TeamViewer Trending: Terland the Terminator

TeamViewer Trending: Terland the Terminator

Some things feel inevitable, and the rise of Elisabeth Terland at Manchester United feels like one of them.

The striker arrived in the summer of 2024, and to some acclaim too, after a breakthrough season in which she scored 13 Women’s Super League goals for her former club, Brighton & Hove Albion. Only Manchester City’s Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw managed to better that total.

And though Terland’s start to life at Leigh Sports Village was slow to come to the boil, oh, how it’s bubbling now. The Norwegian is arguably the most in-form forward in the league, with seven goal involvements in her last six league games – including a remarkable hat-trick of assists in that famous derby win away at the Etihad Stadium.

But we’re still learning more and more about our no.19 each week. Learning that goals and assists are only the headline acts in her contributions portfolio. That United have not only acquired a ruthless finisher and a willing creator for others, but also a superb team player with a tireless desire for off-the-ball work.

She was recently nominated for the WSL’s Player of the Month award for January, only to lose out to team-mate Ella Toone, whose heart-warming comeback after injury and bereavement rightly captured the nation.

But we won’t allow Teri’s best period of the season to slip by without fanfare. So here’s our own tribute, right here, right now…

Stand-out moment

We’ve already mentioned Terland’s versatility and all-round punch. But goals grab attention and Terland’s most-important individual moment so far in 2025 was simply sublime. It came at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in our last Women’s Super League game, and was probably Teri’s most picture-perfect finish of a season that seems to be continually swelling in stature.

Just five minutes were on the clock in north London when Jayde Riviere clipped a cross towards the front of the Spurs penalty area, and Terland raced in ahead of her marker to whip a glorious volley into the bottom corner of the Lilywhites’ net. It was the only goal of a really tight game, and won three vital points that hoisted United to second in the WSL ahead of this weekend’s fixture against Crystal Palace. It also marked our fifth consecutive win in the competition.

It was somewhat similar to Terland’s very first Reds goal, actually, which came in the reverse fixture between the two teams at Leigh Sports Village in October; a game that finished 3-0 in United’s favour. Check out all of Elisabeth’s WSL finishes from 2024/25 in the handy video above – all five are cracking efforts!

We ❤️ you too, Teri.#MUWomen pic.twitter.com/PtVrxXkYCo

— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) December 22, 2024

Performance insight

Some of Terland’s goals in 2024/25 have been undeniably spectacular, but attend a game at Leigh Sports Village – or anywhere, for that matter – and you’ll get a more visceral, physical sense of what makes Teri such a popular figure among fans and team-mates.

Put simply, it’s her energy and her tenacity; her willingness to run herself into the ground to help her colleagues. This isn’t glorious work and doesn’t always result in beautiful goals – but it’s something that’s of vast importance. Something that constitutes the foundation of United’s superb defensive work.

Despite losing elite goalkeeper Mary Earps last summer, despite the rejigging of the back four – with Jayde Riviere and Gabby George returning from the injury problems that plagued them last term – Skinner’s Reds have conceded just five in the league. That makes them the WSL’s most parsimonious side, and the collective effort starts with Terland’s terrier-like (Teri-like?!) hounding at the top of the pitch.

“You want Terland starting every single minute, in every trophy pursuit that Man United want to be a part of,” eulogised ex-England goalkeeper Rachel Finnis-Brown after the win over Spurs in the autumn. “They knew when Elisabeth Terland was brought in that she had already proved herself in the WSL with Brighton. Brighton struggled after losing her, and she’s a talismanic figure up front for Manchester United.”

In the derby at Manchester City, Terland got attacking reward for those lung-busting pressing efforts: Ella Toone’s hat-trick goal came directly from her belligerent harassing of the bewildered Blues, almost immediately after kick-off at the start of the second half. And many similar chances have been created throughout the season by the combined running of Teri, Toone and Leah Galton. But the work Terland always, always, always does off the ball also gives the defence valuable respite, and is a big factor in that near-immaculate defensive record.

90 in 20: Man City v United Women Video

90 in 20: Man City v United Women

Enjoy the extended cut of our first WSL win at the Etihad Stadium, inspired by Ella Toone’s electric hat-trick…

Teri said

“You can feel that we, as a team, are in a good place right now, so I’m buzzing,” Terland reflected, after the 3-0 win over Brighton towards the end of last month. “It’s great to have Tooney back from injury and I think you can see that we have a really good team all over. When you play, you can feel it as well: that we always have each other’s backs.”

The boss said

“She is intense in a good way, always focused; she doesn’t dip, whether it’s pressing, whatever the task, she’s all in,” said head coach Marc Skinner. “She gives you that reassurance. She knows what the next picture is beyond the moment and she is trying to work that moment for herself. There’s not many forwards that have the ability to do that. If she doesn’t score, she takes that personally, but she doesn’t let it affect her. She just wants more and more and more.”

90 in 20: Wolves v United Women Video

90 in 20: Wolves v United Women

90 in 20 | Watch extended highlights from United Women’s FA Cup clash with third-tier outfit Wolves…

Did you know?

That there are less than 12 months in age between Terland and another leading Norwegian goalscorer of prominence, Erling Haaland. And Elisabeth is reportedly on friendly terms with her compatriot, having been at the Eliteserien club Bryne during the same period of time. 

“I think she knows Haaland personally and I don’t want to compare the two, but the immense and intense action of both of them is how she performs,” commented Skinner. “‘It’s in the box – I need to score.’”

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