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Manchester United Women made it three wins from three this season as they beat Liverpool 2-0 in the group stage of the Women’s League cup.
United dominated the occasion as they had 61% of the ball and 12 shots to the visitor’s five.
Liverpool didn’t have a shot on target in the game as Phallon Tullis-Joyce kept her third clean sheet in a row after replacing Mary Earps as this season’s number one.
United’s first real chance of the evening at the Leigh Sports Village Stadium came when after some slick football, Melvine Malard was released down the left hand side and she fired a ferocious strike at goal but it was well parried away by Rachael Laws.
It didn’t take long for the Red Devils to take the lead however as from the resulting corner, Malard struck home an instinctive left-footed effort to put Marc Skinner’s side in front.
The Frenchwoman was a consistent threat as her pace once again saw her released down the left hand side and after failing to pick out Rachel Williams in the box, she laid the deflection off to new signing Simi Awujo, who could only fire over from just outside the penalty box.
United kept up the first half pressure and fellow new signing Celin Bizet Ildhusøy cut in from the right hand side after more good football from the home side and curled a left footed effort just wide.
Liverpool mustered their only threatening attempt of the half when a dangerous Jasmine Matthews free kick was glanced just wide of Tullis-Joyce’s left hand post.
As the second half commenced, United almost added to their lead as a whipped in corner was almost headed in by Hayley Ladd, but the ball ended up drifting wide of the mark.
The 2023 World Cup Golden boot winner, Hinata Miyazawa, almost scored a wonderful solo goal as the one-way traffic continued. She expertly pressed the Liverpool defence, won the ball back, raced down the left wing, cut inside and fired a low effort off the base of the post.
The Japanese international’s pressing would once again cause massive issues for the Liverpool defence as she won the ball back from a lazy pass from the Liverpool keeper just outside the penalty box and squared the ball for Williams, who made no mistake when one-on-one with the keeper to give United a well-deserved 2-0 lead.
The victory sees United sit top of their group ahead of Everton on goal difference. The Toffees drew 1-1 with Newcastle United but came out on top on penalties.
The Red Devils will next be in action when they take on Tottenham Hotspur on the 13th of October in a repeat of last season’s FA Cup final.
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