On Sunday we were back at the Leigh Sports Village to see Manchester United take on Leicester City in what we hoped would be an entertaining game of football due to Leicester trying to hold onto their unbeaten run and United trying to bounce back from their last league game where Arsenal secured a late draw. In all honesty though we came away from the game a little disappointed, the game felt scrappy and the freezing weather didn't help the cause as the game finished in a 1-1 draw. 

A good result for Leicester as they remain unbeaten but the draw meant United have dropped 2 more valuable points as we know just how tight it can be at the top of the table from the start of the season to the final day.

United went into the game having made a few changes which saw the likes of Galton & Toone dropped to the bench and before the kick off you couldn't help but wondering if that was done with Wednesday nights Champions League second leg in mind. United started the game quite well with a good chance in the opening minutes when Parris played the ball to Garcia but there was a little too much on the ball and Leicester were able to reset from the 'keeper and push for an attack of their own. Possibly the worst part of the game came in the 6th minute when United's George went into to defend the ball but ended up going down with a scream of pain, we were sat at the opposite end of the stadium and heard the scream which when you know a player has a history of knee injuries gets you worrying. After a lengthy stoppage George was helped off the pitch by the physios but it didn't look good, it has since been confirmed that she has in fact suffered an ACL injury, not what United wanted this season and especially not so early on in the game.

With George going off injured Skinner was forced into an early change and we saw Riviere enter the game. The change didn't seem to effect United too much as they continued to pile the pressure on Leicester who were looking really unsettled at the back with the strong press from United, Leicester ended up kicking the ball out of play or giving the ball straight back to United. Leicester did end up having a chance of their own in the 19th minute when they caught United against the run of play they just couldn't make the final connection and they were back to defending.

United were soon back on the front foot with possession and a great bit of link up play between Blundell, Miyazawa & Malard saw the ball find its way through to Parris who got the shot off which was easily saved by the Leicester 'keeper. Parris found herself through on goal not long after however, this time it was sent behind for a corner. Zelem was next up to take a shot but again the Leicester 'keeper had this covered as she parried the ball away. The pressure really was on Leicester with shot after shot coming from United but for some reason United just couldn't find the back of the net no matter how hard they tried. Miyawaza definitely had the best chance of the half when he shot ended up rattling the underside of the crossbar, we don't think anyone understood how it didn't actually go in the goal, Garcia tried to get on the rebound but the ball ended up over the bar.

The game really was scrappy from both sides throughout the first half and there were moments where you couldn't help but feel that Leicester were playing the referee a bit with come tactic time wasting, players just seemed to be dropping for the sake of it and the referee let it go on for far too long which got the crowd riled up. Throughout the whole of the first half it seemed as though the referee was all for Leicester as all decisions seemed to be going in their favour and nothing in United's.

Leicester started the second half with a triple change in the hopes of changing the direction of the game and it worked in the early stages of the second period as the first chance went Leicester's way but Riviere managed to get the ball cleared away. They were certainly putting the pressure on United as it took them a while to settle back down and get back into the game. United eventually started to grow back into the game and it seemed that this time the referee had found his cards as there were two quick yellow cards given to Leicester players one for kicking the ball away and one for a challenge on Parris in a position that lead to a chance for United but Zelem's free kick found its way over the crossbar.

Skinner obviously saw that something needed to change as he brought Williams, Galton & Toone into the game. The changes didn't have an instant impact as he may have hoped though as not long after the substitutions United gave away a free kick in a dangerous position which Leicester capitalized on and the ball in found an unmarked Whelan who found the back of the net to give Leicester a 60th minute lead. Earps was absolutely furious with the goal as Whelan should definitely have been marked, but should the free kick have been given in the first place? We aren't too sure as there wasn't much in the challenge in the first place but either way United's defence should have been much better. No doubt Earps was also furious due to this goal meaning that her 100th appearance wasn't ending with a clean sheet like she would have hoped.

United knew they needed to get themselves back into the game quickly but things just weren't going their way until Galton's chance was turned behind for a corner. In the 67th minute United drew the scoreline level as a brilliant corner found Le Tissier who found the back of the net, finally United managed to convert one of their chances and the scoreline was at 1-1.

