Marc Skinner, the Manchester United head coach, admitted his team rode their luck as they struck late to maintain their unbeaten start to the ­Women’s Super League campaign with a draw against an improving Arsenal side who produced arguably their best display of the campaign.

The more frustrated looks on the faces of the Arsenal players, ­sup­porters and staff at full time summed up the visitors’ control of large parts of the second half, after the France forward Melvine Malard’s goal eight minutes from time denied them their third win from three games under the interim head coach, Renée Slegers.

Related: Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal: Women’s Super League – live reaction

Earlier, the former United striker Alessia Russo had haunted her old club with a second-half goal to put the visitors in front. It was only the ­second goal United have ­conceded so far this season. Russo was booed by the home fans on her ­second ­appearance back at Leigh Sports ­Village since her 2023 free transfer to Arsenal, and went close to another goal with a downward header soon afterwards.

The introduction of the England ­forward Beth Mead as a half-time sub­stitute shifted the balance of the match in Arsenal’s favour. Yet, later in the game, it was the hosts’ ­substi­tutes who were key to finding the leveller, as Rachel Williams flicked on for Malard to head in.

“I would probably say that they feel like they should have won the game,” Skinner said. “And that’s on them, but they didn’t. And you’ve got to take the point where you take the point. We weren’t our best today. But I’m really happy that we’ve taken the point.

“I felt we dug in and we stuck in. And then you ride that luck and we believe in ourselves to create chances, albeit from a set piece, but we know Arsenal have struggled on those. So we took our chance and we moved on with a point. It wasn’t our best ­attacking display, but I’m really happy with the ­defensive ­display. We leave the game in a ­positive frame and lots to learn. I’m happy with the way that we’ve achieved the point.”

They achieved it with a significant element of gratitude towards the ­centre-backs Maya Le Tissier and ­Millie Turner, as well as the goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who had produced two strong saves to keep Arsenal at bay before Lia ­Wälti’s ­fizzing strike clipped the outside of a post. It felt like an Arsenal goal was coming and it arrived eventually when Russo’s clinical low finish across goal brought the 1,200 travelling fans to their feet.

Watched by Sarina Wiegman, ­neither side produced their best football in the opening 45 minutes, but the England head coach may well have been impressed by the passing range displayed by Turner, who was ­making her 150th ­appearance for United. The centre-back was ­presented with a framed shirt before the game by ­United’s sporting ­director, Dan ­Ashworth, who ­similarly made a presen­tation to Skinner on the occasion of his 100th game in charge.

With this result United missed the chance to go top for a few hours, but it keeps them unbeaten from their first five league games and they remain two points better off than Arsenal.

Slegers, who has been told she will remain in interim charge for at least a further four games until the next international break at the end of November, saw a lot of things in ­Arsenal’s display to be pleased with. “Performance-wise there was a lot of positives but then again, the ­disappointment was only one point,” she said. “I think they [the players] feel like, over the full game, we were better than United and we should have gotten the three points.

But it’s constructive. They all feel very ­motivated and they take a lot of ­positives from the performance.

“When we came back from this international break we had a meeting with the players and got their input: what in our football do we want to develop, what do we want to focus on, what do we think will bring our game to the next level?. Coaches and players together have worked on this.

“We spoke about ­intensity, ­ruthlessness in the boxes, ­communication and we could all see that was good on the pitch today. If we keep ­on building, I am positive about the block of games ahead of us.”

This was the first time this season when United had faced one of the top three sides from last season, and undoubtedly their toughest test so far. Skinner was understandably pleased with the way his team battled to a draw but Arsenal will have travelled back to north London in the knowledge they appeared to be a stronger team, which will give Slegers hope they can return to happier times in the coming weeks.