2020–21 Manchester United W.F.C. season

The 2020–21 season was Manchester United Women's third season since they were founded and their second in the FA Women's Super League, the professional top-flight women's league in England. The club also competed in the FA Cup and League Cup.

Manchester United Women
2020–21 season
Co-chairmenJoel and Avram Glazer
ManagerCasey Stoney
StadiumLeigh Sports Village
FA WSL4th
FA CupFifth round
League CupGroup stage
Top goalscorerLeague: Ella Toone (9)
All: Ella Toone (10)
All statistics correct as of 16 May 2021.

In March 2021, it was announced the team would make their Old Trafford debut in a league match against West Ham United despite fans not yet allowed to return to stadiums due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[1] Manchester United won the game 2–0.[2]

On 12 May 2021, it was announced Casey Stoney would be stepping down as manager at the end of the season amid tensions surrounding the lack of backing and resources from the club, particularly training facilities.[3][4]

Pre-season

Manchester United returned to preseason training on 24 July 2020. On 9 August, they played their first preseason friendly, hosting SWPL champions Glasgow City who were preparing for the restart of the 2019–20 UEFA Women's Champions League.[5]

Date Opponents H / A Result
F–A		 Scorers Attendance
9 August 2020 Glasgow City H 4–0 Toone 4', Sigsworth (2) 73', 80', Hanson 88' 0
16 August 2020 Blackburn Rovers H Behind closed doors, no official scoreline
23 August 2020 Aston Villa H
30 August 2020 Liverpool H 0–0 0

FA Women's Super League
Main article: 2020–21 FA WSL

Matches
Date Opponents H / A Result
F–A		 Scorers Attendance League
position
6 September 2020 Chelsea H 1–1 Galton 79' 0 6th
13 September 2020 Birmingham City A 5–2 Ross 5', Zelem 36', Toone 47', Hanson (2) 60', 79' 0 4th
4 October 2020 Brighton & Hove Albion H 3–0 Toone 9' (pen.), Russo 69', Ross 90+2' 0 4th
10 October 2020 Tottenham Hotspur A 1–0 M. Turner 67' 0 1st
18 October 2020 West Ham United A 4–2 Russo (2) 20', 42', Heath 23', Press 87' 0 3rd
8 November 2020 Arsenal H 1–0 Toone 83' 0 1st
14 November 2020 Manchester City H 2–2 Heath 54', Hanson 74' 0 1st
5 December 2020 Aston Villa A 2–0 Galton 25', Toone 89' 0 1st
13 December 2020 Reading A 2–1 Galton 32', Ladd 83' 623 1st
20 December 2020 Bristol City H 6–1 Galton (2) 26', 63', M. Turner 45+2', Sigsworth 52', Heath (2) 83', 86' 0 1st
17 January 2021 Chelsea A 1–2 James 61' 0 2nd
24 January 2021 Birmingham City H 2–0 Galton 46', Toone 81' 0 1st
31 January 2021[lower-alpha 1] Everton A 2–0 Toone 9', Press 42' 0 2nd
7 February 2021 Reading H 0–2 0 2nd
12 February 2021 Manchester City A 0–3 0 3rd
7 March 2021 Aston Villa H 3–0 Hanson 27', Sigsworth 43', Zelem 73' 0 3rd
19 March 2021 Arsenal A 0–2 0 3rd
27 March 2021 West Ham United H 2–0 James 49', Press 55' 0 3rd
4 April 2021 Brighton & Hove Albion A 0–1 0 4th
25 April 2021 Tottenham Hotspur H 4–1 Toone 9', 48' (pen.), Press 19', Sigsworth 31' 0 4th
2 May 2021 Bristol City A 1–0 Daniëls 79' (o.g.) 0 4th
9 May 2021 Everton H 2–0 Toone 6', Hanson 89' 0 4th

Table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
2 Manchester City 22 17 4 1 65 13 +52 55 Qualification for the Champions League second round
3 Arsenal 22 15 3 4 63 15 +48 48 Qualification for the Champions League first round
4 Manchester United 22 15 2 5 44 20 +24 47
5 Everton 22 9 5 8 39 30 +9 32
6 Brighton & Hove Albion 22 8 3 11 21 41 −20 27
Source: FA WSL
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored.

