# 2020–21 Leicester City W.F.C. season

The 2020–21 Leicester City W.F.C. season was the club's 17th season and their third in the FA Women's Championship, the second level of the women's football pyramid. Outside of the league, the club also contested two domestic cup competitions: the FA Cup and the League Cup.
It was their first under the official ownership of Leicester City F.C. parent group, King Power, having previously been an independent club with a formal affiliation to the Foxes. The takeover was confirmed on 22 August 2020 with the club immediately becoming fully-professional in the process. On 22 December 2020, the club announced the women's team would move in to the Belvoir Drive training ground before the end of the year after the men's team vacated the facility and relocated to a newly-constructed complex in Seagrave.
On 4 April 2021, Leicester City clinched the league title with a 2–0 win over London City Lionesses, their twelfth consecutive league victory dating back to 4–1 defeat at the hands of the same opposition on 1 November 2020. The result earned Leicester their first ever promotion to the top-flight FA WSL.

## Squad

    As of 22 January 2021.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | ENG | Demi Lambourne |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Grace Riglar |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Sam Tierney |
| 4 | MF | ENG | Aimee Everett |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Holly Morgan (captain) |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Lia Cataldo |
| 7 | MF | ENG | Charlie Devlin |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Remi Allen |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Libby Smith |
| 11 | FW | ENG | Lachante Paul |
| 12 | MF | ENG | Charlotte Fleming |
| 14 | FW | NED | Esmee de Graaf |
| 15 | DF | SCO | Sophie Howard |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Freya Thomas |
| 17 | FW | ENG | Paige Bailey-Gayle |
| 18 | DF | ENG | Sophie Barker |
| 19 | FW | ENG | Millie Farrow |
| 20 | FW | ENG | Natasha Flint |
| 21 | FW | ENG | Hannah Cain |
| 22 | DF | ENG | Ashleigh Plumptre |
| 23 | FW | ENG | Olivia Fergusson |
| 27 | MF | ENG | Shannon O'Brien |
| 28 | GK | ENG | Kirstie Levell |
| 33 | FW | ENG | Jess Camwell |
| 48 | GK | ENG | Sophie Harris |

## FA Women's Championship
### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Last updated: 2 May 2021. Source: FA WSL

### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Leicester City (C, P) | 20 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 54 | 16 | +38 | 50 | Promotion to the WSL |
| 2 | Durham | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 34 | 15 | +19 | 42 | |
| 3 | Liverpool | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 37 | 15 | +22 | 39 | |
| 4 | Sheffield United | 20 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 37 | 15 | +22 | 38 | |
| 5 | Lewes | 20 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 19 | 22 | −3 | 28 | |
* ↑ Dependent on obtaining a licence.

## Women's FA Cup

As a member of the top two tiers, Leicester City will enter the FA Cup in the fourth round proper. Originally scheduled to take place on 31 January 2021, it was delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Due to the delay, the competition only reached the fifth round before the end of the season. It resumed the following season at the quarter-final stage on 29 September 2021.

## FA Women's League Cup
### Group stage

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | WPEN | LPEN | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | LEI | BIR | BLB |
| 1 | Leicester City | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 5 | Advanced to knock-out stage | — | — | 5–2 |
| 2 | Birmingham City | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 | Possible knock-out stage based on ranking | 0–0 | — | — |
| 3 | Blackburn Rovers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 0 | | — | 0–1 | — |

### Knockout stage

For the first time in club history, Leicester City reached the knockout stage of the League Cup.

## Squad statistics
### Appearances

    As of 29 September 2021
Starting appearances are listed first, followed by substitute appearances after the + symbol where applicable.
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | League | League | 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 | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Grace Riglar | 4 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Sam Tierney | 26 | 3 | 17+2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | ENG | Aimee Everett | 9 | 0 | 2+6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Holly Morgan | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Lia Cataldo | 11 | 0 | 2+6 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | ENG | Charlie Devlin | 24 | 3 | 15+3 | 2 | 1+1 | 0 | 2+2 | 1 |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Remi Allen | 23 | 5 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Libby Smith | 19 | 0 | 10+4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 11 | FW | ENG | Lachante Paul | 24 | 7 | 14+4 | 7 | 1+1 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 |
| 12 | MF | ENG | Charlotte Fleming | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 14 | FW | NED | Esmee de Graaf | 25 | 1 | 17+2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | SCO | Sophie Howard | 19 | 0 | 14+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Freya Thomas | 8 | 0 | 0+6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 17 | FW | ENG | Paige Bailey-Gayle | 18 | 7 | 13+2 | 5+1 | 0 | 0 | 2+1 | 1 |
| 18 | DF | ENG | Sophie Barker | 24 | 1 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | ENG | Millie Farrow | 21 | 4 | 6+11 | 4 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 |
| 20 | FW | ENG | Natasha Flint | 27 | 21 | 14+6 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| 21 | FW | ENG | Hannah Cain | 14 | 5 | 8+1 | 3 | 2+1 | 2 | 0+2 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | ENG | Ashleigh Plumptre | 26 | 1 | 18+1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 23 | FW | ENG | Olivia Fergusson | 10 | 0 | 1+7 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 27 | MF | ENG | Shannon O'Brien | 10 | 3 | 5+2 | 2 | 2+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | GK | ENG | Kirstie Levell | 26 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 33 | FW | ENG | Jess Camwell | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 48 | GK | ENG | Sophie Harris | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joined during 2021–22 season but competed in the postponed 2020–21 FA Cup: ||||||||||||
| 8 | MF | ENG | Molly Pike | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Jessica Sigsworth | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | DF | ENG | Jemma Purfield | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | FW | ENG | Mackenzie Smith | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Players who appeared for the club but left during the season: ||||||||||||
| 10 | FW | ENG | Annabel Blanchard | 8 | 0 | 2+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 24 | MF | IRL | Ruesha Littlejohn | 7 | 1 | 1+5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date | Position | Name | From |
| 22 August 2020 | GK | Kirstie Levell | Everton |
| 22 August 2020 | DF | Sophie Barker | Sheffield United |
| 22 August 2020 | DF | Sophie Howard | Reading |
| 22 August 2020 | DF | Sam Tierney | Sheffield United |
| 22 August 2020 | MF | Remi Allen | Reading |
| 22 August 2020 | MF | Ruesha Littlejohn | West Ham United |
| 22 August 2020 | FW | Hannah Cain | Everton |
| 22 August 2020 | FW | Esmee de Graaf | West Ham United |
| 22 August 2020 | FW | Millie Farrow | Reading |
| 22 August 2020 | FW | Olivia Fergusson | Sheffield United |
| 22 August 2020 | FW | Natasha Flint | Blackburn Rovers |
| 7 January 2021 | GK | Sophie Harris | Watford |
| 21 January 2021 | MF | Charlotte Fleming | Chelsea |
| 22 January 2021 | MF | Shannon O'Brien | Coventry United |

### Transfers out

| Date | Position | Name | To |
| 3 June 2020 | MF | Annie Taylor | Long Eaton United |
| 18 June 2020 | DF | Lucy Johnson | Arizona State Sun Devils |
| 23 July 2020 | DF | Georgia Popple | Coventry United |
| 8 August 2020 | DF | Natalie Johnson | Sheffield United |
| 21 August 2020 | DF | Rachel Brown | Nottingham Forest |
| 22 August 2020 | DF | Hayley James | Nottingham Forest |
| 22 August 2020 | DF | Anneka Nuttall | |
| 16 January 2021 | MF | Ruesha Littlejohn | Birmingham City |
| 21 January 2021 | FW | Annabel Blanchard | Blackburn Rovers |