Manchester United got their Women's Super League campaign off to a winning start with a dominant display against Leicester at a rain-sodden Leigh Sports Village.
It gave Marc Skinner's side the perfect build-up to Thursday's crucial Champions League qualifier with Norwegian side SK Brann.
Lionesses' hero Ella Toone drove home a 13th-minute opener against a Leicester outfit whose chaotic build-up to the new campaign included the dismissal of coach Amandine Miquel and loss of key player Ruby Mace to Everton for a club record fee on deadline day.
Unsurprisingly against a side already match sharp after two European games, Leicester, led by interim coach Rick Passmoor and tipped by many to finish bottom of the WSL this term, were outclassed.
Elisabeth Terland claimed a 25th-minute second with a header, adding to her four European goals in the victories against PSV Eindhoven and Hammarby.
However, the visiting defence gave Terland far too much space to attack Jayde Riviere's deep cross and goalkeeper Janina Leitzig was beaten too easily at her post.
Leitzig did make three excellent saves to deny Toone but questions were asked of the German again 17 minutes from time when she came to punch clear a cross from Dominique Janssen and got nowhere near it as Melvine Malard, who was excellent throughout for the hosts, turned home United's third.
French forward Malvard added another near the end to give the score a deserved one-sided look as she drilled home a powerful shot from outside the penalty area.
