Manchester United are into the next round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup after a comprehensive 5-0 win over Burnley at the Progress With Unity Stadium on Sunday.
The fourth-round tie marked a first Leigh game of 2026 and was a great way to start the new year at home, with five different scorers and several individual milestones.
After coming off the bench against Arsenal in the WSL last weekend, new signings Lea Schuller and Hanna Lundkvist were each handed full United debuts from the start. Ellen Wangerheim, whose arrival from Hammarby was announced on Friday, made her debut off the bench with half an hour to play and received a warm United reception from the crowd.
Burnley, an ambitious club who turned fully professional last summer in a bid to earn promotion into WSL 2, had scored 23 goals across their three FA Cup ties prior to kick-off. They began unchanged from the side that started the 7-0 win over Peterborough in round three 11 days before Christmas.
Maya Le Tissier opened the scoring early on with a contender for goal of the season, before Julia Zigiotti and Simi Awujo each got their respective first United goals before half-time. Schuller opened her account immediately after the break, while 16-year-old winger Layla Drury was also on the scoresheet in the second half to make her senior United debut extra special.
FIRST HALF
On a drizzly winter’s day in Leigh the floodlights were on for the 1pm kick-off, but Le Tissier lit up the stadium in her own special way just 90 seconds into the tie. Collecting the ball in Burnley’s half, the space opened up in front of her and our skipper couldn’t pass up the opportunity to shoot, driving a fearsome right-footed strike into the top corner from 30 yards.
With United dominating the ball, Awujo went close to a second just shy of the 10-minute mark, curling the ball towards the far post from the left side of the box. Burnley goalkeeper Kirstie Levell did well to tip it behind for a corner.
Getting forward again, Awujo was soon in the mix once more when Melvine Malard crossed low from the left, narrowly beaten to a potential tap-in as Burnley cleared. The left-hand side was then the source of United’s next goal, as Dominique Janssen crossed into the middle from the byline. That was only partially cleared and Zigiotti was there on the edge of box to fire into the bottom corner.
Burnley managed to build their first meaningful attack half an hour in, with Claudia Mummery-Walker twice seeing shots blocked in quick succession, the second looping over Phallon Tullis-Joyce courtesy of the deflection and clearing the bar.
United’s response was to go straight back on the attack, with Schuller breaking into space down the right and cutting the ball back for Malard. Levell was there to get in the way of the first-time strike. But there was nothing the former Everton and Leicester stopper could when Awujo took aim from the left corner of the box, bending the ball gloriously into the far corner.
There was still time before the interval for Malard to hit the bar with a close-range header after Schuller’s cross looped into the air, while a powerful Awujo strike on the rebound had Levell wincing in pain as she stuck out an arm to save it. At the other end, a goalmouth scramble saw Burnley go dangerously close to pulling one back until Tullis-Joyce gratefully grasped the ball.
SECOND HALF
United wasted little time making it 4-0. Again, attacking down our left-hand side proved fruitful, as Awujo’s pass found Janssen. She dug out a cross from the byline and Schuller was there to meet it, powering a header back across goal that Levell could only stand and watch hit the net.
In addition to Wangerheim’s debut, a triple change from Marc Skinner after an hour introduced Anna Sandberg and Elisabeth Terland. The latter was within the width of a post of scoring immediately, directing a header onto the woodwork from a corner, after Awujo had earlier seen a shot deflected wide.
Then replacing Malard on the left, Drury was linking up well with Sandberg. She went on to display composure beyond her years when played through on goal by fellow sub Hinata Miyazawa. With Levell advancing to close down the angle, the teenager picked her spot and stroked the finish into the net, bringing many inside the stadium to their feet for her incredible moment.
Into the final 10 minutes and United were looking for another goal to match our 6-0 win over Burnley at this stage of the competition five years ago. Lisa Naalsund fired wide after dancing into space to make room for the shot, while Terland had an effort in stoppage time that few over.
The game ran longer the four extra minutes signalled by the officials so that Terland could receive treatment following a painful-looking knock. She collided with Levell in the air, having won the ball with her head, leading to cries for a penalty from the stands, but the referee didn’t point to spot.
United will be among the 16 remaining teams when the fifth-round draw is made on Monday evening at 19:00 GMT.
MATCH DETAILS
United: Tullis-Joyce; Lundkvist, Le Tissier (c), Turner, Janssen (Sandberg 60); Zigiotti (Miyazawa 71), Naalsund; Park (Wangerheim 60), Awujo, Malard (Drury 66); Schuller (Terland 60).
Subs not used: Middleton-Patel, Rendell.
Goals: Le Tissier 2, Zigiotti 21, Awujo 35, Schuller 47, Drury 76.
Burnley: Levell; Siddall, Richards (Logan 60), Matthews, Paul; Chandarana (McPartlan 70), Daniels (c); Docherty (Maxwell 70), Ravening (McDaniel 77), Chadwick (Hartley 60), Mummery-Walker.
Subs not used: McAloon, Wilkes, Carins, Kelly.
Booked: Chadwick, Siddall, Maxwell.
Attendance: 2,835.