Marc Skinner hailed Katie Zelem as a ‘genius’ after the in-form midfielder scored twice direct from corners in a 4-0 win over Leicester City. Zelem’s brace, which came in the space of four second-half minutes, backed up earlier goals from Martha Thomas and Alessia Russo and helped the hosts rise to third in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League.
Skinner was full of praise for the England international and believes this performance is the latest step in her fulfilling her sky-high potential. “It’s the genius of Katie,” he said. “She has the wonderful ability to put the ball wherever she needs to put it.
“It’s a really brilliant trait that she can work on as she can be one of the best in the league – if not, the best. “It was, in my opinion, a dominant performance.
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"I felt we could have scored more, to be honest, but to come away with another clean sheet at home, with four goals scored and being able to give players minutes was a really positive way to bounce back from the results of last month.”
United were thumped 4-1 by neighbours Manchester City in the Vitality Women’s FA Cup last weekend but needed just 17 minutes to break the deadlock against the struggling Foxes, Thomas converting Ona Batlle’s pass.
Russo doubled the lead on the half-hour, heading home Ella Toone’s cross, before Zelem stole the show after the break. And while pleased with his side’s attacking intent, Skinner was happier to witness the defensive solidity on show and urged his side to keep their focus as they prepare for a historic first match at Old Trafford come the end of March.
“Getting back to the clean sheets was the most important because, although you can win games, you win championships on clean sheets, so we need to keep working hard at the back,” he added.
“The game [against Everton] at Old Trafford will be a wonderful occasion, but it doesn’t become who we are.
“We’ve got Reading next, and they are our sole focus. Don’t be fooled by where Reading are, they are a really tricky opponent with really savvy coaches and so we have to be at our very best to beat them.”
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