Alessia Russo’s timely one-touch effort gave Manchester United all the ammunition they needed to get ahead in the title race. Their 1-0 win over Arsenal last night saw the Reds sail four points clear of second-place Chelsea, who have two games in hand.
But manager Marc Skinner said he was not occupied with what the former Champions were doing: “[The title race is] between us and us. We have to fight our own battle.
“I am not going to get drawn into what Chelsea do, we did that last year [and] it did not work. We have Aston Villa next and their growth has been massive this year so it will be a tough game.
“I am only interested in my own team. I cannot control the other teams so it’s wasted energy to think about it,” he told MUTV.
Mathematically, United could walk away league winners but they would need to win all their remaining four games against Aston Villa, Tottenham, local rivals Man City and Liverpool, while also relying on Chelsea to lose at least one of their final six ties against Liverpool, Everton, Leicester, West Ham, Arsenal and Reading - it could go down to the wire.
The penultimate game of the season sees a Manchester derby and Chelsea vs Arsenal. Both ties have the potential to tarnish United's dreams and alter the fate of the League title silverware. But regardless of where United finish in the league table, they have proven themselves to be one of the top contenders. No longer are they considered the underdog when facing league giants Arsenal, Chelsea and City.
Skinner said: "Arsenal were not at their best but neither were we. There were some moments of real class from us, we showed resilience and it just shows what we are learning as a team. I am really proud of everyone tonight.
“Arsenal are in the semi-finals of the Champions League. They are a top, top team and have been for many years.
“For us to win and do the double over them, for me it's a massive sign of our growth. We need to keep promising ourselves that we will keep up that energy and that growth.”
United’s next Women’s Super League tie takes place at the Bescot Stadium as they travel to the Midlands on Friday, April 28 for what will be a thrilling clash against Aston Villa.
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