Tributes paid to Poppy Atkinson at Anfield

A series of touching tributes were paid in honour of young Manchester United fan Poppy Atkinson at Friday night’s Barclays Women’s Super League fixture at Anfield.

The 10-year-old supporter, who was tragically killed when she was struck by a car while attending a football training session in Cumbria earlier this month, harboured dreams of playing for United one day and was remembered as her childhood club faced Liverpool on Merseyside.

Before the game, a space was dedicated to Poppy on the social-media graphic announcing our line-up, with Atkinson replacing the name of her hero, Ella Toone, next to the number seven in our listed XI.

We dedicated a space on our starting XI graphic to the late Poppy Atkinson ❤️@EllaToone99, Poppy’s hero, starts for the Reds at Anfield ✅#MUWomen || #WSL https://t.co/ZcCl0g9Xr9 pic.twitter.com/Lx91nK95V8

— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) March 14, 2025

In the meantime, a seat in the away dugout was devoted to the youngster, embellished with a shirt that had her name on the back, which remained in place throughout the evening.

A minute’s silence was also observed prior to kick-off at Anfield while both teams wore black armbands for the match, in Poppy’s memory.

The series of tributes was proposed by United head coach Marc Skinner, embraced by his players and led by Toone.

The Reds had previously paid homage to Poppy at last weekend’s FA Cup tie against Sunderland, the team’s first game following her passing, which included our players holding up a shirt with the 10-year-old’s name on it after our opening goal in the 3-1 win.

A fundraiser set up by the youngster’s uncles, which you can donate to here, has since raised more than £41,000 to cover the costs of a memorial and help grassroots football teams across the UK.

Everyone at United continues to send our condolences, love and support to Poppy’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.

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Manchester United fell to a 3-1 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield in the WSL on Friday night, a result which ends a recent run of seven consecutive league wins.

Marc Skinner made three changes from the side that progressed in the FA Cup against Sunderland last weekend, with Dominique Janssen returning to the XI and both Elisabeth Terland and Jayde Riviere back from short recent injury absences.

Illness in the Liverpool camp in the wake of their statement cup triumph over Arsenal ruled out influential trio Gemma Bonner, Grace Fisk and Ceri Holland.

But while United dominated the ball for large parts of the game, sucker punches late in the first half from Olivia Smith and Fuka Nagano put Liverpool two goals ahead, before Smith bagged a brace with a second-half penalty.

Maya Le Tissier’s well-taken strike ultimately came a little too late in the day to be anything more than consolation from a United perspective.

Defeat, combined with Arsenal’s win over Everton, sees United drop to third in the WSL table on goal difference, but still with a four-point cushion over fourth-place Manchester City in the hunt for Champions League qualification.

FIRST HALF

Things got under way following a moment’s silence in tribute to 10-year-old Poppy Atkinson, whose name also adorned a United shirt placed on an empty seat left for her on the bench.

United controlled much of the tempo from the earliest stages, although it took around 13 minutes for either side to craft a meaningful chance. Celin Bizet picked off a loose pass from Liverpool defender Jasmine Matthews, driving a low shot that was well tipped wide by Rachael Laws.

But despite having to reshuffle at the back, the Merseyside hosts were doing an admirable job of frustrating the visiting Reds, closing ranks when the ball reached the final third.

Just over half an hour in, Gabby George got her head to a near-post corner delivery that Laws managed to hold. The Liverpool goalkeeper also denied Grace Clinton from distance with a spectacular parry after our No.8 had wriggled away from two defenders.

Smith’s breakthrough in the closing stages of the half was completely against the run of play. The Canadian utilised her pace on the right flank, before cutting into the box and managing to squeeze a left-footed shot into the far bottom corner of Phallon Tullis-Joyce’s goal.

Liverpool took confidence from getting in front and were able to quickly double that advantage with a rapid breakaway. Sam Kerr chased the ball down the right, with her cutback across the box turned in by Nagano’s first-time finish, curling away from the reach of Tullis-Joyce into the net.

SECOND HALF

United were dealt a blow within minutes of the restart when George was withdrawn through injury. But the soon game settled into a similar pattern to the first half, with Skinner’s side doing much of the probing. An early opportunity almost fell to Leah Galton at the far post, but she was just squeezed out by a combination of Laws and Liverpool skipper Taylor Hinds.