The goal certainly fired up the crowd but it was Leicester who followed up the United goal with an attack of their own which saw a big save from Earps. The game was more or less end to end at this point with both teams trying to find a winner. We even saw Evans come on for United to make her debut and replace earlier substitute Riviere who seemed to be suffering with cramp. Galton's introduction to the game seemed to help United out a bit as she was putting some great balls into the box, one in the second half saw Parris through on goal but what looked like a nasty challenge from our end saw Parris and two Leicester players on the floor for a period of time. Once that stoppage was over it was a case of trying to get momentum back into the game and United got another chance but Blundell's shot was straight at the 'keeper. You would have thought United would really pile the pressure on Leicester as they had the majority of possession however, there was no really urgency to attack and they spent more time passing the ball backwards and playing each other into trouble. There were 7 minutes added onto the second half and United left it until the end of those 7 minutes to really start to attack once more, there were a run of late corners and a late free kick in a good position but before anyone could get on the end of it the flag was up for offside and United's last chance of the game had gone with them having to settle for a 1-1 draw.

The whole game was a physical one from both sides and that is what won United the ball back plenty of times however, they just had no end product for the majority of the game, the scoreline could have been totally different if they had actually taken their chances like they usually would. You really can't take away from Leicester's performance either, they really held their own against United and put them to the test, something which hasn't happened so much in previous seasons. It is going to be interesting to see how long Leicester can keep up with these performances for as they are a whole new team to watch.

The game was certainly not the best to watch but a point is a point at the end of the day. Next up United are back in Champions League action against PSG before a return to the WSL at the weekend against Everton.

On Tuesday night Manchester United made history as they took part in their first ever UEFA Women's Champions League game.

United entered the competition in the second round thanks to their second place finish last season, meaning they had a two leg game against tough competition to continue their first experience of European football. They ended up being drawn against a tough PSG side but with the home advantage in the first leg we really saw that United passion to help spur on the players to put in a great performance so they went to Paris next Wednesday with a great chance of progressing to the next round.

As the game got under way you couldn't help but feel United were going to be outmatched by the French side and that maybe nerves were surrounding the United starting 11, this became obvious very quickly as a great PSG attack left Turner have to clear the ball off her line in the first minute, an opportunity that would usually have been stopped early on in the United midfield but this time they looked unsettled. The PSG press continued and after a challenge on Turner by the halfway, which could quite easily and probably should have been a foul, PSG took advantage of the United defence sitting high up the pitch and went on a fantastic counter attack which looked like we were going to see PSG take an early lead however, Earps pulled off a fantastic save to keep it 0-0.

PSG were really piling on the pressure in the first half especially in the early stages but they just couldn't get that back of the goal thanks to some great United defending and some great Earps saves. PSG's Karchaoui really was causing some problems for United's right hand side but ultimately all hers runs and crosses just didn't achieve that end product and United didn't crack under the pressure. With all the pressure piling on United's defence a break in play saw them be able to reset and just calm down a little bit but unfortunately the break in play saw PSG lose defender Jean-Francois who had to be stretchered off with an injury. Luckily for us fans though this saw the introduction of Australian Clare Hunt for her PSG debut and with just 17 minutes on the clock we were going to see how she slotted into the PSG back line and it looked like she had been playing with them a long time as she settled into the game well.

United definitely took that break in play to calm there nerves as they reset with a bit more stability and were moving the ball around much better. They kept PSG in their own half for a while and a brilliant press from Galton saw Garica through 1 on 1 with the goalkeeper who just beat Garcia to the ball in the end. This was probable the best chance for United but the press got better and at one point due to a Garcia press we ended up seeing Hunt in the advertising boards as Garcia well and truly forced her off the pitch. That was more or less the tale of the first half, a few good presses from United and PSG catching them on the break but unable to convert their chances.

Before the second half restarted United made their first substitution of the game which saw Geyse enter the pitch to replace Riviere. This was certainly an impact substitution as United immediately found themselves in a much better than the first half. Geyse and Garcia were linking up brilliantly and it wasn't long before they found themselves through on goal unfortunately though Geyse's shot found its way over the bar. The start of the second half was a stark contrast to the first half though with United piling on the pressure rather than PSG. In the 53rd minute though PSG did what United couldn't do in the first half and a great ball over the top from Baltimore lead to Chawinga being 1 on 1 with Earps, Chawinga made the most of the opportunity and PSG found themselves 1-0 up even if the goal did come against the run of play. PSG them maybe turned their attention to the second leg as they took Martens off and put Katoto on, another player who had the potential to add another goal to their tally if the right balls were played through.

