Katie Zelem was presented with a unique award prior to the start of the match in honor of the fact that she is the first player in the brief history of the women's squad to reach this milestone. Zelem made her 100th appearance for United. With a brilliant performance in the middle of the field, she demonstrated not only why she has been given the role of captain for this team but also why she has been given so many playing opportunities with them.

Her corners were a consistent source of trouble for Reading and contributed to the scoring of two goals. She also got her name on the scoresheet by scoring United's second goal, which was the result of her converting a penalty kick that was won by Alessia Russo.

Also read: Reading player ratings compared to those of United Women.

But at the same time that Zelem was building a name for himself as a member of the old guard, United's younger players were also making a name for themselves. On her first game for United, Maya Le Tissier made an impression on the club's faithful by scoring twice and contributing to a defense that did not allow a goal while playing for the back line.

Her first attempt at a goal was a peculiar one. She struck the ball from the corner, and it looped upwards, leaving everyone in the box and maybe even throughout the stadium under the impression that it had over the line.

When the goalie turned around, she saw that it had become lodged in the base of her neck. She gave up in exasperation and collapsed to the ground as the throng erupted in delight.

The second goal scored by Le Tissier was considerably more traditional than the first. He headed the ball into the bottom corner of the net, beating the goalkeeper for Reading, to bring the score to 3-0 in favor of United. While the men's team constantly struggles, Erik ten Hag will need to have a conversation with the coaching staff that Marc Skinner has recruited to try to figure out how they are able to appear so dangerous from corners.

Also making her debut was Lucia Garcia. While she didn't quite have the same kind of immediate effect as her teammate, she did have a few instances throughout the game that demonstrated the caliber of player she is.

Last but not least, Alessia Russo and Ella Toone, United's returning heroes, took their places in front of the pack. They were fresh off their success at the 2022 European Championships. Both of them had been playing football during the entire summer, but neither appeared to have been impacted by the packed schedule.

Toone played the entire game with a boundless supply of energy, and it was only a matter of time before she found her way onto the scorecard. Her finest shot came at the end of the first half, but it was just wide of the goal.

On the other side, Russo exemplified the role of a striker by scoring a goal toward the end of the first half of the game. The quality that she possesses and the contributions that she makes to the squad are immediately apparent to anyone who watches her play, which is one of the reasons why she is a fan favorite among United supporters.