West Ham United women's team 0-0 Manchester United
Barclays Women's Super League, Chigwell Construction Stadium, Saturday 19 April 2025, 12noon BST
Continuing their brilliant form against the Barclays Women’s Super League’s toughest opponents, West Ham United women’s team held Manchester United to a goalless draw at Chigwell Construction Stadium on Saturday.
Keeping a fourth league clean sheet of the season, against the third-place Red Devils, Rehanne Skinner’s side gave the visitors little joy in the attacking third. The closest they came to a goal was through a Celin Bizet effort that struck the crossbar in the first half.
The Hammers had opportunities of their own, however, proving a threat on the counter-attack, and nearly struck gold when an in-form Shekiera Martinez bent an effort just wide of the top-left corner.
The stalemate means the women’s team are unbeaten in four matches, and have lost just once in their last five, having faced all of the current top four in that period.
Skinner made one change to the side that drew 2-2 at Chelsea last time out. Centre-back Eva Nyström was the player to come in, and she was in the thick of the action in the early stages as she met two Viviane Asseyi corners, but sent her efforts wide of the mark.
Following the Finland international’s flurry of headers, Manchester United grew into the game and came close to taking the lead inside 20 minutes when Bizet clattered the bar, having unleashed a strike inside the box after she wriggled free from Shelina Zadorsky’s challenge.
Shortly after, with the game approaching the half-hour mark, Elizabeth Terland’s volley on the turn was comfortably held by Kinga Szemik before the visiting No19 spurned a header from Bizet’s cross, sending her effort from inside the six-yard box wide of the Hammers’ goalkeeper’s near post.
While Manchester United enjoyed a lot of the ball in the first period, they looked susceptible to a West Ham counter-attack, and that proved the case ten minutes before the break. Asseyi intelligently robbed the visitors of possession, broke down the left and slipped the ball through to the onrushing Riko Ueki. The Japan international, who had displayed some brilliant trickery in tight areas during the first half, worked a shooting opportunity, but her strike was blocked by Millie Turner.
At the end of the first half, Szemik denied Leah Galton and Ella Toone, and three minutes into the second period, the Poland international got down well to hold Terland’s downward header. Then, on 55 minutes, after Szemik parried Galton’s delivery away, Grace Clinton turned the rebound wide from inside the penalty area.
With 25 minutes of the contest remaining, the game started to open up a bit more as both teams went in search of an opener. In an attacking change, Skinner sent on Seraina Piubel for Asseyi, and the substitute made an instant impact. Moments after some brilliant close control down the left, she broke down the right with intent, but her delivery was claimed by Phallon Tullis-Joyce.
Not long later, the Hammers came forward again, and this time the move resulted in the ball falling to skipper Katrina Gorry on the edge of the box. The No22 lined up a first-time strike, but it deflected into the palms of a grateful Tullis-Joyce.
Forward West Ham came again in response, led by a battling Oona Siren in midfield. The ball worked its way to Gorry, then Martinez on the right, and the WSL Player of the Month for March cut inside before sending a vicious shot wide of the upright.
Manchester United boss Marc Skinner sent on Melvine Malard in search of a winning goal, and the substitute came inches away from finding it as she dragged a shot wide of Szemik’s right-hand post with ten minutes to go.
Both sides continued to hunt for a dramatic winner in four minutes of stoppage time at the end of the second half, and the Hammers worked tirelessly, putting their bodies on the line to deny Malard late on.
West Ham United: Szemik, Mengwen, Nyström, Zadorsky, Tysiak, Hanshaw, Siren, Gorry © (Brynjarsdóttir 79), Martinez (Paví 88), Asseyi (Piubel 62), Ueki
Subs not used: M.Walsh (GK), Denton, Smith, Sáez, Harries, Ademiluyi
Booked: Mengwen
Manchester United: Tullis-Joyce, Riviere, Le Tissier ©, Turner, George (Sandberg 64), Miyazawa (Janssen 83), Bizet, Clinton, Toone (Williams 73), Galton (Malard 64), Terland
Subs not used: Middleton-Patel (GK), Rendell (GK), Mannion, Awujo, Naalsund
Booked: Turner, George
Referee: Harrison Blair
Attendance: 2,315
