Manchester City spoiled Manchester United’s party on Sunday — and handed them a reminder of the work that still needs to be done.
This was the first women’s Manchester derby to be played at Old Trafford, and a record crowd of 43,615 saw City overcome Marc Skinner’s side 3-1.
The game showcased the good and the grim of a team who drive the train and lay the track simultaneously. The growth of United into a genuine Women’s Super League force is impressive, if expected. Yet once again they faced difficulties when encountering another of the division’s best sides.
Going into this match, Skinner’s side had recovered from last month’s Champions League qualifying defeat to Paris Saint-Germain to become one of the form teams in the WSL. Sunday’s match programme saw the United manager praise his side for being unbeaten in 13 league games — with eight wins and three draws — and having eight different goalscorers responsible for 12 goals in their last two outings.
This derby was — they hoped — going to be a showcase for United’s development.
A mural of Mary Earps riffing on the famous Carlos Tevez design was set up in collaboration with Sky Sports, one of the WSL’s UK broadcast partners, to promote the new 2023-24 season back in August. And the artwork became…
