United Women: Vote for January’s Player of the Month
The vote is now open for Manchester United Women’s first official Player of the Month award.
Marc Skinner’s side enjoyed the perfect start to action in 2023, with three wins from three in January.
The Reds returned from the winter break with a thumping of Liverpool before a late winner at Reading ensured that we made it two victories from two in the league. At the weekend, our winning run continued in the fourth round of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup, with a 2-1 triumph at Championship side Sunderland.
It has therefore been a positive month all round, but we have whittled down a Player-of-the-Month shortlist to four Reds, for their standout contributions across the trio of outings. Below, you can see who is up for the award before casting your vote in our poll…
Highlights: Sunderland v United Women
Watch the key moments from United's Vitality Women's FA Cup match away to Sunderland...
ONA BATLLE
3 apps, 3 assists
The full-back has been in imperious form to start 2023, displaying her usual intent to get forward and contribute in the final third, along with her excelling in her duties at the back. Batlle started all three of United’s games, helping towards the two clean sheets, while also setting up three goals for her team-mates. Ona provided the assists for Lucia Garcia and Hayley Ladd’s strikes in the big win over Liverpool, before putting Nikita Parris’s opener versus Sunderland on a plate for the forward, last weekend. That tally could have had one more on it too, had a Millie Turner attempt against our Merseyside rivals – which eventually went down as an own goal – not taken a notable deflection off Liverpool's Emma Koivisto. Our no.2 was again the player to play the ball into Turner’s path.
3 apps, 2 clean sheets
It’s been a month to remember for Mary, with another two clean sheets – in the games against Liverpool and Reading - taking her tally for the WSL season up to a remarkable eight in 11 matches, which is more than any other goalkeeper in the division in 2022/23. Mary is also the outright leader on the all-time tally, having brought up her 50th shutout in the league during our 1-0 victory at Reading. Our no.27 certainly had to earn that one too, making a brilliant, outstretched stop in the second half to deny a flicked header from Justine Vanhaevermaet that looked destined for the net. The goalkeeper didn’t have too much to do in our FA Cup victory on Sunday, but was on hand to guide the Reds through to the fifth round from the back, during a stern test in the north-east.
Highlights: Reading v United Women
Enjoy the best of the action - and reaction - from United Women's WSL trip to Reading...
2 apps, 1 goal, 1 assist
The Wales international midfielder netted her second goal of the season with a perfectly guided header at home to Liverpool. She later set up Rachel Williams’s back-post header with a perfectly flighted cross past the face of the goal. Ladd started that match and was in the starting XI again at Reading, helping the Reds record a hard-fought victory in Berkshire, before being an unused substitute in our most recent outing.
Highlights: United Women v Liverpool
Following the winter break, Marc Skinner's Reds made a memorable return to WSL action on Sunday against Liverpool...
1 (2) apps, 2 goals, 1 assist
Williams continued to put her name up in lights this month, having a profound impact on all three of our outings, despite only starting at Sunderland. From the bench, she netted an emphatic header against Liverpool before coming off the bench to score a last-gasp winner at Reading, showing expert composure before finishing into the top corner. The forward wasn’t on the scoresheet in the FA Cup, but did tee up Parris’s all-important second-half winner, which set up a fifth-round tie with Durham next month.
So, will you choose Batlle, Earps, Ladd or Williams? The voting for United Women’s January Player of the Month is now open via our official poll above.
You have until Friday morning to make your pick, and we will announce the winner later that day.