# 2020–21 London City Lionesses F.C. season

The 2020–21 London City Lionesses F.C. season was the club's second season in existence. The team competed in the FA Women's Championship, the second level of the women's football pyramid, as well as two domestic cup competitions: the FA Cup and the League Cup.
Prior to the start of the season, on 27 May 2020, London City Lionesses announced the appointment of Lisa Fallon as their new manager, taking over from John Bayer who had been in charge on an interim basis since 15 October 2019. Fallon stepped down for family reasons on 9 October 2020 only five games into the season. Fallon's assistant, Melissa Phillips, was initially announced as interim head coach before assuming the role permanently the following week.

## Squad

    As of 28 March 2021.
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 | Lucy Thomas |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Chantelle Mackie |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Leanne Cowan |
| 4 | MF | ENG | Poppy Wilson |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Hannah Short |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Ylenia Priest (co-captain) |
| 7 | MF | IRL | Alli Murphy |
| 8 | FW | ENG | Freda Ayisi |
| 9 | FW | FIN | Juliette Kemppi |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Lily Agg |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Annie Rossiter |
| 12 | DF | NZL | Grace Neville |
| 13 | GK | ENG | Hope Smith |
| 14 | FW | ENG | Kallie Balfour |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 15 | MF | IRL | Hayley Nolan |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Harley Bennett |
| 17 | MF | ENG | Lucy Fitzgerald |
| 18 | MF | ENG | Ellie Mason (co-captain) |
| 19 | FW | POL | Wiktoria Fronc (on loan from West Ham United) |
| 20 | FW | ENG | Atlanta Primus |
| 21 | MF | ENG | Flo Fyfe |
| 22 | FW | ENG | Eden Bailey |
| 23 | MF | ENG | Lilly Pursey |
| 30 | GK | USA | Shae Yanez |
| 37 | MF | KOS | Elizabeta Ejupi |
| 44 | GK | ENG | Nina Wilson |
| — | FW | ENG | Gabriella Ravenscroft |

## 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 |
| 4 | Sheffield United | 20 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 37 | 15 | +22 | 38 |
| 5 | Lewes | 20 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 19 | 22 | −3 | 28 |
| 6 | London City Lionesses | 20 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 24 |
| 7 | Crystal Palace | 20 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 27 | 36 | −9 | 20 |
| 8 | Charlton Athletic | 20 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 19 | 29 | −10 | 19 |

## Women's FA Cup

As a member of the top two tiers, London City Lionesses 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.

## FA Women's League Cup

Per the revised format of the League Cup amid the coronavirus pandemic, the group stage was now limited to four teams per group. London City Lionesses were drawn as the only Championship team alongside FA WSL teams Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Arsenal.
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | WPEN | LPEN | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | CHE | ARS | TOT | LCL |
| 1 | Chelsea | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 6 | Advanced to knock-out stage | — | 4–1 | 2–0 | — |
| 2 | Arsenal | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 5 | Possible knock-out stage based on ranking | — | — | 2–2 | — |
| 3 | Tottenham Hotspur | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 4 | | — | — | — | 4–0 |
| 4 | London City Lionesses | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | −8 | 0 | | C–C | 0–4 | — | — |
* ↑ Match originally postponed following three positive COVID-19 tests by London City Lionesses players. An independent tribunal determined the fixture would not be rescheduled as it would have no effect on qualifying.

## Squad statistics
### Appearances

    As of 2 May 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 | Lucy Thomas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Chantelle Mackie | 9 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Leanne Cowan | 9 | 0 | 7+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | ENG | Poppy Wilson | 14 | 0 | 11+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Hannah Short | 16 | 0 | 13+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Ylenia Priest | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | IRL | Alli Murphy | 21 | 1 | 17+1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 8 | FW | ENG | Freda Ayisi | 9 | 1 | 4+5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | FIN | Juliette Kemppi | 21 | 0 | 12+7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Lily Agg | 20 | 2 | 16+2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Annie Rossiter | 16 | 0 | 2+11 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 12 | DF | ENG | Grace Neville | 20 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 13 | GK | ENG | Hope Smith | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | FW | ENG | Kallie Balfour | 18 | 3 | 9+8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | MF | IRL | Hayley Nolan | 21 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Harley Bennett | 23 | 2 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | ENG | Lucy Fitzgerald | 20 | 1 | 11+6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 18 | MF | ENG | Ellie Mason | 3 | 2 | 1+1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | POL | Wiktoria Fronc | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | FW | ENG | Atlanta Primus | 22 | 4 | 18+1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 21 | MF | ENG | Flo Fyfe | 8 | 0 | 2+4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 22 | FW | ENG | Eden Bailey | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | MF | ENG | Lilly Pursey | 3 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 30 | GK | USA | Shae Yanez | 23 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 37 | MF | KOS | Elizabeta Ejupi | 14 | 3 | 8+5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 44 | GK | ENG | Nina Wilson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Gabby Ravenscroft | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date | Position | Name | From |
| 11 July 2020 | MF | Alli Murphy | Selfoss |
| 16 July 2020 | GK | Shae Yanez | Santa Teresa |
| 9 August 2020 | MF | Lilly Pursey | Chelsea |
| 28 August 2020 | MF | Hayley Nolan | Connecticut Fusion |
| 4 September 2020 | FW | Atlanta Primus | Cal State Fullerton Titans |
| 1 February 2021 | GK | Nina Wilson | Fjarðab/Höttur/Leiknir |

### Loans in

| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Until | Ref. |
| 28 March 2021 | FW | | Wiktoria Fronc | West Ham United | End of season | |

### Transfers out

| Date | Position | Name | To |
| 15 April 2020 | MF | Ellie Arnold | USC Upstate Spartans |
| 19 June 2020 | FW | Vanessa Susanna | Hellas Verona |
| 19 June 2020 | MF | Charlotte Gurr | Charlton Athletic |
| 6 September 2020 | FW | Evie Clarke | Hashtag United |