United's Conti Cup fixtures confirmed

It’s the Reds’ fourth appearance in the domestic competition, with us previously reaching the semi-finals in 2019 and 2020 before being knocked out by Arsenal and Chelsea respectively.

We failed to progress from the opening round last season but, with Marc Skinner having overseen an impressive start to the WSL campaign with two wins from two, hopes are high that United can go on a real run in the tournament, which has been won by Chelsea twice in a row.

Our campaign begins on Thursday 14 October, with a trip to Championship side Durham, before we face Manchester City, for the fourth season in a row, at home on Wednesday 17 November.

The Blues have been drafted into Group B, which initially included four teams, after their failure to progress from the Champions League qualifying phase.

WSL newcomers Leicester City then visit Leigh Sports Village on the first Sunday of December and an away match against Everton rounds out the group 10 days prior to Christmas.

The format for this year’s Conti Cup has changed slightly, although the group stages are still run on a regional basis. The two Northern groups, including United’s, comprise five teams, with the three Southern pools containing four teams.

After each side has played each other once, the five group winners will join Chelsea and Arsenal, automatic qualifiers by dint of their Champions League participation, in the quarter-finals.

The best runners-up from the groups, based on a points-per-game ranking, will also make it into the last eight.

CONTINENTAL CUP FIXTURES

14 October – Durham (A, 19:00 BST)
17 November – Manchester City (H, 19:00 GMT)
5 December – Leicester City (H, 12:00 GMT)
15 December – Everton (A, 19:00 GMT)