LEIGH, England -- Manchester United were lucky to maintain their unbeaten start to their Women's Super League (WSL) campaign after a late equaliser sealed a 1-1 draw against a rejuvenated Arsenal at Leigh Sports Village on Sunday.
United had only conceded one goal in their first four games and only dropped points against Brighton & Hove Albion last month, maintaining an almost perfect start to the season, along with Chelsea, who also remain undefeated.
The Gunners travelled north to play their third game under interim manager Renée Slegers having won their previous two fixtures since Jonas Eidevall's resignation in mid-October.
England striker Alessia Russo netted the opener against her former club in the 62nd minute after a barrage of chances from the visitors. United struggled to respond as they failed to generate momentum, but they still managed to secure a point following a late equaliser from substitute Melvine Malard in the 82nd minute to mark manager Marc Skinner's 100th game in charge.
A statement from Slegers
Slegers confirmed on Friday that she will remain in interim charge of Arsenal for at least five more games until the next international break in December, including the north London derby against Spurs and two crucial Champions League fixtures against Juventus. The performance against United is a statement from the Dutch coach as Arsenal began that run of games looking refreshed in comparison to their last WSL games before the break.
Former manager Eidevall left after a 5-2 humbling by Bayern Munich was followed by a 2-1 loss to Chelsea in the WSL at Emirates Stadium. Sources have told ESPN that the Swede had lost the dressing room, while Eidevall felt that the breakdown in his relationship with the fans had gone too far, leading to him offering his resignation on the Monday following the Chelsea game.
Eidevall's assistant Slegers at Rosengard before following him to north London responded well to his departure, earning a 4-1 victory against Valerenga in the Champions League before a 2-0 victory over West Ham United in the WSL. This was only their second league win over the season after a lacklustre 1-0 victory over Leicester City and a goalless draw against Everton.
After a controlled start to the second half at United, Arsenal put themselves in the driving seat when Russo netted the opener. The Gunners were far more confident in front of goal, able to split the defence with ease.
This performance was arguably Arsenal's best this term: aggressive, controlled and fluid, sending a statement from the interim manager that Arsenal are rebounding after their poor start to the season. After such a convincing performance, it felt disappointing that the Gunners conceded late into the afternoon.
The process to replace Eidevall is ongoing. However, with the club in no rush to appoint a replacement, they will feel they are in safe hands with Slegers who is already fixing the small details that cost them dearly earlier in the season.
United anonymous in attack
Before the 80th minute, Manchester United only had four touches in the box. Having spent much of the first half trying to subdue Arsenal, the hosts struggled to gain momentum moving forward. They often overhit passes over the top and failed to connect against an improved Arsenal defence. Their build-up was good, but their final product was severely lacking.
The second half was frustrating for United. They had scored eight in their first four WSL games of the season, but it was a different story against Arsenal as they struggled to make any impact in the final third. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the substitutes combined as Rachel Williams found Malard in the box following a corner. The France international's glancing backwards header from close range salvaged a valuable point for United and kept their unbeaten streak intact.
The goal exemplified United's relentless attitude, but there are worrying signs. In their first meeting with one of their top-four opponents, the attack collapsed all too easily. Having ended the afternoon with only 10 touches in the box, it was less than convincing for United, who faced a barrage of attempts at the other end.
When they play their game in hand on Nov. 24 at Chelsea, who have scored 15 goals in the WSL so far, United will need to look at how to generate momentum moving forward, especially when their attention will be spent trying to dull such an aggressive attack.
Break gave one team a boost, the other a hangover
The recent international fixtures provided a welcome rest from club football for Arsenal, who had faced a turbulent lead-up to the first break of the season which paved the way for Eidevall's departure.
After four rocky performances in defence before the break, Arsenal had a far better afternoon both in front of goal and at the other end against United. With 49 touches in the box, the Gunners' creativity was flourishing in comparison to most recent WSL games against Chelsea and West Ham.
Arsenal's key concern prematch was the defence, with opponents exploiting a lack of communication and poor positioning and taking opportunities to punish them. Yet, the international break clearly provided a welcome change of environment and pace for Arsenal, as their defence was far more connected and polished, with their attack reaping the rewards of consistency across the pitch.
Arsenal were not allowing United a chance to grow back into the game, minimising their ability to venture towards the final third. It was a stark difference from the recent performances where attacks were able to run straight through Arsenal's midfield and defence.
For United, however, it was a different scenario. They looked like they were struggling to find their feet, suffering from the usual post-international break hangover. United were lagging with sloppy passes, failing to track runs and were struggling to generate momentum to exploit the gaps in Arsenal's defence.
While Skinner's side were also facing a string of injuries, their usual talismanic players were finding it hard to navigate the pressure. Interestingly, it was two players who were absent from international duty during the break, Williams and Malard, who combined for the goal that rescued a point for United.