Women's FA Cup
Main article: 2020–21 Women's FA Cup

As a member of the top two tiers, United will enter the FA Cup in the fourth round proper, originally scheduled to take place on 31 January 2021.[7] The round was ultimately rescheduled for 18 April following the suspension of the competition at the second round stage on 4 January in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8] United were drawn away to Burnley, the first competitive match against a team outside of the top two divisions since the team's creation in 2018.[9] Having progressed to the fifth round with a 6–0 win over Burnley, United were eliminated by 2020–21 Championship winners Leicester City 3–2 on 16 May 2021, Casey Stoney's last game in charge of the team.[10]

Date Round Opponents H / A Result
F–A		 Scorers Attendance
18 April 2021 Round 4 Burnley A 6–0 M. Turner 11', Toone 16', Staniforth 29', A. Turner 44', Hanson (2) 47', 58' 0
16 May 2021 Round 5 Leicester City H 2–3 Sigsworth 32', Ross 59' 0

FA Women's League Cup
Main article: 2020–21 FA Women's League Cup

Group stage

In a change of format to reduce the number of group stage games by two, the League Cup was expanded into six regional groups instead of four, with the six group winners plus the two best second place teams qualifying for the knockout round. Manchester United were entered into Group C for the 2020–21 League Cup alongside fellow WSL teams Everton and Manchester City, and Championship side Liverpool.[11] After losing the opening round fixture to Liverpool, United's second game against Everton was postponed due to safety concerns following overnight wind damage to the stadium.[12] On 19 November, United contested their first penalty shoot-out following a goalless draw with City to determine which side would get the bonus point per competition rules. United successfully scored all four of their penalties (Toone, Groenen, Millie Turner and Ladd) while an Emily Ramsey save on Laura Coombs' second penalty set up a decisive fifth attempt for City which was duly missed by former United captain Alex Greenwood. Despite earning the bonus point, failing to win meant United could not progress to the knockout stage of the League Cup for the first time having reached the semi-finals the previous two seasons.[13][14] The rearranged third fixture was scheduled for 16 December with opponents Everton still potentially able to qualify as one of the best second-place teams.[15]

Date Opponents H / A Result
F–A		 Scorers Attendance Group
position
7 October 2020 Liverpool A 1–3 McManus 28' 0 4th
4 November 2020 Everton A Postponed due to stadium safety concerns[12]
19 November 2020 Manchester City H 0–0
(4–3 p)		 0 4th
16 December 2020 Everton A 0–1 0 4th

    Pos Team Pld W WPEN LPEN L GF GA GD Pts Qualification MCI EVE LIV MNU
    1 Manchester City 3 2 0 1 0 6 1 +5 7 Advanced to knock-out stage — 3–1 — —
    2 Everton 3 2 0 0 1 3 3 0 6 Possible knock-out stage based on ranking — — 1–0 1–0
    3 Liverpool 3 1 0 0 2 3 5 −2 3 0–3 — — 3–1
    4 Manchester United 3 0 1 0 2 1 4 −3 2 0–0 — — —
    Source: thefa.com
    Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record

