The 2022–23 season was Manchester United Women's fifth season since they were founded and their fourth in the Women's Super League, the professional top-flight women's league in England. The club also competed in the FA Cup and League Cup.
The season marked the first time Manchester United Women reached a major cup final. The team debuted at Wembley Stadium in the 2023 Women's FA Cup final on 14 May 2023.[1] United lost 1–0 to Chelsea who won their third consecutive FA Cup title. Manchester United also achieved their best league position to date, finishing runner-up to Chelsea and qualifying for the UEFA Women's Champions League for the first time in the process.[2]
For the third successive season, Manchester United Women scheduled a game at Old Trafford.[3] The game was played on 3 December 2022 against Aston Villa and set a new club attendance record as 30,196 watched a 5–0 United victory.[4] The team played a second game in the same season at Old Trafford for the first time, against West Ham United on 25 March 2023 as part of The FA's Women's Football Weekend initiative.[5][6] Manchester United Women maintained a 100% winning record at Old Trafford, beating West Ham United 4–0.[7]
Having had an earlier friendly against Championship side Blackburn Rovers cancelled, Manchester United began pre-season with a behind-closed-doors friendly against fellow WSL club Liverpool at Carrington on 13 August. Leah Galton scored the only goal of a 1–0 win. United then travelled to France to take part in the invitational Women's French Cup held in Toulouse. They were drawn against Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals, winning 1–0 thanks to a Katie Zelem goal to set up a final against Bayern Munich who beat Barcelona on the other side of the draw. Bayern won 3–0.[8] On August 28, United returned to Carrington to end pre-season with a 1–0 win over WSL side Everton. All but the match against Liverpool were broadcast live on MUTV.[9] On the final weekend before the start of the season, United scheduled a game against Championship side Birmingham City. It was set to feature a depleted squad during the international break but it was later called off. In January, the team scheduled a mid-season week-long winter training camp in Malta including a friendly match against Birkirkara.[10] The game was watched in front of 1,053 spectators, setting a new record attendance for a women's football match in Malta, beating the previous record of 764 set in 2019 by the national team.[11]
| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 August 2022 | Blackburn Rovers | H | Cancelled | ||
| 13 August 2022 | Liverpool | H | 1–0 | Galton | |
| 16 August 2022 | Paris Saint-Germain | N | 1–0 | Zelem 65' | |
| 19 August 2022 | Bayern Munich | N | 0–3 | ||
| 28 August 2022 | Everton | H | 1–0 | García 80' | |
| 4 September 2022 | Birmingham City | H | Cancelled | ||
| 6 January 2023 | Birkirkara | N | 10–0 | Bøe Risa (2), Russo (2), García, Clinton, Moore, Parris, Williams, Thomas | 1,053 |
| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A |
Scorers | Attendance | League position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 September 2022 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | Postponed due to the death of Elizabeth II | |||
| 17 September 2022 | Reading | H | 4–0 | Le Tissier (2) 4', 25', Zelem 14' (pen.), Russo 35' | 7,315 | 2nd |
| 25 September 2022 | West Ham United | A | 2–0 | García 50', Blundell 55' | 2,104 | 2nd |
| 16 October 2022 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 4–0 | Toone (2) 14', 26', Galton 40', Leon 78' | 3,685 | 1st |
| 23 October 2022 | Leicester City | A | 1–0 | Parris 34' | 4,007 | 2nd |
| 30 October 2022 | Everton | A | 3–0 | Parris 13', Galton 55', Ladd 68' | 1,752 | 1st |
| 6 November 2022 | Chelsea | H | 1–3 | Russo 71' | 6,186 | 3rd |
| 19 November 2022 | Arsenal | A | 3–2 | Toone 39', Turner 85', Russo 90+1' | 40,064 | 2nd |
| 3 December 2022 | Aston Villa | H | 5–0 | Zelem 13', Galton 28', Russo 51', Batlle 76', Williams 90+3' | 30,196 | 2nd |
| 11 December 2022 | Manchester City | A | 1–1 | Galton 27' | 44,259 | 3rd |
| 15 January 2023 | Liverpool | H | 6–0 | García 6', Russo 24', Ladd 41', Koivisto 63' (o.g.), Thomas 72', Williams 84' | 7,662 | 2nd |
| 22 January 2023 | Reading | A | 1–0 | Williams 87' | 5,108 | 1st |
| 5 February 2023 | Everton | H | 0–0 | 5,040 | 2nd | |
| 12 February 2023 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 2–1 | Galton 67', Bartrip 76' (o.g.) | 21,940 | 1st |
| 5 March 2023 | Leicester City | H | 5–1 | Russo (3) 15', 36', 53', Galton 64', García 84' | 3,623 | 1st |
| 12 March 2023 | Chelsea | A | 0–1 | 3,277 | 2nd | |
| 25 March 2023 | West Ham United | H | 4–0 | Zelem 52' (pen.), García (2) 65', 90+1', Ladd 84' | 27,919 | 1st |
| 1 April 2023 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 4–0 | Galton (2) 12', 66', Williams 86', García 87' | 4,375 | 1st |
| 19 April 2023[a] | Arsenal | H | 1–0 | Russo 45+6' | 6,658 | 1st |
| 28 April 2023 | Aston Villa | A | 3–2 | Galton 15', Parris 62', Turner 90+3' | 4,176 | 1st |
| 7 May 2023 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 3–0 | Galton 32', Russo 35', Parris 53' | 5,796 | 1st |
| 21 May 2023 | Manchester City | H | 2–1 | Ladd 2', García 90+1' | 7,864 | 2nd |
| 27 May 2023 | Liverpool | A | 1–0 | García 72' | 5,778 | 2nd |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea (C) | 22 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 66 | 15 | +51 | 58 | Qualification for the Champions League group stage[a] |
| 2 | Manchester United | 22 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 56 | 12 | +44 | 56 | Qualification for the Champions League second round |
| 3 | Arsenal | 22 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 49 | 16 | +33 | 47 | Qualification for the Champions League first round |
| 4 | Manchester City | 22 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 50 | 25 | +25 | 47 | |
| 5 | Aston Villa | 22 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 47 | 37 | +10 | 37 |
As a member of the first tier, United entered the FA Cup in the fourth round proper.
