Marc Skinner knows Manchester United need to beat struggling Aston Villa

Manchester United boss Marc Skinner has stressed the need for his side to return to winning ways as they prepare to host struggling Aston Villa.

United are unbeaten five games into the Women’s Super League campaign, winning their first three before drawing the last two.

An equaliser from their former forward Nikita Parris saw them held 1-1 at Brighton and it was then the same score at home against Arsenal last weekend when they levelled through a late Melvine Malard goal.

On Sunday they are at Leigh Sports Village again to face a Villa outfit who are winless after six league matches this term.

Skinner told a press conference: “The draw against Brighton, I felt we played pretty well and we should have probably won the game but they only had three shots and one of them, the goal they scored is a shot that Nikita finishes fantastically well.

“The Arsenal game was probably one that we gained the point on the balance of performance. I think our players know that in this league you drop points from draws as well. You’ve got to maintain those wins.

“It’s not going to be easy against Villa. Let’s be clear on that. We’ve got to earn that win but I think we have to get to those winning ways.”

United are fifth, eight points adrift of leaders Manchester City but with two games in hand.

Four points behind City in second place are champions Chelsea, who are the other side to have only played five matches to date and on Sunday are away against Liverpool.

The champions have a 100 per cent record so far after Sonia Bompastor succeeded Emma Hayes as boss over the summer, and last time out thumped Everton 5-0 at Goodison Park.

They have 20 goals across the five league victories, with 13 of their players having scored, and Bompastor said at her press conference ahead of her team’s return to Merseyside: “That’s really valuable, for sure, because it gives the opposition some doubts on players. They don’t really know which one is going to score.

“It shows the quality we have in our squad, especially being able to play without maybe the most creative players in the squad: Catarina Macario and Lauren James.”

While James remains sidelined, Macario and Lucy Bronze are available to make returns to action this weekend.

There are three teams with two points from six fixtures – Villa, and Everton and West Ham, who lie bottom and second-bottom respectively.

The Toffees take their search for a first victory to Crystal Palace – two points better off in ninth – while the Hammers host Leicester, currently on five points in eighth.