Terland’s late leveller halts Manchester City’s perfect WSL start
Manchester United drew 1-1 with Manchester City in the Women’s Super League on 25 October 2026 after Elisabeth Terland struck late to level, ending Manchester City’s 100% start to the season and leaving them second in the table on goal difference behind Chelsea.
Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw had put the visitors ahead in the second half, but Eva Olid’s hosts rallied to earn a stoppage-time equaliser. United showed a marked improvement on last season’s league meetings — both of which finished 3-0 to City — while, as the report noted, Andrée Jeglertz’s visitors were given a real test.
City controlled stretches of the first half with fluid passing, frequent movement down the left through Lauren Hemp and technical play from Yui Hasegawa and Aoba Fujino. Fujino forced a narrowly wide effort after a flick from Hasegawa and Hemp later lifted a shot on to the roof of the net.
United created some of the better first-half openings despite City’s pressure. Terland failed to adjust her feet to connect with Andrea Medina’s cutback, Ella Toone had a left-foot shot saved, and Jess Park saw a dipping, swerving attempt kept out by Ayaka Yamashita; Jade Rose also used her pace to recover and snuff out counters.
After the break, Park’s driven strike clipped the top of the crossbar around the hour mark following Yamashita’s save from Terland one-on-one. Shaw then cut inside to force Phallon Tullis-Joyce into a smart stop, before delivering the breakthrough with a low, powered finish that beat Tullis-Joyce.
Shaw, who had been booed by the home fans after robust exchanges with Maya Le Tissier in the first half, celebrated in front of the travelling City supporters, many of whom waved inflatable bananas; she almost doubled the lead with a rising close-range effort that flew over. United kept pressing and Julia Zigiotti missed a gilt-edged chance with under 15 minutes remaining while Shaw later glanced a header wide from a corner and Fujino’s long-range effort was parried.
The equaliser came from a set-piece sequence that saw Le Tissier play a short free-kick and then send a hopeful high ball into the box; Shaw’s defensive header fell to Terland, who lashed in first time to provoke huge roars from the home crowd and clenched fists in the United technical area.
The draw halts City’s run and leaves them facing a congested schedule: a midweek Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain is followed by next Sunday’s trip to third-placed London City. For United, the late goal was described as a lift for Olid after a start to her tenure that included chastening defeats to London City and Chelsea.