching kick-off time. What’s your prediction for this one? I’m going for a narrow United victory, 2-1 perhaps.
A win for the hosts would ensure they join Chelsea as the only WSL side with a perfect record this season so far. Can they go three from three?
Elsewhere in the world of elite women’s sport today, there’s the Women’s T20 World Cup, if that’s your bag.
Vilahamn confirms Thomas will play on the left wing with England through the middle. The two are immensely talented but haven’t played together for Spurs very much. Can they dovetail today?
Spurs are here ✊
— Tottenham Hotspur Women (@SpursWomen) October 13, 2024
🧳 @TumiTravel pic.twitter.com/K2hzUJsL25
Tottenham’s head coach Robert Vilahamn is speaking to Sky Sports before the game.
He says his team must find the balance between scoring goals and keeping them out. “We need to make sure we don’t give away set-pieces to score from.”
He adds that Beth England “deserves to start” after the impact she’s made off the bench in the past few matches.
“These games are the ones we’ve got to compete [in] to see if we can break into the Champions League, to challenge Man United. We’re aiming for the Champions League in the long run.”
Marc Skinner has been delighted with United’s fast start to the league season but says his team are still in transition, integrating new players after a busy summer.
We’re in a good space. We’re still learning. I can tell that there are parts of our game that are not smooth but I’ve been happy with our clean sheets. I think that’s huge for us. We’re embedding a new goalkeeper into a starting position. We’re embedding new defenders, new midfielders, new forwards.
We’re playing some really exciting stuff and, even in training, I’m starting to see little connections in players that haven’t played together before. I think that is really important for us. It’s still our style, but I just think you’ll see individuals do things differently.”
And what of the challenge posed by Spurs?
It’s going to be an intriguing game. I won’t take Tottenham ever lightly. I pay every team the respect they deserve and this is a team that can score goals, create chances, has great counter-attacking ability. We’ve just got to try to control it as much as possible. It’ll be a good game. It will be tight.
Updated
Footage of footballers trotting across grass before a football match.
Ready to get firing on all cylinders 🔥👊#MUWomen pic.twitter.com/o5f1jX7Xj7
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) October 13, 2024
Updated
A reminder that Melvine Malard is injured for United and it looks like she’s been joined on the sidelines by Brazilian forward Geyse. The hosts still look pretty strong through, with Leah Galton continuing in her left back role and Celin Bizet coming into the forward line.
For Spurs, it will be all about that link-up between Martha Thomas, Beth England and Jessica Naz up top. We’re about 45 minutes from kick-off at Leigh.
Team news
Manchester United: Tullis-Joyce; George, Turner, Le Tissier, Galton; Clinton, Janssen, Naaslund; Toone, Bizet, Terland.
Tottenham: Spencer; Neville, Bartrip, Hunt, Grant; Summanen, Ahtinen, Spence; Naz, Thomas, England.
Just in: today's United team news! 🔴🗞️#MUWomen || #BarclaysWSL
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) October 13, 2024
📋 Three changes to our the starting XI!
— Tottenham Hotspur Women (@SpursWomen) October 13, 2024
🔢 @krakenfx pic.twitter.com/K54lT0ddJA
Preamble
Hello and welcome to today’s live Women’s Super League offering. And it comes from Leigh Sports Village, where unbeaten Manchester United host Tottenham. OK, United have only played twice in the league so far this season, but with two wins from two confidence is high. Spurs have been a mixed bag with a win, a draw and a defeat from their three encounters so far.
Grace Clinton is most certainly the player to watch today. The 21-year-old England prodigy is aiming become the first ever United player to score in each of their first three WSL appearances for the club. She showed huge promise on loan at Tottenham last season – so there’s narrative for you. United boss Marc Skinner boasts a super record against Spurs, too, going seven games against them unbeaten.
The game kicks off at 12.30pm (BST) and we’ll bring you team news in the next post, so let’s get stuck into this, shall we? Yes, let’s.
