Despite Hannah Cain, Shana Chossenotte, and Nicole Momiki looking bright for Leicester, the Foxes couldn’t find the net. Cain came closest when she sent a short-range shot wide in the first half, and was made to regret it when Terland headed United in front right on halftime. The second half was slow until substitutes from both sides opened it up, and Bizet sealed the win for United in the 81st minute.

As it happened

A stalemate at the King Power would mean four consecutive league draws for United, and their desire to avoid that was clear in their setup. The Red Devils pushed full-backs Gabby George and Jayde Riviere high up the pitch, relying on captain Maya Le Tissier and Millie Turner in front of Phallon Tullis-Joyce to deal with any quick breaks. An injury to vice-captain Ella Toone also meant a start for 21-year-old Simi Awujo in midfield.

United’s attacking approach yielded two early chances for Grace Clinton, a left-footed effort in the first minute and a glancing header in the eleventh which both drifted wide. Leicester’s Hannah Cain and Shana Chossenotte looked lively early on, with the former firing over the bar nine minutes in – but as the game progressed the visitors piled on the pressure. The Foxes struggled to escape their own half in a twenty-minute period that saw chances for Celin Bizet and Clinton. CJ Bott was forced to clear over her own bar in the 34th minute to stop Geyse’s cross reaching the two unmarked forwards. It was a well-executed bit of defending that held off what would have been a deserved lead for United.

The hosts missed a golden opportunity to go ahead in the 38th minute, though. On their first attacking foray for some time, Nicole Momiki managed to wriggle past Le Tissier and play in Cain. Unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box, the Welsh forward somehow put the best chance of the half wide.

She was made to regret it. In the second minute of stoppage time, United’s pressure finally paid off. Geyse beat Courtney Nevin to cross in from the byline, and it found Elisabeth Terland in far too much space. With the last touch of the half, the Norwegian’s header across goal and out of Leitzig’s reach put United ahead.

The game restarted fairly quietly, with the highlight of the opening stage being Bizet’s audacious overhead kick five minutes in. Despite determined running from Leicester’s Momiki and Chossenotte, only United’s Clinton registered shots on target in the first twenty minutes of the half.

Having seen enough, Foxes boss Amandine Miquel replaced Cain with Missy Goodwin in the 66th minute, and Chossenotte with Deanne Rose in the 70th. Marc Skinner followed suit, introducing Rachel Williams for Elisabeth Terland. The changes sparked up a mostly uneventful second half.

Rose fired a shot across Tullis-Joyce’s goal with thirteen minutes remaining, shaking some life into United. At the other end, Williams stormed forward with a substitute’s fresh legs to play in Bizet – Leitzig smothered her effort well and Clinton’s follow up was herded away by the defence. After a pretty dull half, a goal suddenly looked imminent – and it came for the visitors in the 81st minute. CJ Bott took a heavy touch towards goal after collecting a long ball from Millie Turner, and Bizet pounced. The Norwegian raced ahead of Bott from the left and took just one touch before firing home. That sealed all three points for United, though they could have added to their tally – they had 23 shots to Leicester’s nine.

The result could relieve some pressure on Marc Skinner, whose side are one point outside the Champions League places. Leicester, on the other hand, fall to 10th and avoid the relegation zone only on goal difference.