Manchester United enter their upcoming derby against Women's Super League leaders Manchester City in vastly improved spirits following an impressive turnaround in form. Eva Olid's team endured a difficult start to the campaign, sitting winless and low on confidence across their opening three fixtures. However, after picking up their first victory against Sheffield United in the Women's League Cup, United have strung together six consecutive wins in all competitions. Currently positioned fifth in the WSL table and eight points behind their unbeaten rivals, United now face City on Sunday at 18:00 GMT aiming to maintain their recent surge.
The catalyst for the revival came on the pitch, where Olid—who took charge in the summer—realised her squad was finding it difficult to adapt to a high-risk, possession-dominant attacking philosophy. Difficult defeats against London City Lionesses and Chelsea saw United manage under 40% possession and merely two shots on target in each fixture. Acknowledging that the squad had lost touch with their established defensive organisation, Olid encouraged her players to return to their familiar strengths ahead of a 1-1 draw against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium. The manager explained that the team needed to preserve their prior qualities while gradually introducing her preferred style to establish the right balance.
The shift delivered an immediate statistical uplift across their subsequent three league matches against West Ham, Liverpool, and Charlton Athletic. United claimed all nine available points, scoring six goals while conceding just two, nearly doubling their possession and quadrupling their shot tally from 10 to 42. Passes completed in the final third also jumped from 197 in their first three games to 529. Off the pitch, open discussions following a 5-0 loss to Chelsea helped rebuild morale. Individual players have also stepped up: vice-captain Ella Toone responded to missing out on Sarina Wiegman's England squad by netting in a 3-1 victory over Charlton, summer arrival Andrea Medina has developed into a vital player, and club captain Maya Le Tissier returned from international duty with renewed vigor.
A recent international window additionally gave Olid valuable time to reorganise her backroom staff and settle into her role. Her coaching group was finalized with the appointments of fellow Spaniard Jose Herrera as assistant coach and Gavin Beith, who previously worked alongside Olid at Hearts. Olid described the break as an ideal opportunity to establish working relationships and execute a fresh start without sacrificing momentum. Looking ahead to the test against Manchester City, Olid noted that while players are naturally motivated for big games, the intensity of a local derby should provide an extra competitive spark.