2021–22 Leicester City W.F.C. season
# 2021–22 Leicester City W.F.C. season

The 2021–22 Leicester City W.F.C. season was the club's 18th season and their first in history as a top-flight team following promotion to the FA Women's Super League, the highest level of the women's football pyramid, at the end of the previous season. Outside of the league, the club also contested two domestic cup competitions: the FA Cup and the League Cup.

On 25 August 2021, the club announced the women's team would be moving to the King Power Stadium with Burton Albion's Pirelli Stadium serving as backup when fixtures clash with Leicester's men's team.

On 25 November 2021, Jonathan Morgan was relieved of his managerial duties having lost all eight league games to start the season. It ended a seven year spell in which he guided the team from the fourth-tier FA Women's Midlands Division One to the FA WSL. Head of women's football development, Emile Heskey, was named caretaker on the same day. Heskey managed one game, against Manchester United in the League Cup, before England women's under-17 head coach Lydia Bedford took over permanently on 6 December 2021.

## Squad

    As of 3 March 2022

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | GK | ENG | Demi Lambourne |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Sam Tierney |
| 4 | DF | NZL | C. J. Bott |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Abbie McManus |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Georgia Brougham |
| 7 | FW | ENG | Natasha Flint |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Molly Pike |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Jessica Sigsworth |
| 10 | MF | ENG | Charlie Devlin |
| 11 | FW | ENG | Lachante Paul |
| 12 | FW | ENG | Missy Goodwin |
| 14 | FW | NED | Esmee de Graaf |
| 15 | DF | SCO | Sophie Howard |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Freya Gregory (on loan from Aston Villa) |
| 17 | FW | JAM | Paige Bailey-Gayle |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 18 | DF | ENG | Sophie Barker |
| 21 | FW | WAL | Hannah Cain |
| 22 | DF | NGA | Ashleigh Plumptre |
| 23 | DF | ENG | Jemma Purfield |
| 24 | MF | ENG | Elysia Boddy |
| 25 | DF | WAL | Esther Morgan (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur) |
| 27 | MF | ENG | Shannon O'Brien |
| 28 | GK | ENG | Kirstie Levell |
| 32 | MF | ENG | Ava Baker |
| 34 | FW | ENG | Mackenzie Smith |
| 37 | FW | ENG | Alanta Brown |
| 40 | MF | ENG | Monique Robinson |
| 44 | MF | ENG | Connie Scofield |
| 48 | GK | ENG | Sophie Harris |

## FA Women's Super League

### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |

Last updated: 8 May 2022. Source: FA WSL

### Results by matchday

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Ground | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A |
| Result | L | L | L | L | L | L | L | L | L | W | L | W | L | W | W | L | L | L | L | L | D | L |
| Position | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 |

### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 8 | Reading | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 21 | 40 | −19 | 25 | |
| 9 | Aston Villa | 22 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 13 | 40 | −27 | 21 | |
| 10 | Everton | 22 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 41 | −23 | 20 | |
| 11 | Leicester City | 22 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 14 | 53 | −39 | 13 | |
| 12 | Birmingham City (R) | 22 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 15 | 51 | −36 | 11 | Relegation to the Championship |

## Women's FA Cup

As a member of the first tier, Leicester City entered the FA Cup in the fourth round proper.

## FA Women's League Cup

### Group stage

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | WPEN | LPEN | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Manchester City | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 3 | +11 | 9 | Advances to knock-out stage |
| 2 | Manchester United | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 9 | Possible knock-out stage based on ranking |
| 3 | Everton | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 6 | |
| 4 | Leicester City | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 11 | −6 | 5 | |
| 5 | Durham | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 1 | |

## Squad statistics

### Appearances

    As of 8 May 2022

Starting appearances are listed first, followed by substitute appearances after the + symbol where applicable.

