Following a disappointing 23/24 Women’s Super League (WSL) campaign, Manchester United Women have emerged as one of only two unbeaten teams, alongside reigning champions and league leaders Chelsea, in the 24/25 season. Despite their unbeaten start, fans seem unconvinced with Marc Sinner’s tactics.
The frustration stems from United’s inability to create consistent goal scoring opportunities and dominate matches on the ball, despite their comfortable wins in two of their initial three games implying otherwise.
While draws away at Brighton and against Arsenal may not be considered as bad results, their inability to close out games and add to their openers in both the games, tested the fans’ patience. The home draw against Aston Villa proved to be the trigger for their fans’ calls a managerial change.
Let’s break down their performance in the 24/25 season through their statistics.
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Defensive Solidity: The Backbone of Success
United’s position in the table can largely be attributed to their defensive resilience. They have proven incredibly difficult to break down, as evidenced by their disciplined displays against Brighton and Arsenal.
Statistics of average percentage of defensive duels won and aggregate shots faced by all the teams in the league
The defensive organisation and discipline can be observed through The Red Devils leading the league in successive defensive duels, while only Chelsea have conceded fewer shots than them. Their defensive structure has allowed United to stay competitive, even in tightly contested matches.
Comparison of the statistics for aggregate xG against, total goals against and the average save percentage of shots faced, across the teams in the league.
United control the game predominantly without the ball, through their defensive actions. Their total xG against is only bettered by their local rivals — Manchester City — and Chelsea, while they have conceded the fewest goals in the league (2), benefitting their goal difference.
A star between the posts in Phallon Tullis-Joyce has played a massive role in solidifying the defence. The 28-year-old boasts a far superior save rate (93.33%) compared to any other goalkeeper in the 24/25 WSL season.
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Attacking Efficiency: Limited yet Clinical
League wide statistics for average shots on target from shots taken and goal conversion rates from shots on target.
The Red Devils’ attack is characterised by their clinical finishing, despite their inconsistency in chance creation. This is witnessed through their impressive goal conversion from shots on target, bettered only by Chelsea, while The Red Devils rank second in the percentage of shots on target — outperforming squads with superior forward players — enabling the side to comfortably outperform of their xG.
Aggregate xG vs Goals scored of all teams in the WSL
Goals scored across positions by the WSL teams
Another advantage in their attacking contributions is the lack of overreliance on a single goalscorer, with their goals spread across the forwards, midfielders, and defenders — second only to Chelsea in this metric.
The youthful front line and attacking midfield work tirelessly to create forward movements through carries and progressive passes. However, the gap in quality compared to top squads like Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester City remains evident.
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Passing: A Major Concern
The qualms of United fans revolve around their passing. While it may be argued that the fans are harsh with their assessment of the team and their manager — considering their attacking output and defensive discipline — their passing does not hold a candle to the former two metrics.
Statistics for long passes per 90 minutes for all the WSL teams
The Red Devils rubbed shoulders with superior teams in attacking and defensive metrics, but they are in company with the teams at the wrong end of the table for their crossing and forward passing statistics. United opt for long balls over build-up play, and their long passing numbers nearly match the mid-to-lower-table sides like Crystal Palace and Everton.
Comparison between the WSL teams for passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes along with the percentage of accuracy of those passes
The only positive from their passing statistic is their passes to the penalty area and the accuracy of those passes, with The Red Devils ranking fourth in both the criteria. While chance creation through passing has been minimal, a lot of their goals scored have been through capitalising on opposition mistakes.
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Ball Progression: Lacking Ideas and Creativity
Much like their passing numbers, their numbers for ball progression are modest. The lack of on the ball control and possession-based football is witnessed through their paltry possession of 47%.
The double pivot in midfield deployed by Sinner has affected their creativity and ball progression, despite bolstering their defence.
Visualisation of attempted offensive duels per 90 minutes and the success rate, across the teams in the league
United lack of cohesion in their build-up is reflected through their attempted offensive duels per 90 minutes ranking second only to Everton, while ranging among the lower placed teams — Aston Villa and Leicester City.
The offensive duels success rate is bettered by the Everton and Aston Villa. These numbers indicate a lack of support in attacks, requiring their advanced players to carry out the ball progression without players committing to attacks in support.
Statistics showing second and third assists per 90 minutes for all the WSL teams
Contradictory statistics to the above are their second and third assists, suggestive of their ability to succeed in build-up play, but they often flatter to deceive, leaving the fans frustrated.
Second assist refers to the last action of a player from the goalscoring team, prior to an assist by a teammate, and third assist refers to the last action of a player from the goalscoring team, prior to a second assist by a teammate.
United rank third in the league for second assists, but impressively rank second in the league for third assists and are far superior to the rest of the teams in that regard.
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The Final Word
The Red Devils’ approach of relying on their defence, coupled with long passes and winning loose balls hasn’t been pretty, albeit remaining effective.
With a young and promising squad, they are well-positioned to target a fourth-place finish. A consistent run could even see them challenge for third place, but whether their current tactics are sustainable remains to be seen.
For now, The Red Devils’ unbeaten run stands as a testament to their resilience. However, to truly satisfy their fans and challenge the WSL’s elite, United must find a way to add creativity and control to their game.
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This analysis of Manchester United Women’s season excludes their win against Leicester City.
Author: Srinivasan Ananthan
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