Skinner says Man Utd will 'keep Chelsea guessing'

Manchester United boss Marc Skinner praised new Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor before the two sides meet on Sunday (kick-off 12:00 GMT).

Bompastor took over from Emma Hayes in June and became the first manager in WSL history to win her first seven games in charge.

"They've got that same winning attitude, it's been born into the players over many years," Skinner said when asked if Bompastor's Chelsea is different to Hayes'.

"Sonia is cleverly and subtly trying to change the way Chelsea play. They're very one-v-one dominant, they're wide in their build-up so they spread you out as much as possible to create one-v-ones. She's doing a good job."

Manchester City struggled to live with Chelsea's intense pressing in their 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, but Skinner has a plan to deal with it.

"It's a huge part of their game. But we have to mix our style, know when to play, when to go beyond the press," he said.

"Having a mix of that is what we've been good at. That will keep Chelsea guessing. We've got to go into it and just be us. If we do that then we've got a good chance of winning the game."

Chelsea striker Mayra Ramirez scored a superb solo goal against City last weekend, and caused havoc with a two-goal performance at Old Trafford in May. Skinner said United's defenders will learn from that.

"We need to defend against that huge threat. Mayra is a fantastic footballer, so we've got to find a way to stop her. But she's surrounded by [other] great players."