      Squad statistics
      See also: List of Manchester United W.F.C. records and statistics
      As of 16 May 2021
      Numbers in brackets denote appearances as substitute.
      Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward
      No. Pos. Name League FA Cup League Cup Total Discipline
      AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
      1 GK England Emily Ramsey 0000202000
      2 DF England Martha Harris 4(3)010005(3)010
      3 DF Sweden Lotta Ökvist 1(2)000102(2)010
      3 DF Norway Maria Thorisdottir 4(2)01(1)0005(3)010
      4 DF England Amy Turner 19(2)0112022(2)140
      5 DF England Abbie McManus 5000217100
      7 FW England Ella Toone 21(1)91(1)11(2)023(4)1020
      9 FW England Jessica Sigsworth 6(8)3211(1)09(9)430
      10 MF England Katie Zelem (c) 16(2)2202(1)020(3)230
      11 FW England Leah Galton 15(2)6102(1)018(3)600
      12 MF Wales Hayley Ladd 12(6)1002(1)014(7)140
      13 FW Brazil Ivana Fuso 0(5)0000(1)00(6)000
      14 MF Netherlands Jackie Groenen 18(4)0003021(4)020
      16 MF England Lauren James 5(5)200106(5)200
      17 DF Spain Ona Batlle 1901(1)02022(1)010
      18 FW Scotland Kirsty Hanson 11(9)5221(2)014(11)700
      19 FW Scotland Jane Ross 3(9)221207(9)300
      20 DF Scotland Kirsty Smith 11(2)0201014(2)000
      21 DF England Millie Turner 222213027310
      22 GK England Fran Bentley 000(1)0000(1)000
      23 FW England Alessia Russo 3(1)300104(1)300
      24 FW United States Christen Press 12(2)40(1)00(2)012(5)420
      26 FW England Megan Hornby 0000000000
      27 GK England Mary Earps 220201025000
      28 MF Wales Carrie Jones 0(2)00(2)0000(4)000
      32 DF England Tara Bourne 000(1)0000(1)000
      37 MF England Lucy Staniforth 6(8)0211(1)09(9)120
      77 FW United States Tobin Heath 7(1)4002(1)09(2)410
      Own goals —1—————1——

      Transfers

      In
      Date Pos. Name From Ref.
      21 June 2020 MF Wales Carrie Jones Wales Cardiff City [16]
      9 July 2020 MF England Lucy Staniforth England Birmingham City [17]
      13 July 2020 DF Spain Ona Batlle Spain Levante [18]
      14 July 2020 FW Brazil Ivana Fuso Switzerland FC Basel [19]
      9 September 2020 FW United States Tobin Heath United States Portland Thorns [20]
      FW United States Christen Press United States Utah Royals [21]
      10 September 2020 FW England Alessia Russo United States North Carolina Tar Heels [22]
      22 January 2020 DF Norway Maria Thorisdottir England Chelsea [23]

      Out
      Date Pos. Name To Ref.
      3 June 2020 GK Norway Aurora Mikalsen England Tottenham Hotspur[lower-alpha 2] [24][25]
      7 June 2020 DF Scotland Charlotte Newsham England Blackburn Rovers[lower-alpha 3] [26][27]
      8 June 2020 MF England Aimee Palmer England Bristol City[lower-alpha 4] [28][29]
      11 June 2020 FW Scotland Lizzie Arnot Scotland Rangers[lower-alpha 5] [30][31]
      15 July 2020 GK England Siobhan Chamberlain Retired[lower-alpha 6] [32][33]
      4 September 2020 MF England Mollie Green England Birmingham City[lower-alpha 7] [34][35]
      14 January 2021 DF Sweden Lotta Ökvist Sweden Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC [36]

      Loans out
      Date from Date to Pos. Name To Ref.
      1 September 2020 13 December 2020 GK England Fran Bentley England Blackburn Rovers [37][38]
      7 October 2020 30 June 2021 FW England Maria Edwards England Blackburn Rovers [39]
      21 January 2021 30 June 2021 DF England Abbie McManus England Tottenham Hotspur [40]
      7 March 2021 24 April 2021 GK England Emily Ramsey England West Ham United [41]

      Notes
      1. Rescheduled from 10 January 2021 due to positive COVID-19 cases in the Everton squad.[6]
      2. Released, joined Tottenham Hotspur on 27 July 2020
      3. Released, joined Blackburn Rovers on 11 August 2020
      4. Released, joined Bristol City on 2 July 2020
      5. Released, joined Rangers on 31 July 2020
      6. Released, retired on 4 September 2020
      7. Released, joined Birmingham City on 7 September 2020