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | FA WSL | FA WSL | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | GK | ENG | Demi Lambourne | 19 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Sam Tierney | 27 | 2 | 21 | 2 | 1+1 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | NZL | C. J. Bott | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Abbie McManus | 24 | 1 | 18+1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Georgia Brougham | 17 | 0 | 8+3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 |
| 7 | FW | ENG | Natasha Flint | 25 | 3 | 13+8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2+1 | 1 |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Molly Pike | 26 | 1 | 20+1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2+1 | 1 |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Jessica Sigsworth | 17 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | ENG | Charlie Devlin | 8 | 0 | 0+6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 |
| 11 | FW | ENG | Lachante Paul | 2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | FW | ENG | Missy Goodwin | 7 | 0 | 4+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | FW | NED | Esmee de Graaf | 27 | 1 | 19+2 | 0 | 1+1 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | SCO | Sophie Howard | 26 | 3 | 18+3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2+1 | 1 |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Freya Gregory | 13 | 1 | 10+1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | FW | JAM | Paige Bailey-Gayle | 14 | 0 | 5+7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | ENG | Sophie Barker | 18 | 0 | 8+5 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 |
| 21 | FW | WAL | Hannah Cain | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | NGA | Ashleigh Plumptre | 24 | 2 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 23 | DF | ENG | Jemma Purfield | 26 | 2 | 19+1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 24 | MF | ENG | Elysia Boddy | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | DF | WAL | Esther Morgan | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | MF | ENG | Shannon O'Brien | 26 | 3 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 28 | GK | ENG | Kirstie Levell | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | MF | ENG | Ava Baker | 4 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 34 | FW | ENG | Mackenzie Smith | 3 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | FW | ENG | Alanta Brown | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 40 | MF | ENG | Monique Robinson | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 44 | MF | ENG | Connie Scofield | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 48 | GK | ENG | Sophie Harris | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Players away from the club on loan: ||||||||||||
| 19 | FW | SCO | Abbi Grant | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | SVN | Luana Zajmi | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 29 | FW | ENG | Jess Camwell | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |

## Transfers

### Transfers in

| Date | Position | Name | From |
| - | - | - | - |
| 16 July 2021 | FW | Jessica Sigsworth | Manchester United |
| 19 July 2021 | DF | Jemma Purfield | Bristol City |
| 20 July 2021 | DF | Georgia Brougham | Everton |
| 21 July 2021 | FW | Abbi Grant | Birmingham City |
| 26 July 2021 | MF | Molly Pike | Everton |
| 27 July 2021 | DF | Abbie McManus | Manchester United |
| 23 August 2021 | MF | Connie Scofield | Birmingham City |
| 24 September 2021 | MF | Luana Zajmi | Pomurje |
| 7 January 2022 | FW | Missy Goodwin | Aston Villa |
| 5 February 2022 | MF | Elysia Boddy | Middlesbrough |
| 3 March 2022 | DF | C. J. Bott | Vålerenga |

### Loans in

| Date | Position | Name | From | Until |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 7 January 2022 | MF | Freya Gregory | Aston Villa | End of season |
| 1 February 2022 | DF | Esther Morgan | Tottenham Hotspur | End of season |
| 12 March 2022 | GK | Safia Middleton-Patel | Manchester United | 12 March 2022 |

* ↑ Emergency goalkeeper loan on non-contract terms

### Transfers out

| Date | Position | Name | To |
| - | - | - | - |
| 30 June 2021 | MF | Remi Allen | Aston Villa |
| 30 June 2021 | MF | Charlotte Fleming | London City Lionesses |
| 30 June 2021 | MF | Grace Riglar | Coventry United |
| 30 June 2021 | DF | Lia Cataldo | Bristol City |
| 30 June 2021 | MF | Freya Thomas | Nottingham Forest |
| 30 June 2021 | MF | Aimee Everett | Crystal Palace |
| 30 June 2021 | FW | Millie Farrow | Crystal Palace |
| 30 June 2021 | FW | Olivia Fergusson | Coventry United |
| 30 June 2021 | FW | Libby Smith | Birmingham City |
| 29 July 2021 | DF | Holly Morgan | Retired |

### Loans out

| Date | Position | Name | To | Until |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 26 January 2022 | FW | Abbi Grant | Glasgow City | End of season |
| 28 January 2022 | MF | Luana Zajmi | Blackburn Rovers | End of season |
| 15 February 2022 | MF | Jess Camwell | Derby County | End of season |
