Reading’s 2-0 FA Women’s Super League win over Manchester United on Sunday was a shock result. And yet, it could be argued we should have seen it coming.
Prior to the match, Reading had drawn at home with both Arsenal and Manchester City. They also came close to a draw the last time they met title-challenging United; back in December, they lost 2-1 only through a late Hayley Ladd strike.
No team outside of the top four takes more points off the FAWSL’s giants than Kelly Chambers’ side, who have consistently punched above their weight since promotion to the top flight in 2015. They have been a top-half team for three successive campaigns and look set to continue that tradition this season. Currently, they sit sixth in the table, and they’d be placed even higher if they’d been more efficient in taking their chances and holding onto leads.
Against Manchester United, Reading finally combined quality all-round play with the ruthlessness required to see out a game. The challenge for them now is to build on this result. There’s plenty of reasons to believe they can.
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