      References
      1. "MU Women to play first-ever match at Old Trafford". Manchester United (Press release). 16 March 2021.
      2. "James scores in historic Old Trafford win". BBC Sport.
      3. "Casey Stoney to leave role as Man Utd Women Head Coach". Manchester United.
      4. Wrack, Suzanne (12 May 2021). "Casey Stoney resigns as Manchester United Women manager amid tensions". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
      5. "Champions League fixture forces Glasgow City to fast forward". HeraldScotland.
      6. "Everton Women's Match Against Manchester United Postponed". www.evertonfc.com. Everton Football Club. 8 January 2021.
      7. "The Women's FA Cup Season 2020–21 List of Exemptions" (PDF). thefa.com. The Football Association. 10 August 2020.
      8. "Women's FA Cup to resume on 31 March". BBC Sport.
      9. "2020/21 Women's FA Cup set to return". www.manutd.com.
      10. "Man United suffer FA Cup KO to Leicester". BBC Sport.
      11. "2020–21 Conti Cup draw made". womenscompetitions.thefa.com. The Football Association. 1 September 2020.
      12. "Everton vs Manchester United: Continental Cup tie called off over safety fears". Sky Sports. 4 November 2020.
      13. "FA Women's Continental Tyres League Cup report: Manchester United 0-0 Manchester City (United win 4-3 on penalties)". womenscompetitions.thefa.com.
      14. "Man City progress in League Cup". BBC Sport.
      15. "Date Set For Everton Women's Rearranged Manchester United Cup Tie". www.evertonfc.com.
      16. "Manchester United: Wales teenager Carrie Jones joins club's academy". BBC Sport (Press release). 21 June 2020.
      17. "United Women sign Lucy Staniforth". Manchester United (Press release). 9 July 2020.
      18. "United Women sign Ona Batlle". Manchester United (Press release). 13 July 2020.
      19. "Ivana Fuso signs for United Women". Manchester United (Press release). 14 July 2020.
      20. "Tobin Heath joins United Women". Manchester United (Press release). 9 September 2020.
      21. "Christen Press signs for United Women". Manchester United (Press release). 9 September 2020.
      22. "United Women sign Alessia Russo". Manchester United (Press release). 10 September 2020.
      23. "Man Utd sign Thorisdottir from Chelsea". BBC Sport.
      24. "Aurora Mikalsen to depart United Women". Manchester United (Press release). 3 June 2020.
      25. "Aurora Mikalsen joins Spurs Women". Tottenham Hotspur.
      26. Newsham, Charlotte (7 June 2020). "Newsham confirms United departure". Instagram. Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
      27. "Newsham joins the Blues". www.rovers.co.uk.
      28. "Aimee Palmer to depart United Women". Manchester United (Press release). 8 June 2020.
      29. "Palmer returns to City Women". Bristol City.
      30. "Lizzie Arnot to depart United". Manchester United (Press release). 11 June 2020.
      31. "Rangers Sign Scotland International Lizzie Arnot". www.rangers.co.uk.
      32. "Siobhan Chamberlain departs United". Manchester United (Press release). 15 July 2020.
      33. "Siobhan Chamberlain: Former England and Manchester United goalkeeper retires". BBC Sport. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
      34. "Mollie Green departs Manchester United Women". Manchester United (Press release). 4 September 2020.
      35. "Mollie Green signs for Blues". Birmingham City Football Club. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
      36. "Från Manchester United till KGFC- Kopparbergs Göteborg FC". Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC (in Swedish).
      37. "Fran Bentley loan confirmed". www.manutd.com.
      38. "United recall Bentley from loan". www.rovers.co.uk.
      39. "Rovers loan Edwards from United". www.rovers.co.uk.
      40. "Abbie McManus joins Tottenham on loan". www.manutd.com.
      41. "Emily Ramsey joins West Ham Women on loan". www.manutd.com.
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