'That's how titles are won' - Man Utd late show leaves race perfectly poised

The people of champions is that nary substance however pugnacious the crippled is, however poorly they play oregon nevertheless good their opponents perform, they find a mode to win.

Their triumph astatine Aston Villa was chaotic, melodramatic and - fixed the hosts deed the barroom doubly alongside Rachel Daly's treble - much than a small fortunate.

The result is, however, that they are six points wide astatine the apical of the WSL. With Manchester City not playing until Sunday, portion Chelsea and Arsenal are not successful league enactment this weekend, they person ramped up the points unit connected their rivals.

"I don't deliberation my bosom tin instrumentality immoderate much of that!" United manager Marc Skinner told BBC Three aft the game. "Look, archetypal fractional we were not bully enough.

"We didn't rise the strength and Villa were each implicit us. We played into their hands, we tried to play a benignant of shot alternatively than the crippled itself. Second fractional we addressed that.

"With this squad we find a way, and we recovered a mode again tonight."

• Relive Man Utd's last-gasp triumph implicit Villa

Skinner went done each conceivable emotion connected Friday nighttime - dejection astatine Daly uncovering abstraction from a country wrong the opening 10 minutes to people the archetypal extremity United person conceded from a set-piece this season; choler astatine Hayley Ladd's header soon earlier half-time being disallowed for a questionable foul connected the keeper; and yet axenic joyousness astatine Millie Turner's precocious winner.

The 40-year-old deserved his joyousness aft his substitutes swung the crippled - helium changed United's beforehand 3 connected 77 minutes which gave them other impetus, earlier bringing connected centre backmost Turner for Aoife Mannion successful the last throes proved a masterstroke.

"That's however titles are won successful leagues similar this," erstwhile Brighton defender Fern Whelan told Five Live Sports Extra. "They didn't springiness up, the crippled was ne'er mislaid for them.

"They carried connected pushing, made that triple substitution, made different 1 and it paid dividends for them."

'Mil, spell and triumph america the game'

Millie Turner was 1 of the archetypal United signings erstwhile the nine was founded successful 2018

Often it is United's forwards, specified arsenic England heroes Alessia Russo and Ella Toone, who get the prima billing. However, erstwhile the crippled was won they were some connected the bench, Toone with her caput down and intelligibly frustrated by her ineffective display.

Instead it was different United academy merchandise successful Turner who stepped up to prevention the day, and perchance their rubric charge.

While Turner has been cardinal successful United's formidable backmost enactment - they person the champion antiaircraft grounds successful the league, present lone conceding 11 goals successful 19 games - she besides has signifier astatine the different end, scoring successful the last fewer minutes of the 3-2 triumph implicit Arsenal at Emirates Stadium past November.

This was intelligibly remembered by the United coaching staff, arsenic Turner revealed aft the last whistle.

"It was Wilko, helium said 'Mil spell and triumph america the game, we'll get a acceptable portion and we'll triumph it, conscionable clip your run' and I did that," she said.

While this was a sickening nonaccomplishment for Villa, for who Lucy Staniforth dominated the midfield and Daly erstwhile again proved adjacent unstoppable successful attack, triumph for United should beryllium welcomed by the neutral for ensuring the WSL rubric contention remains beautifully poised.

'United are successful the amended position'

Marc Skinner's broadside person present scored 50 WSL goals this season

City, Chelsea and Arsenal each person games successful manus connected United - the Blues person lone played 16 matches, 3 less than the leaders - but Skinner's broadside person their enactment done portion the others play catch-up.

"If I was United, I'd alternatively person the points connected the board," erstwhile England manager Hope Powell told BBC Three. "Chelsea person got a batch of enactment to do, they've got to triumph their games. United are decidedly successful the driving seat, it volition travel down to the wire."

Fellow pundit Fara Williams agreed: "I deliberation Chelsea person winnable games, they person a bully run-in. But it's present the backmost extremity of the season, players are starting to get tired, and they person galore much games to play betwixt present and the extremity of the season.

"United are successful the amended presumption due to the fact that the points are connected the board."

It looks similar 21 May - erstwhile Chelsea big Arsenal and City sojourn United - could beryllium the time of destiny for the 4 rubric hopefuls.

Reigning champions Chelsea bash besides person the vantage of experience. United, whose women's squad were formed lone 5 years ago, are seeking a maiden WSL crown arsenic good arsenic a home treble - they look the Blues successful the FA Cup last adjacent month.

However, since losing distant to Chelsea successful March, United person since won 4 consecutive league games. They person the momentum - present supercharged by that precocious amusement successful Walsall.