The 2019–20 season was Manchester United Women's second season since they were founded and their first 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.
Following the departure of Alex Greenwood in August 2019, Katie Zelem was named as her successor as club captain.
On 13 March 2020, in line with the FA's response to the coronavirus pandemic, it was announced the season was temporarily suspended until at least 3 April 2020. After later extending the postponement until 30 April, on 3 April, the FA announced that the WSL and Women's Championship would be suspended indefinitely. The season was ultimately ended prematurely on 25 May 2020 with immediate effect.
Pre-season United prepared for their debut season as a top-flight team with their first ever game against foreign opposition, traveling to Norway to play Toppserien side Vålerenga on 31 July, in conjunction with the men's team who played in the same city the day before. United also faced Norwegian third division side Sandefjord on 3 August and preceded their trip abroad with a closed-doors friendly at home to Blackburn Rovers.
DateOpponents H / AResultF–AScorersAttendance24 July 2019Blackburn RoversHBehind closed doors, no official scoreline31 July 2019VålerengaA1–4Sigsworth 24'7,1243 August 2019SandefjordA5–0Green 12', Toone 35', Ross 40', Ladd 61', Sigsworth 67'
FA Women's Super League
Following a successful debut season in the FA Women's Championship, Manchester United earned promotion to the FA Women's Super League. On 10 May 2019, the FA confirmed Manchester United had been granted a license to compete in the WSL for the 2019–20 season.
Matches The opening weekend WSL fixtures were announced on 1 July 2019 and included the first Manchester derby between the two women's teams with the fixture being played at the City of Manchester Stadium. The remaining league fixtures were announced on 10 July 2019. Manchester United played 14 of the intended 22 league fixtures prior to the season being cut short and were awarded fourth place on a points-per-game basis, the same place they were when the season ended.
DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendanceLeagueposition7 September 2019Manchester CityA0–131,21311th16 September 2019ArsenalH0–12,53012th28 September 2019LiverpoolH2–0James 71', Zelem 90+5' (pen.)2,8136th13 October 2019Tottenham HotspurA3–0Hanson 13', Neville 52' (o.g.), Ross 90+2'1,2994th27 October 2019ReadingH2–0Hanson 16', Sigsworth 85'1,9974th17 November 2019ChelseaA0–14,7905th24 November 2019Brighton & Hove AlbionH4–0James 10', Galton (2) 29', 67', Zelem 87' (pen.)1,7075th1 December 2019West Ham UnitedA2–3Hanson 1', James 80'1,7365th8 December 2019EvertonH3–1James (2) 4', 45', Zelem 11' (pen.) 1,8054th15 December 2019Birmingham CityAPostponed due to waterlogged pitch5 January 2020Bristol CityH0–12,0214th12 January 2020LiverpoolAPostponed due to waterlogged pitch19 January 2020Tottenham HotspurH3–0Zelem (2) 58' (pen.), 87', Sigsworth 65'1,8464th2 February 2020ReadingA1–1James 30'1,2564th9 February 2020ChelseaHAll WSL games postponed due to Storm Ciara12 February 2020Brighton & Hove AlbionA1–1Walsh 1' (o.g.)9035th23 February 2020EvertonA3–2Galton (2) 21', 29', Toone 63'8934th22 March 2020West Ham UnitedHThe FA cancelled all remaining leagues fixtures due to the COVID-19 pandemic on 25 May following the previous indefinite suspension of the league announced on 5 April.25 March 2020Birmingham CityA28 March 2020Manchester CityH5 April 2020ArsenalA25 April 2020Bristol CityA3 May 2020LiverpoolA12 May 2020ChelseaH16 May 2020Birmingham CityH
League table
Women's FA Cup
Manchester United entered the Women's FA Cup in the fourth round with the rest of the top two tiers and were drawn against Manchester City, one of only two all-WSL ties of the round. It was the third time the derby rivals had met in the 2019–20 season having already faced off in the league and League Cup. The match was selected as the televised game of the round live on the BBC Red Button and subsequently rescheduled from the typical Sunday when the rest of the round's fixtures were played, to the preceding Saturday. City won 3–2 with goals from England internationals Ellen White and Jill Scott proving the difference while a controversial no-goal decision put the lack of goal-line technology in women's football under scrutiny. It marked the first time Manchester United had lost the first knockout game of either domestic cup competition at the fourth attempt.
DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance25 January 2020Round 4Manchester CityH2–3James 69', Hemp 88' (o.g.)1,948
FA Women's League Cup
Group stage Manchester United were entered into Group C for the 2019–20 League Cup alongside fellow WSL teams Birmingham City, Everton and Manchester City, and Championship side Leicester City. On 21 November 2019, United defeated Leicester City 11–1 to set a new club record home win and the second largest margin of victory in the competition's history, bettered only by Chelsea's 13–0 victory over London Bees in 2014. Ella Toone also matched the club record for goals in a single game with five.
DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendanceGroupposition20 October 2019Manchester CityH2–0Zelem 7', Sigsworth 54'4,0423rd3 November 2019EvertonA3–0James 22', Zelem 78' (pen.), A. Turner 87'3611st21 November 2019Leicester CityH11–1Sigsworth 2', Arnot 7', Toone (5) 21', 43', 45', 73', 87', Smith 40', Ross 70', Ladd 83', James 90+1'1,1271st11 December 2019Birmingham CityA3–1Arnot 1', Ross 27', Toone 90+3'4421st
Knockout phase United qualified top of their group for the second consecutive season, guaranteeing themselves a quarter-final home tie in the process. A 2–1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion saw United reach the semi-final stage for the second consecutive season, setting up a home tie with Chelsea. The London side booked their place in the final with a 1–0 win, a repeat of the narrow scoreline in the team's only other previous meeting, with Chelsea later going on to win the final.
DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance15 January 2020Quarter-finalBrighton & Hove AlbionH2–1McManus 13', Ross 75'64229 January 2020Semi-finalChelseaH0–11,044
Squad statistics
Numbers in brackets denote appearances as substitute. Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward
No.Pos.NameLeagueFA CupLeague CupTotalDisciplineAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1GK Siobhan Chamberlain00000000002DF Martha Harris9 (2)0003 (2)012 (4)0003DF Lotta Ökvist30002 (1)05 (1)0004DF Amy Turner11 (2)0104 (1)116 (3)1305DF Abbie McManus1101061181306MF Aimee Palmer00000000007FW Ella Toone5 (8)1003 (2)68 (10)7318MF Mollie Green00002020009FW Jessica Sigsworth7 (7)2104 (1)212 (8)42010MF Katie Zelem (c)13 (1)5106220 (1)74011FW Leah Galton12400201440012MF Hayley Ladd140104 (2)119 (2)14013GK Emily Ramsey000010100014MF Jackie Groenen12010301600015GK Aurora Mikalsen000010100016MF Lauren James9 (3)60 (1)12 (3)211 (7)96117FW Lizzie Arnot0 (4)00 (1)03 (2)23 (7)20018FW Kirsty Hanson6 (5)3104011 (5)30019FW Jane Ross7 (4)1103 (3)311 (7)40020DF Kirsty Smith7 (1)0104112 (1)12021DF Millie Turner14010502001022GK Fran Bentley000000000023DF Charlotte Newsham000000000024FW Maria Edwards000000000025MF Chloe Williams000000000026MF Rebecca May0 (1)000000 (1)00027GK Mary Earps140104019000——Own goals—2—1—0—3——
Transfers
In DatePos.NameFromRef.1 July 2019MF Jackie Groenen 1. FFC Frankfurt1 July 2019DF Abbie McManus Manchester City1 July 2019MF Hayley Ladd Birmingham City4 July 2019FW Jane Ross West Ham United12 July 2019GK Mary Earps VfL Wolfsburg20 August 2019DF Lotta Ökvist Hammarby IF6 September 2019GK Aurora Mikalsen Kolbotn
Out DatePos.NameToRef.15 May 2019MF Charlie Devlin Charlton AthleticDF Naomi Hartley Sheffield UnitedDF Lucy Roberts South Florida BullsFW Ebony Salmon Bristol City8 August 2019DF Alex Greenwood Lyon
Loans out Date fromDate toPos.NameToRef.17 August 2019End of seasonDF Charlotte Newsham Huddersfield Town21 August 201923 January 2020MF Aimee Palmer Sheffield United11 January 2020End of seasonMF Mollie Green24 January 2020GK Emily Ramsey
See also
Notes
References
External links