As the Women’s Super League heads into the season’s first international break, three sides are unbeaten in the league- Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United. In the last two seasons, both Manchester clubs have taken Chelsea to the last day before ultimately missing out on the title, but can United mount a challenge this time around?
This season, City top the table, having taken 13 points from their five games so far. Defending champions Chelsea are a point behind, while United have 10 points. It is worth noting that following the controversial postponement of the match between the sides scheduled for earlier this month, Chelsea and United have a game in hand.
Two seasons ago, United finished second before regressing to a disappointing fifth-placed finish last time around. Before the season started, most United fans believed that finishing in the top three and claiming a place in the Champions League was the priority, but could Marc Skinner’s side finish even higher than that?
How do United compare to their rivals?
Manchester United have won three and drawn one of their four games so far, scoring eight goals. Four teams have scored more- Manchester City with nine, Brighton and Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur with ten, and Chelsea with 15. In terms of goals per game, theirs is exactly two the same as Brighton and Spurs.
United are out on their own with the best defence in the league; Nikita Parris’ equaliser for Brighton on Saturday was the first and only goal that United have conceded in any competition this season. Chelsea are next with three, followed by four clubs with four goals conceded.
Three players have been key to their success. Grace Clinton is the joint top scorer in the league with three. Her former Tottenham teammate Celin Bizet is the outright league leader for assists, while Phallon Tullis-Joyce is joint top for clean sheets- both also with three.
Have results improved from last season?
So far this season, United have won both home games, against West Ham United and Tottenham, with 3-0 scorelines. They beat Everton 1-0 at Walton Hall Park before Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Brighton at the Amex.
In the equivalent games last season, United picked up eight points, scoring 12 and conceding four- they gained 5-0 wins at home to West Ham and away to Everton, with 2-2 draws at home to Tottenham and away to Brighton.
So, while United have scored fewer goals in these games this season compared to 2023-24, at the same time, conceding less. Perhaps the most significant difference is turning the draw against Spurs into a win.
What is to come for United?
One caveat when discussing United this season is that they are yet to play any of the sides who finished above them last season, the traditional ‘Big Three’ of City, Chelsea and Arsenal, as well as Liverpool.
That will change after the international break when they host the currently managerless Arsenal at Leigh Sports Village. Following that, they have home games against Aston Villa and Liverpool, as well as away games against Leicester and Crystal Palace before the winter break.
With Arsenal having had a disappointing start to the season, leading to the departure of Jonas Eidevall, this will be seen as a perfect opportunity for United to put further distance between themselves and the Gunners and cement their place as contenders.
Can United challenge for the title again?
Early signs seem encouraging that United can claim a return to the Champions League, having had a brief taste of European competition last season when they were beaten in the Second Qualifying Round by Paris Saint-Germain.
Whether they can go further and mount a challenge to end Chelsea’s five-year stranglehold on the title, it is probably too early to say. The clash with Arsenal on 3 November will probably give our first real indication of where United are at in relation to their rivals.
Last season, that game was a 2-2 draw, the only point United picked up against the Big Three. If the Red Devils can win that one and open up a five-point gap to Arsenal, then maybe fans at Leigh Sports Village can start dreaming.