Two goals in two minutes set Manchester United on their way to a comfortable 4-0 Women’s Super League win over Liverpool.

Liverpool did the double in this fixture last season but a clinical United made no mistake this time, punishing errors as Elisabeth Terland and Leah Galton scored within seconds of each other in the first half, with Dominique Janssen and Melvine Malard piling on the pain in the second half.

Terland and Galton had come into the United starting XI among three changes from their 1-0 loss to Chelsea last time out, and both were instrumental against an injury-hit Liverpool.

After a scrappy start the first real chance fell to Liverpool when Fuka Nagano shrugged off a tackle, but her dipping shot was kept out by Phallon Tullis-Joyce. United responded well but when a deep cross came to Terland she blazed over from a good position.

But having squandered that one, the Norwegian put United ahead in the 33rd minute as United punished Liverpool for a mistake when trying to play out from the back.

Galton won the ball back and Terland teed up Geyse. The Brazilian’s shot was blocked but it fell to Terland who finished well.

And Liverpool were left punch-drunk as United doubled their lead within seconds, winning the ball back from the kick-off before Galton used her pace to latch on to a long ball and lash a powerful shot past Teagan Micah.

The half ended with Cornelia Kapocs having a sight of goal, shooting straight at Tullis-Joyce, and Liverpool began the second half as the better of the two sides without really threatening to score.

Instead United were looking the more dangerous. Just before the hour Grace Clinton won the ball in the Liverpool half and played in Galton, whose shot was deflected over by Gemma Bonner.

Seconds later, they did get their third when Liverpool failed to clear a corner and Galton laid the ball back for Dominique Janssen to find the bottom corner.

Liverpool were not learning their lesson, and Micah had to make a good save to deny Clinton after the visitors gave the ball away in midfield once again.

The fourth goal came with nine minutes left when Janssen’s deep cross was met on the volley by substitute Malard to give the scoreline an emphatic feel.