-Credit:Getty Images.
Both Manchester United Women and Manchester City Women warmed up for their upcoming meetings with victories in the FA Cup fourth round last weekend.
United comfortably dispatched of West Bromwich Albion at Leigh Sports Village, winning 7-0, while City saw off Ipswich Town with a routine 3-0 triumph at the Joie Stadium.
United’s reward for making light work of the Baggies is a fifth round trip to Wolves, who ply their trade in the third tier, whereas City will welcome either Leicester City to the Joie Stadium.
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As part of the Manchester Evening News’ new weekly women’s football notebook, here is a round-up of the five biggest stories from the women’s football scene across Manchester from the past week.
United cruise past West Brom
United booked their place in the FA Cup fifth round with an emphatic 7-0 triumph over the Baggies at Leigh, inspired by a glut of goals in the closing stages, including a hat-trick from Celin Bizet.
United took a 1-0 lead through Melvine Malard after just 23 minutes but had to wait until the 77th-minute before adding to their tally with Bizet’s first of the game. Her effort was the first of six goals United added to their tally in less than 20 minutes. She was joined on the scoresheet by Rachel Williams, who scored twice, and the returning Ella Toone.
Toone stepped off the bench to make her first appearance since November after recovering from injury and bent home a superb right-footed effort via the crossbar to score United’s fourth goal.
“Cup games you have to win,” declared boss Marc Skinner. “In the first half I expected a little bit of rustiness and I said that in the week, but the reality is that we controlled the game, which you would expect, and we created chances.
“We got some great footage for us to work on with our forwards and creating chances to finish. But we are into the next round there was some really quality finishes, especially in the second half.”
Ella Toone marked her return from injury by scoring a fine goal. -Credit:Jess Hornby – The FA/The FA via Getty Images.
City get the job done
City joined United in the fifth round a little under 24 hours later, beating Ipswich with a routine 3-0 triumph. They got the job done via goals from Jill Roord, Laura Coombs and Vivianne Miedema.
Roord gave City the lead after 20 minutes when an effort from just outside the box squirmed through the hands of Ipswich goalkeeper Natalia Rae Negri. There was a shade of good fortune about City’s second when Coombs connected with Roord’s cross from the left and saw her effort loop up onto the crossbar and then fall kindly for her to tuck away the rebound from a couple of yards out.
Miedema completed the scoring 21 minutes later, marking her highly anticipated return from injury with a bang. Fresh from stepping off the bench with 61 minutes gone, she was slipped in by Chloe Kelly and slotted home a cool finish.
“Obviously it’s been a while and it’s been frustrating for me to have to sit out,” said Miedema. “But I’ve come back in [and for the goal] Chloe played a really good ball into me, so I’m happy to start scoring again and hopefully I’ll stay fit now.
“It now feels like that’s the end of my rehab and I can move on. When you come back from injury, and especially for players like me, people expect you to score goals again, and I’m happy that today I scored today and I can move forward now.”
Vivianne Miedema wasted no time getting back in the goals. -Credit:Naomi Baker – The FA/The FA via Getty Images.
United swoop for Rendell
United have strengthened their goalkeeping department with the signing of Kayla Rendell from Championship side Southampton. The 23-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal at Old Trafford with the option of a further 12 months.
The England Under-23s shot-stopper, who is a product of Southampton’s academy, will compete with Phallon Tullis-Joyce and Safia Middleton-Patel in the battle to become the club’s first-choice goalkeeper.
After finalising her move to United last Friday, she said: “It’s a dream to be signing for Manchester United and I can’t wait to join the group and get started. I want to thank Southampton for all the support and opportunities they have given me since joining as a nine-year-old girl. I will always cherish so many fantastic memories of my time there.
“Now I’m ready to take the next step in my career and play my part in pushing for success at United.”
Key player signs new United contract
Right-back Jayde Riviere has signed a new contract at United, keeping her at Old Trafford until June 2028, with the option of an additional year. Signed from US outfit AFC Ann Arbor in January 2023, she has established herself as a key figure in boss Skinner’s plans.
The Canadian, who has earned almost 50 caps for her country by the age of 23, has made 32 appearances for United thus far, with her most recent coming in last weekend’s hammering of West Brom.
Jayde Riviere has committed her future to the club. -Credit:Gareth Copley/Getty Images.
On extending her stay at United, she said: “I feel the honour of being a Manchester United player every time I step on the pitch, so I’m thrilled that this journey is going to continue. Winning the FA Cup last season gave us all a taste of success and I’ll continue to give everything I have to achieve more moments like that for our fans.”
Derby double-header
United and City will go head-to-head twice in the coming days, facing each other in both the Women’s Super League (WSL) and the Women’s League Cup. The two sides will first meet in the league at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, kick-off 7.45pm, before meeting at Leigh in the League Cup quarter-finals next Wednesday night, kick-off 7pm.
Sunday’s meeting will mark the first all-Manchester affair between the two since City won 3-1 at the Etihad last March, courtesy of goals from Jess Park (2) and Khadija Shaw. City have won the last three derbies.
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