Manchester United forward Jess Park has pinpointed the exact moment that sparked the team’s turnaround under Eva Olid.
Tough start
Olid arrived at United in the summer as a replacement for Marc Skinner, who parted ways with the club after an underwhelming 2025/26 season.
She endured a difficult opening as United suffered a 2–1 loss to London City Lionesses followed by a 5–0 loss to Chelsea.
The beginning of Olid’s tenure was marked by a thin squad, restricted pre-season preparation and delayed summer transfer activity.
| Stat | |
|---|---|
| Played | 13 |
| Wins | 8 |
| Draws | 3 |
| Losses | 2 |
| Goals For | 33 |
| Goals Against | 16 |
Nevertheless, recent weeks have been far more encouraging, and United currently stand 11 matches unbeaten across all competitions. United have won four games and drawn two in the Women’s Super League. The Reds have also recorded four victories in the Subway Players Cup.
Park spoke to club media and pinpointed September’s 1–1 draw with Arsenal as the moment that kicked off United’s campaign. A 96th-minute equaliser for the hosts denied United what looked like a certain victory.
Park reveals turning point
The 21-year-old said, “It definitely kicked us on. We showed what we were capable of in that game, and we showed that we could do it, and that we could have won that game. I think it could have gone both ways, but we got the draw out of it.”
“We were really proud of that moment and we wanted to kick on from there.”
She added, “There was a lot of change over the summer, and I think we were getting used to that, getting used to a new way of playing and understanding each other and how we want to play this year.”
“It was obviously going to be a bit of a struggle at the start, but we knew we weren’t far off. It was just little things and I think we’ve taken it into our stride a bit more.”
On United’s impressive run, she remarked, “We’re always focused on the result, whether it’s a win or a loss, and then we always focus on the next game. But this streak has been pretty incredible. We’re proud of it and we want to keep it going.”
United are next in action this weekend when they face Crystal Palace at Leigh.
She said of the upcoming contest, “They’ll bring a different game, and a different desire to want to beat a team that’s been here [in the top flight] for a while. I think we’ll face a different challenge against them, but we’re ready for it. We want to focus on our job and hopefully win the game.”
United v Palace kicks off at 12.45pm.
Featured image by Sarah Ray-Gain via Getty Images
