Women’s preview: Liverpool v United
Manchester United Women will be hoping to extend our unbeaten start to the 2020/21 Premier League season when we travel to Merseyside this Wednesday, to take on Liverpool.
Casey Stoney’s side face a break from league fixtures when we kick off our Continental League Cup campaign at Prenton Park, against an outfit who were relegated from the WSL last term.
Ahead of the clash, we’ve rounded up all the key pre-match information...
IS IT ON TV?
The game is being shown live on MUTV, with kick-off scheduled for 14:00 BST. Tune in for exclusive pre- and post-match coverage of the Continental Cup clash. MUTV are also currently running an incredible offer where supporters can sign up for 12 months of not-to-be missed access and coverage, for the price of just six months. Find out more.
Women's Highlights: United 3 Brighton 0
Casey Stoney's Reds extended our unbeaten start to the season with a comfortable victory at Leigh Sports Village...
This is the third year we’ve been involved in the Continental Cup, and the format for the tournament has been slightly altered this season. The Reds are in a group alongside Liverpool, Everton and Manchester City - one of six mini leagues in the competition. In 2020/21, the top sides from all six groups will progress to the quarter-finals, alongside the two best runners-up. There are no home and away fixtures, with the sides meeting just once in the group. We travel to Everton on 4 November, before hosting City on 19 November.
FORM GUIDE
United have made a great start to the new season, picking up seven points from our opening three league games. We began the campaign by battling from behind to earn a well-deserved point against Chelsea, before seeing off Birmingham City 5-2 the following week. Last time out - against Brighton & Hove Albion, on Sunday - we won 3-0, thanks to strikes from Ella Toone, Alessia Russo and Jane Ross.
As for Liverpool, they’re also in good form heading into this one, and have won three of their four WSL2 matches in 2020/21. The Merseysiders beat Coventry United 2-1 last Sunday and are currently top of the table.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
We’ve played Liverpool twice before and have won on both occasions. The Merseysiders were actually our first-ever opponents, in 2018, when we beat them 1-0 in the Continental Cup. We then defeated Liverpool again the following season, with Lauren James and Katie Zelem getting on the scoresheet in a 2-0 victory for United - our first in the WSL.
TEAM NEWS
Zelem could be back for Wednesday’s clash, after missing Sunday’s victory as she continued to recover from her COVID-19-enforced absence. Jess Sigsworth, Ona Batlle, Lauren James, Ivana Fuso, Lotta Okvist and Martha Harris were also absent against the Seagulls through injury, and are expected to miss out again at Prenton Park. Meanwhile, new signings Lucy Staniforth, Christen Press and Tobin Heath could all earn their first starts.
As for Liverpool, their manager Vicky Jepson will be hoping to call upon the services of Rhiannon Roberts and Ash Hodson, both of whom were missing last time through injury.
There are 11 Continental Cup fixtures on Wednesday, including the other Group C tie between City and Everton. See below for the list of matches:
Liverpool v UNITED (14:00 BST)
Tottenham Hotspur v London City (15:30 BST)
Chelsea v Arsenal (19:00 BST)
Manchester City v Everton (19:00 BST)
Durham v Coventry United (19:00 BST)
Bristol City v London Bees (19:30 BST)
Brighton & Hove Albion v West Ham United (19:30 BST)
Reading v Charlton Athletic (19:30 BST)
Aston Villa v Sheffield United (19:30 BST)
Lewes v Crystal Palace (19:45 BST)
Blackburn Rovers v Birmingham City (19:45 BST)