Manchester United were held to a 0-0 draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, a result that extended Marc Skinner’s side to four matches without a win in all competitions and left the manager warning that changes are needed in the summer.
The game underlined United’s struggle to create clear chances: the visitors managed 10 shots in total and posted an xG of 0.46, but had no shots on target in the second half. Tottenham produced 22 shots, nine of them in the first half, while United could only find one shot on goal in that opening period.
The draw left Manchester United third in the Women’s Super League table — the final European qualification place — but it did little to blunt the pressure piling up behind the scenes. Chelsea’s 4-1 win over Everton moved them four points clear of United, and Arsenal sit just one point behind with three games in hand.
After the match Skinner, who signed a two-year deal last summer with a one-year option, framed the result as part of a cycle that has had high points and new tests. "Look, I’ve said this two or three seasons ago when we finished fifth and we won the FA Cup. We came back stronger than next year, and we qualified for Champions League," he said, pointing to a record that includes Champions League qualification twice in his five-year tenure and a 2023-24 FA Cup victory over Tottenham by 4-0.
Skinner also made clear that on-field progress must be matched by summer recruitment. "This year, we’ve come into the Champions League and gone to the quarterfinals, got to our first League Cup final. I’m absolutely so passionate about what we do. But we have to do some changes in the summer. We have to make some changes to make sure that we can compete with what’s clearly a financial market at times, right? And we want to do it our own way. We’ve said that and we’re clear on that. But we have to make sure we write those smart assignments to keep pushing this team forward."
The results Skinner lists underline a manager who has delivered cups and deep runs even as inconsistency has crept in: United reached the Champions League quarter-finals this season, losing 5-3 on aggregate to Bayern Munich; they reached their first League Cup final and lost 2-0 to Chelsea; and under Skinner they have reached three successive FA Cup finals, winning one and losing two others to Chelsea by 1-0 and 3-0.
Tottenham’s manager, Martin Ho, said his side deserved more from the match and argued United were not the better team. "I thought we were very good today. From my feeling from the game, I thought we were the better team by a mile. Created bigger chances, better chances, defended the box well when we had to," he said, reflecting Tottenham’s 22-shot afternoon.
The draw raises an immediate fixture test: United have two league matches remaining, against Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea, with the latter looming as a potential season-defining encounter for both table position and momentum. Chelsea’s win over Everton has sharpened the battle for places, and Arsenal’s games in hand leave United with little margin for error.
There is a gap between the record of recent seasons and the form of the last month that creates real tension. Skinner has a contract and a résumé of cup success, but four competitive matches without a win and the statistical bluntness of Sunday’s display leave questions about whether incremental adjustments will be enough. The Athletic said it was denied the opportunity to ask Marc Skinner questions in post-match media duties, a sign of the sensitivity around those questions.
Skinner’s closing message was not conciliatory. He spoke of rebuilding energy and clearer recruitment plans for the summer; given the fixtures remaining and the shifting table above and behind United, the club’s next moves — transfer decisions and results against Brighton and Chelsea — will tell whether his diagnosis leads to corrective action or deeper change.
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