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 January 2023 | Round 4 | Sunderland | A | 2–1 | Parris (2) 39', 69' | 1,810 |
| 26 February 2023 | Round 5 | Durham | H | 5–0 | Bøe Risa 42', Galton 53', Blundell 67', Russo 78', Parris 88' | 1,735 |
| 19 March 2023 | Quarter-final | Lewes | A | 3–1 | Russo 8', Bøe Risa 68', Parris 89' | 2,801 |
| 15 April 2023 | Semi-final | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 3–2 | Galton 46', Russo 71', Williams 89' | 4,096 |
| 14 May 2023 | Final | Chelsea | N | 0–1 | 77,390 |
As a team not qualified for the group stage of the Champions League, Manchester United entered the League Cup at the group stage.
| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A |
Scorers | Attendance | Group position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 October 2022 | Aston Villa | A | 1–1 (3–4 p) |
Parris 16' | 2,109 | 2nd |
| 26 October 2022 | Durham | A | 2–2 (1–3 p) |
Moore 22', Bøe Risa 66' | 1,695 | 3rd |
| 7 December 2022 | Everton | H | 4–2 | Bøe Risa (2) 1', 20', Williams 12', Moore 27' | 1,519 | 2nd |
| 18 December 2022 | Sheffield United | H | 4–0 | Leon (2) 12', 44', Wilson 51' (o.g.), Thomas 63' | 1,273 | 2nd |
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | WPEN | LPEN | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | AST | MUN | DUR | EVE | SHU | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aston Villa | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 9 | Advanced to knock-out stage | — | 1–1 | 1–0 | – | – | |
| 2 | Manchester United | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 8 | Possible knock-out stage based on ranking | – | — | – | 4–2 | 4–0 | |
| 3 | Durham | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 7 | – | 2–2 | — | – | 3–3 | ||
| 4 | Everton | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1–1 | – | 0–1 | — | – | ||
| 5 | Sheffield United | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | −8 | 1 | 1–2 | – | – | 3–0 | — |
Ranking of second-placed teams
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | WPEN | LPEN | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | Liverpool | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 9 | 2.25 | Advanced to knock-out stage |
| 2 | A | Manchester United | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 8 | 2.00 | |
| 3 | E | Reading | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 6 | 2.00 | |
| 4 | C | Brighton & Hove Albion | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 6 | 2.00 | |
| 5 | D | Lewes | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 6 | 2.00 |
| No. | Pos. | Name | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | Discipline | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |  |
| |||
| 1 | GK |  Emily Ramsey
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | DF |  Ona Batlle
|
19 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 3 | DF |  Maria Thorisdottir
|
3(2) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | Jade Moore
|
0(3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3(3) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF |  Aoife Mannion
|
2(3) | 0 | 0(4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2(7) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | Hannah Blundell
|
22 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0(3) | 0 | 26(3) | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 7 | FW | Ella Toone
|
22 | 3 | 3(1) | 0 | 0(2) | 0 | 25(3) | 3 | 3 | 1[a] |
| 8 | MF | Vilde Bøe Risa
|
3(9) | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 10(9) | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 9 | FW |  Martha Thomas
|
1(19) | 1 | 3(2) | 0 | 4 | 1 | 8(21) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | Katie Zelem (c)
|
21 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0(4) | 0 | 26(4) | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| 11 | FW | Leah Galton
|
20 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 0(1) | 0 | 23(1) | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | MF |  Hayley Ladd
|
19(2) | 4 | 3(1) | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 23(4) | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| 13 | FW |  Ivana Fuso
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | DF |  Jayde Riviere
|
0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | Maya Le Tissier
|
22 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2(2) | 0 | 29(2) | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | Lisa Naalsund
|
