Olid Gets Off the Mark as Man Utd Edge Past West Ham

Manchester United have finally opened their account in the Women's Super League this season, and Eva Olid has her first league victory as manager, though West Ham made sure it was anything but comfortable.

United came into the contest under pressure after a winless start, and the early signs suggested the wait might continue. West Ham defended with discipline, closed down space in central areas and looked dangerous whenever they broke forward, leaving the home crowd increasingly restless as chances went begging.

For Olid, the result will matter as much for belief as for the table. A new manager searching for a first win can quickly find every dropped point turning into a debate about her methods, and this outcome eases some of that early scrutiny. United did not always look fluent, but they showed the resilience and patience needed to grind out three points when the performance was not at its best.

West Ham will feel they gave a good account of themselves and did enough to suggest they can cause problems for other sides in the division. Their organisation and work rate forced United to earn everything, and the visitors will have plenty to build on despite leaving empty handed.

United now have a platform to work from. The challenge for Olid is to turn a hard-earned win into a run of results, and to find the sharper attacking rhythm that was missing for long spells here. If her side can pair this kind of grit with more cutting play, the slow start could quickly fade from memory.