United didn't let the PSG goal get their heads down though they kept on with some great midfield play and some even better ball through to Geyse but it was in fact Galton who had the best chance in this block of play but unfortunately the ball crept around the wrong side of the post. Skinner decided to make a few more changes in the 66th minute with Malard & Miyazawa coming on and Naalsund & Garcia coming on. Just like the introduction of Geyse, we saw these two substitutions come on and make an instant impact. They helped pile even more pressure on PSG & their fresh legs were causing issues for the PSG back line. 

The pressure was really piling on PSG and we saw United getting into some brilliant positions on the pitch which were now being converted to corners rather than just wasted chances. Just 4 minutes after the introduction of Malard we saw a fantastic corner whipped into the box from Zelem which found Turner perfectly,  Turner was able to find Malard who scored United's first ever European goal and bring them back into the game with the scoreline now at 1-1. This really got the fans going and the atmosphere which had already been great just seemed to grow and the fans were really spurring on United which worked as they just kept on piling on the pressure and were being awarded corner after corner. There were even two late penalty claims for United which unfortunately didn't go their way, when any other night they may have been awarded. The game just seemed to be going all United's way after the equalizer but unfortunately it wasn't enough and the teams are going into the second leg at 1-1.

Most people may not have expected the scoreline to finish as it did and to be honest in the opening 10 minutes and for the majority of the first half we thought it could all possibly be over before it got started for United but Skinner got his tactics spot on and United have come away with a well deserved draw but you can't help but feel they were very unlucky not to be going to Paris with a winning advantage. You could tell that the United subs pace was frustrating the tiring PSG team but those players who came on for United help settle the nerves for those who started. You can't take away from the United defence though as they had a great game in keeping the scoreline down even during some fantastic PSG attacks which could have easily found the back of the net, Le Tissier & Turner found themselves under a lot of pressure but they seemed to be able to get the team out of danger and this certainly frustrated PSG.

It really is all to play for now in the second leg on Wednesday evening, who will be progressing further in the competition? Will PSG's previous European experiences help them or will all the nerves from United have settled? We will find out on Wednesday evening in what is bound to be a brilliant game.

We certainly enjoyed our first UWCL game so let's hope there are plenty more to come...

Friday night saw the first big match up of the season as Arsenal traveled to Leigh to face Manchester United. Arsenal were looking to bounce back from an opening day defeat to Liverpool and United were looking to continue on from their opening day victory at Aston Villa. This was a very big game so early on in the season as we all know any points the big 4 teams drop are crucial in the Champions League spot fight so any result so early in the season could see either side ahead in the race for Europe next season. 

The game got underway at a fast speed with the majority of the opening ten minutes being end to end however, Arsenal took an early lead through Blackstenius in the 14th minute. Arsenal had been testing the United back line in the run up to this but for the goal they just could match the pace of the Arsenal forward and she found the back of net from a great piece of attacking play. United didn't let going a goal down get to them though and they soon picked up pace and begun to attack the Arsenal back line with some fantastic through balls and balls over the top. In the 27th minute the pushing finally paid off and a fantastic press from Galton saw a miss kick from Arsenal's 'keeper D'Angelo and Galton got in behind to slot the ball home bringing the scores level and this is how it would stay for the first half with the teams going into the break with the scoreline being 1-1.

Refereeing has been under the spotlight this weekend and it was no different in the United Arsenal match with some very questionable decisions called in the first half especially when it came to challenges on United's summer signing Geyse, she was constantly put under very strong challenges which any other day may have been considered a foul. The first half also saw the United faithful booing ex-player Russo after her summer switch to North London, in fact the boos didn't stop all game with the noise levels rising every time she touched the ball.

