Foxes To Face Man United At Leigh Sports Village
Defeating Durham in their second group stage fixture leaves the Foxes third in the standings, ahead of a crucial clash with second-placed Manchester United, who are so far unbeaten in Group B and two points in front of City in the five-team pool.
Ahead of Sunday’s fixture, LCFC.com has provided all the key information you need to know…
The Foxes camp
Head of Women’s Football Development Emile Heskey has overseen training and preparation for the Continental Tyres League Cup tie ahead of LCFC Women’s new First Team Manager Lydia Bedford taking charge of the team from 6 December.
On the pitch this week, meanwhile, Sophie Howard and Molly Pike were both in action for Scotland and England Under-23s respectively, while Ashleigh Plumptre has been on a training camp with Nigeria over the latest international break.
The opposition
Manchester United sit mid-table in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League with 12 points from their eight matches this term after beginning the season with back-to-back victories against Reading and Leicester under new manager Marc Skinner.
A 6-1 humbling at the hands of Chelsea threatened to derail an impressive start but the Red Devils soon bounced back from that disappointment by seeing off Birmingham City, before three successive draws versus Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton, ahead of defeat to Arsenal last time out.
Their League Cup campaign began with a 2-2 draw away at Durham, where United took a bonus point for winning the penalty shootout, while they were victorious inside 90 minutes against Man City, recording a 2-1 success.
In the dugout
Marc Skinner was appointed as Manchester United Women’s new head coach in July 2021, following the departure of Casey Stoney after three years at the helm.
The 38-year-old arrived following a two-year spell in the USA managing National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) side Orlando Pride. Skinner possesses previous English top-flight experience, too, having held the managerial post at Birmingham City from 2016 to 2019.
After successive fourth-place finishes in United’s first two WSL campaigns, Skinner is tasked with attempting to break into the top three and reach the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.
Ones to watch
Ella Toone has registered four goals and five assists in league and cup for Manchester United this term. Fresh from featuring in two Lionesses victories over the past week, the 22-year-old playmaker, who was United’s top scorer last season, will be aiming to add to her club tally this weekend after netting in the WSL fixture on Filbert Way.
Toone’s international team-mate Alessia Russo also joined an impressive England camp, scoring her first Lionesses goal, and went on to net an 11-minute hat-trick against Latvia – the fastest ever by a Lionesses player. The powerful forward has been in form for her club side too, scoring three league goals in 2021/22.
Last time out
United came out on top when the two sides met at King Power Stadium in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League earlier this season.
Ella Toone and Maria Thorisdóttir put the Red Devils into a commanding lead before Abbie McManus’ goal halved the deficit. Martha Thomas’ strike then ensured the visitors emerged as 3-1 victors.
City did, however, secure victory in the last meeting at Leigh Sports Village, recording a 3-2 success in the Vitality Women's FA Cup in May 2021, when Shannon O'Brien, Hannah Cain and Natasha Flint all found the net for the Foxes.
Ticket news
Match tickets for Sunday’s trip to Leigh Sports Village are available to purchase directly from the home club online, HERE, priced at £6 for adults and £3 for over-65s and under-16s. LCFC Women's official social media channels, meanwhile, will provide extensive coverage of the fixture throughout the afternoon.
All times GMT.