Man Utd women's player ratings vs Leicester City: Ella Toone runs the show while Melvine Malard cuts through the Foxes defence to keep slim WSL title hopes alive

The Lionesses star was at her creative best as the Red Devils kept some pressure on leaders Chelsea with their seventh league win in a row

Ella Toone ran the show as Manchester United kept some pressure on Chelsea at the top of the Women's Super League table on Sunday, comfortably beating Leicester City 2-0 to, at least momentarily, reduce the gap to the Blues to four points. The Red Devils weren't at full strength, highlighted by the absence of star striker Elisabeth Terland, but Melvine Malard deputised in the centre-forward role brilliantly, scoring one and assisting another as the struggling Foxes left the north west empty-handed.

That's not to say Leicester were easy for United to beat, though. Amandine Miquel's side might have lacked any real bite in attack, at least in part due to a flurry of injuries, but they restricted their hosts to very few chances at the other end. The problem for the visitors, however, was that United took their opportunities brilliantly when they came.

Malard's cute finish one-on-one, after Toone's precise through ball, and Leah Galton's clinical strike when the France international turned provider were two of just three moments of real note in the first half, with the other a strong shout for a penalty, when the ball struck Sam Tierney's arm in the area, that the hosts saw waved away.

Leicester grew into things more in the latter stages of the second half, with CJ Bott striking the bar and Tierney blazing a great chance over the bar from close range, but this was a relatively comfortable afternoon for Marc Skinner's side as they tightened their grip on a Champions League spot while doing their bit in case of any slip ups from Chelsea.

GOAL rates United's players from Leigh Sports Village...

Goalkeeper & Defence
Phallon Tullis-Joyce (6/10):
Good distribution and strong command of her area. Didn't have too many saves to make, but comfortably got behind what Leicester did throw at her.
Aoife Mannion (6/10):
Got up and down the right well in a rare start, offering a good outlet going forward. Struggled to win her duels, though.
Maya Le Tissier (7/10):
Passing was superb and often kickstarted attacks, including for the first goal. Battled hard, too, and won possession back plenty.
Millie Turner (7/10):
Was also tidy on the ball and cleaned up nicely when Leicester did pose a threat.
Gabby George (6/10):
Was strong at both ends of the pitch. Always willing to take her marker on when going forward and never neglected her defensive duties.

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Midfield
Dominique Janssen (7/10):
Held things down well in the deeper midfield role to allow Clinton and Toone plenty of freedom in front of her. Secure on the ball.
Grace Clinton (7/10):
After playing well alongside her for England this past week, linked up nicely with Toone in the midfield to provide further evidence they can operate together in there.
Ella Toone (8/10):
Was at the forefront of everything good United did, producing key passes in the build-up for both goals.
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Attack
Celin Bizet (6/10):
Worked hard to make an impact, always running at her marker while also making sure she tracked back.
Melvine Malard (8/10):
Was a real nuisance to the Leicester defence with her movement and good decision-making. Lovely finish for the first goal and a great pass to create the second.
Leah Galton (7/10):
Great movement to be on the end of Malard's pass for United's second goal. Was effective when she got involved.

Subs & Manager
Hinata Miyazawa (N/A):
Came on for the final 15 minutes or so as United saw the game out.
Rachel Williams (N/A):
A late sub who provided a strong physical presence up top in the closing stages.
Geyse (N/A):
Introduced at the same time as Williams and tried her best to put Leicester on the back foot just as they started to gather some sort of momentum going forward.
Marc Skinner (7/10):
This was a rare occasion on which he played Clinton and Toone alongside each other in midfield and, perhaps unsurprisingly given their performances in those roles for England this past week, it worked a treat. Deploying Malard as a central striker was also the perfect solution for Terland's absence. Made good choices with his XI and they paid off.

Goalkeeper & Defence

Midfield

Attack

Subs & Manager