United came out for the second half with a fire in their belly and a point to prove, a strong start and lots of pressure really caused issues for Arsenal but united were just struggling to get that final ball through even though Garcia & Geyse were making some fantastic runs down the right. Arsenal were the first team to make some changes and they were definitely needed as United were putting them under a lot of pressure. We saw Codina, goal scorer Blackstenius and Pelova exit the pitch and McCabe, Foord and Maanum enter in the hopes of taking some pressure off themselves and putting pressure back on United. Once the subs were made Catley stepped up to a close range free kick which didn't put any pressure on Earps. 

Up until this point there had been no cards dished out for Arsenal but after just 3 minutes on the pitch McCabe stayed true to form and picked up a yellow card for a silly challenge, this yellow was closely followed by one for Foord which was yet another silly challenge and manager Eidevall soon found himself in the book alongside his players. It is safe to say these substitutions helped the game heat up a bit with challenges being put in and they also helped with the attacking essence for Arsenal too as Earps was call into action in the 66th & 67th minutes to pull off some brilliant saves to keep United in the game.

The sudden pressure from Arsenal may have been a factor in United making their substitutions not long after or it could possibly have been Skinner considering their upcoming PSG clash either way we saw Williams come on to replace Geyse who was definitely tiring after some great runs. Not long after Williams introduction we saw Miyazawa & Marad come onto the pitch in place of Toone & Garcia, again could Tuesday have been on Skinner's mind. 

As the game continued Arsenal took advantage of United settling into a rhythm after making the changes and they piled on the pressure which saw Russo fire a shot which rattled the cross bar and quite honestly we still aren't sure how it didn't go in. United didn't let the pressure get to them though and not long after Russo's shot a fantastic build up of play from United saw Miyazawa nod the ball through to Malard who opened her United goal scoring account to get Untied a 2-1 lead.

After the goal Arsenal made a few more substitutions which saw Beattie replaced by Wubben-Moy and then Maritz replaced by Lacasse. The substitutions definitely helped Arsenal push for an equalizer with some great build up play through to Maanum who slotted the ball home however, she had luckily for United just mistimed her run and found herself in an offside position meaning the score stayed 2-1 to United. Blundell then made a fantastic run down the right for United and Malard was unlucky not to get a touch on the ball in the box as any connection would have surely wrapped the game up for United. Arsenal kept on applying though and the away fans definitely got behind them as the 4th official put up the board to signal a questionable 6 minutes added time. It felt like United had done just enough to secure all 3 points but in the 93rd minute Lacasse brought the goals level with a fantastic strike right into the top corner which Earps had no chance of ever getting to.

The game ended 2-2 and the United fans could very easily feel hard done by due to conceding in the questionable added time but one point against one of the top 4 teams is certainly better than none. The 96 minutes played definitely showed us that Arsenal have room for improvement and the best is yet to come for them once the team is settled and those injured players start to filter back into the first team set up. It also showed us that yet again United are a team who can challenge for that top spot and that even with Russo gone they can find a way to pick up the points, it didn't look like the team missed her at all and Garcia really filled the void with some brilliant runs whilst Geyse also looks like a great replacement, she looks like she could be a key player in the squad and really help get results once she is fully settled. 

Off the pitch this was our first game witnessing the dedicated away end and we can 100% agree that this is a fantastic addition to the WSL as the atmosphere was a whole lot better than it has been in the past with chants heard from both sides. There was also the very vocal and visual protests from the United fans to get rid of the Glazer's something we think we will see more of as the season progresses. It was also great to see a record attendance of 8,312 to say the game was originally scheduled for a Sunday lunch time but then was changed to a Friday evening to suit the TV cameras. With the atmosphere being as good as it was and the team putting in a brilliant performance it has made us all the more excited to be heading back to the LSV to watch United in their first ever Champions League game against PSG which is bound to be fantastic.

Our player of the match from Friday though has to go to Lucia Garcia, she had an absolutely brilliant game right up until the moment she was substituted. I think there is a possibility she was only replaced with the Champions League game in mind as she could play a key part in troubling that PSG defence just like she did the Arsenal one on Friday. Her pace is going to be a real asset for the team this season and I am sure we will see her on the score sheet plenty of times too.

We have certainly got that football bug back and we are really looking forward to seeing what the rest of the season holds for United as they definitely have a lot of potential. As for Arsenal once the team has gelled there could be some redeeming performances from them throughout the rest of the season.