Man Utd need to translate outstanding WSL home form to away games

Manchester United extended their winning record at home in the WSL to nine games last weekend when they crushed Brighton at Leigh Sports Village, but the key to success this season will be finding a way to ensure they are just as majestic away from home as well.

In two home games so far this season, Marc Skinner’s side have won 4-0 twice and scored seven first half goals. During their nine consecutive WSL wins in home games – including a game at Old Trafford in March – they have scored 32 goals and conceded only one.

Outside of a couple of cup games, no visiting team has scored a WSL goal at usual home Leigh since Arsenal in November 2021, which is now a few short weeks shy of a full year ago.

Overall, under the management of both Skinner and predecessor Casey Stoney, United have won 23 of 31 WSL home games played. That win ratio of 74% is the best of any club in WSL history.

But outstanding home form was not what let United down last season when they finished fourth instead of third, falling away in the final stretch of the Champions League race. While it obviously still provides the foundation for their hopes and ambitions this season, it is again only part of the story as Skinner’s team look to break up the league’s established top three for the first time since 2014.

How United are away from home, having dropped points on the road against Tottenham, Everton, Arsenal, Manchester City, West Ham, Aston Villa and Chelsea last season, will still ultimately determine whether they are successful in achieving at least a top three finish. Conversely, they only failed to win three of 11 home games, taking maximum points eight times.

In those away games against Tottenham, Everton, Arsenal and West Ham in particular, United led going into the final 15 minutes, conceding a late equaliser each time to directly lose eight additional points that would have been enough for third place. Arsenal had even been reduced to 10 players, while the Tottenham and West Ham equalisers were both scored in stoppage time.

Despite a bit of disconnect between home and away form, Skinner is insistent that nothing really changes in terms of how he and his team plans for games.

United have already made a positive start towards correcting that imbalance by fairly comfortably beating West Ham on the road this season, scoring twice in quick succession to kill the contest and therefore not leaving themselves vulnerable to an equaliser, which is what they had been unable to do a few months ago.

Instead, the boss puts the immediate improvement there down to having a stronger squad.

"If you look at this season, last season was a different kind of situation. We wanted to recruit in summer so we could adapt and find different ways to beat a different opponent," Skinner said as United now prepare to face Leicester at the King Power Stadium.

He also argues that the biggest obstacle United need to be aware of is any form of complacency, whether home or away, following their perfect start to the campaign.

"I think the biggest thing for us is not taking Leicester lightly," he said. "Complacency can be a real beast for any team that has aspirations of being successful.

"I’ve got to make sure that we don’t get complacent at any point. I have nothing but respect for every team in this league so there is no way that we will ever do that."

Leicester, who are yet to earn a point in the WSL so far this season, is hardly the toughest away game United will have this season in their quest for Champions League football. But with a tougher test quickly following away at an improved Everton, also followed by visits to both Arsenal and Manchester City within the next couple of months, it remains another vital step towards showing they can take their home form away with them when it counts most.

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