0(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | FW | Lucía García
|
8(12) | 8 | 3(2) | 0 | 2(1) | 0 | 13(15) | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 18 | FW | Kirsty Hanson
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | Adriana Leon
|
0(5) | 1 | 0(1) | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3(6) | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | DF |  Aïssatou Tounkara
|
0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | DF | Millie Turner
|
20(2) | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 28(2) | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 22 | FW | Nikita Parris
|
17(4) | 4 | 2(2) | 4 | 1(1) | 1 | 20(7) | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | FW | Alessia Russo
|
19(1) | 10 | 3(1) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 22(2) | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| 24 | MF | Carrie Jones
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | DF | Tara Bourne
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | MF | Grace Clinton
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | GK | Mary Earps
|
22 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | FW | Rachel Williams
|
0(17) | 4 | 1(4) | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4(21) | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | MF | Estelle Cascarino
|
0(1) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | GK | Sophie Baggaley
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | MF | Lucy Staniforth
|
2(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | GK | Safia Middleton-Patel
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 41 | FW | Alyssa Aherne
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 45 | DF | Jessica Simpson
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 46 | FW | Keira Barry
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Own goals | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 4 | — | — | ||
| Date | Pos. | Name | From | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 July 2022 | FW | Lois Cartmell
|
Preston North End
|
[15] |
| 4 July 2022 | FW | Adriana Leon
|
West Ham United
|
[16] |
| 12 July 2022 | FW | Rachel Williams
|
Tottenham Hotspur
|
[17] |
| 15 July 2022 | MF | Grace Clinton
|
Everton
|
[18] |
| 20 July 2022 | DF | Maya Le Tissier
|
Brighton & Hove Albion
|
[19] |
| 25 July 2022 | FW | Lucía García
|
Athletic Club
|
[20] |
| 6 August 2022 | FW | Nikita Parris
|
Arsenal
|
[21] |
| 10 August 2022 | DF | Aïssatou Tounkara
|
Atlético Madrid
|
[22] |
| 21 January 2023 | DF | Jayde Riviere
|
 Michigan Wolverines
|
[23] |
| 24 January 2023 | MF | Lisa Naalsund
|
Brann
|
[24] |
| Date | Pos. | Name | To | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 May 2022 | FW | Karna Solskjær
|
AaFK Fortuna
|
[25] |
| 10 June 2022 | DF | Poppy Lawson
|
Hibernian
|
[26] |
| 30 June 2022 | DF | Diane Caldwell
|
Reading[b]
|
[27][28] |
| DF | Martha Harris
|
Birmingham City[c]
|
[29][30] | |
| 1 July 2022 | GK | Fran Bentley
|
Bristol City
|
[31] |
| 15 July 2022 | DF | Kirsty Smith
|
West Ham United
|
[32] |
| 6 August 2022 | FW | Maria Edwards
|
 SGS Essen
|
[33] |
| 15 September 2022 | MF |  Jackie Groenen
|
Paris Saint-Germain
|
[34] |
| 9 January 2023 | MF | Lucy Staniforth
|
Aston Villa
|
[35] |
| Date from | Date to | Pos. | Name | From | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 January 2023 | 30 June 2023 | MF | Estelle Cascarino
|
Paris Saint-Germain
|
[36] |
| Date from | Date to | Pos. | Name | To | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 July 2022 | 30 June 2023 | FW | Ivana Fuso
|
Bayer Leverkusen
|
[37] |
| 21 July 2022 | MF | Carrie Jones
|
Leicester City
|
[38] | |
| 22 July 2022 | DF | Tara Bourne
|
Birmingham City
|
[39] | |
| 5 August 2022 | GK | Emily Ramsey
|
Everton
|
[40] | |
| 14 August 2022 | MF | Chloe Williams[d]
|
Blackburn Rovers
|
[41] | |
| DF | Niamh Murphy[d]
|
[42] | |||
| 24 August 2022 | DF | Alyssa Aherne[d]
|
Burnley
|
[43] | |
| 7 September 2022 | FW | Keira Barry[d]
|
Derby County
|
[44] | |
| 8 September 2022 | FW | Kirsty Hanson
|
Aston Villa
|
[45] | |
| 18 September 2022 | DF | Jessica Simpson[d]
|
Burnley
|
[46] | |
| 14 January 2023 | MF | Grace Clinton
|
Bristol City
|
[47] | |
| 28 January 2023 | MF | Jade Moore
|
Reading
|
[48] | |
| 11 February 2023 | 12 February 2023 | GK | Safia Middleton-Patel[e]
|
Coventry United
|
[49] |
| 13 April 2023 | 30 June 2023 | FW | Adriana Leon
|
Portland Thorns
|
[50] |
| 26 April 2023 | 30 April 2023 | GK | Safia Middleton-Patel[e]
|
Blackburn Rovers
|
[51] |
