Manchester United Women take winning form into WSL Cup clash with Liverpool

Manchester United Women travel to face Liverpool in the Women's Super League Cup group stage on Wednesday evening aiming to extend a five-match winning run. The fixture at St Helens Stadium comes just weeks after United secured a 1-0 league victory over the same opponents earlier this month.

United's current form is formidable, with their last five outings across all competitions ending in victory. This sequence includes a 10-1 thrashing of Sheffield United and a 5-1 win at Durham in the Players Cup, as well as three consecutive WSL triumphs. The most recent was a 3-1 away win at Charlton Athletic last Friday, where goals from Ella Toone, Andrea Medina and Julia Zigiotti Olme secured the points. Their league record stands at three wins, one draw and two losses, with eight goals scored and ten conceded. This cup fixture precedes a significant league test against the leaders, Manchester City, at home on Sunday 25 October.

Liverpool's recent struggles

Liverpool arrive in starkly contrasting form, having lost their last three matches. They were beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa last weekend, following the 1-0 defeat at Leigh Sports Village to United and a 4-2 loss to Manchester City in September. This poor run has left them level with United on six points in the Players Cup group, but with a significantly inferior goal difference, having scored eight to United's fifteen in the competition.

The head-to-head record in recent meetings favours United, who have won two of the last three encounters. Beyond the 1-0 win on 3 October, United also beat Liverpool 3-1 in the WSL back in February. Liverpool's last victory came in a pre-season friendly in August. Key to United's success has been midfielder Julia Zigiotti Olme, who netted the winner in the recent league clash and is the team's top scorer this season with three goals in six WSL appearances. Her goal against Charlton, assisted by Jessica Park, was part of a comprehensive victory that also saw Andrea Medina score from a Hanna Lundkvist assist. United's recent form in the league is three wins and a draw from their last five games, a run that started with a 1-1 draw against Arsenal on 19 September and includes wins over West Ham, Sheffield United, Durham, Liverpool, and Charlton.

With the cup group stage offering a direct route to the knockout rounds, this match carries added weight. United's squad, which featured Hanna Lundkvist, Le Tissier and Jessica Park prominently against Charlton, will be confident of maintaining their momentum. First, they must handle this cup tie against a familiar and struggling rival.