Smith took the chance to extend her team’s lead from the penalty spot midway through the second half. Jayde Riviere had been punished for a challenge on Liverpool left-back Alejandra Bernabe as she entered the box, with Smith keeping her composure to convert from 12 yards.

With 20 minutes to go and in response to the third goal, Skinner made a triple substitution, Hinata Miyazawa, Rachel Williams and Aoife Mannion tasked with changing the game. Melvine Malard also soon entered the fray.

As United searched, Laws saved comfortably from Miyazawa, before Le Tissier strode forward to join a developing attack late on. The skipper met Miyazawa’s cutback, feinting to shoot to create the space for an effort that beat Laws at the near post. But Liverpool’s two-goal advantage meant they were still able to see out the result through five minutes of stoppage time.

MATCH DETAILS

Liverpool: Laws; Hinds (c), Clark, Matthews (Evans 76), Bernabe; Kerr, Nagano; Smith (Enderby 82), Hobinger, Kapocs (Daniels 90+3); Haug.

Subs not used: Micah, Fahey, Parry, Bartel, Shaw.

Goals: Smith 42, 67, Nagano 45+2.

United: Tullis-Joyce; Riviere (Mannion 69), Le Tissier (c), Turner, George (Sandberg 53); Clinton, Janssen (Miyazawa 69); Bizet, Toone (Williams 69), Galton (Malard 77); Terland.

Subs not used: Middleton-Patel, Naalsund.

Goal: Le Tissier 89.

Attendance: 15,596.

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Manchester United’s Under-21s earned just reward for a dominant Friday night performance at Leigh Sports Village as they comfortably defeated visiting West Brom.

A flurry of goals before the half-hour mark gave the young Reds a dominant lead, and they refused rest on their laurels, extending the advantage further before the break as Jack Fletcher netted a three-minute double, assisted twice by his brother Tyler.

West Brom hit back in the second half with a penalty earned and converted by Harry Whitwell, but United held firm for a good home victory.

The young Reds are not back in competitive action until Monday 31 March, when they travel to York to take on Leeds United at the LNER Community Stadium.

A dominant United created early half-chances, with Habeeb Ogunneye’s teasing ball left unfinished in the area four minutes in and Jack Fletcher’s cross-cum-shot saved after neat footwork. The Baggies showed some threat through Eseosa Sule, who tried an audacious long-range lob, while Deago Nelson headed wide.

But it wasn’t long before the visitors suffered at the hands of a clinical United side. A flowing move from defence began with Godwill Kukonki’s excellent pass under pressure. Tyler Fletcher then drove forward before teeing up Mantato on the right wing. He crossed without hesitation and Biancheri finished while airborne for his 18th goal in all competitions this season.

Scanlon soon reached the same marker for the same campaign when Kukonki acted as initiator once more. His cross-field ball set Sam Murray up on the left wing and while his cross initially evaded Biancheri, Scanlon was on hand to pounce and ultimately poke it home right-footed for a quick second.

The third of a quick flurry came six minutes on, when Sekou Kone won possession, as he did many times on the night. He teed up Biancheri, who repaid the favour as he turned from scorer into provider with a well-weighted pass to Mantato, who had assisted the opener. The 17-year-old winger faced up his man, gave him the eyes and finished clinically with his left.

And there were still more to come before the break. Tyler Fletcher, drifting out to the right-wing, set this one up with a fizzing ball towards his brother, Jack. He finished first-time with his left, as he did again just three minutes later when Tyler pulled another back.

West Brom showed resilience after the break to fight in the early stages and regain a foothold in the game. That resilience earned a goal after 63 minutes, when Harry Whitwell earned and converted a penalty.

United ensured that would prove only a consolation, rather than a route back into the game, with some controlled possession and a couple of chances. Munro headed Scanlon’s right-wing cross just over the crossbar, and Murray nodded Jack Fletcher’s left-wing centre over, too. Biancheri slipped through Tommy Rowe, player-coach and substitute, late on, but his poked effort went just wide of the right post.

Victor Musa nearly added a sixth in injury time with a lovely left-footed lob from the area’s edge, but it settled onto the roof of the net.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Murdock; Ogunneye (c), Munro, Kukonki (Ngwashi 61), Murray; Kone, T. Fletcher (Rowe 81), J. Fletcher; Mantato (Musa 61), Biancheri, Scanlon (Kamason 81).

Unused subs: Graczyk.

Goals: Biancheri 19, Scanlon 21, Mantato 28, J. Fletcher 41, 44 | Whitwell pen 64

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