Women's Super League The Women’s League Cup (officially the Subway Women’s League Cup) is one of the most important trophies in English women’s football. Played during the league season, the competition brings together teams from the FA Women’s Super League and the Women’s Championship, offering both prestige and a genuine chance of success to clubs outside the traditional elite.
Competition format
The tournament begins with a group stage in which teams are divided into five groups (A–E). Each group consists of four to five teams, and matches are played in a round-robin format. Three points are awarded for a win, one point for a draw, and in the event of a draw penalty shootouts are often held, with the winner receiving an additional point.
The winners of all five groups advance to the next round.
Why do eight teams reach the quarter-finals?
The quarter-final line-up is completed by three clubs that do not take part in the group stage:
- Arsenal Women
- Chelsea Women
- Manchester United Women
These teams are exempt from the first phase because they regularly compete in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. European fixtures take place at the same time as the League Cup group stage and place a significant burden on the match calendar. This solution helps maintain the competitiveness of the tournament, while allowing the top teams to enter the competition only at the quarter-final stage.
Quarter-finals – favourites in control
The quarter-finals, played on 21 December, confirmed the strength of the league’s elite. All matches ended with victories for the favourites:
- Crystal Palace – Arsenal 0:2
- Liverpool – Chelsea 1:9
- Manchester United – Tottenham 2:1
- West Ham – Manchester City Women 1:5
Chelsea recorded the most emphatic win, thrashing Liverpool 9:1 and sending a clear message to their rivals. Arsenal and Manchester City also progressed without major difficulties, while Manchester United were the only side forced into a more closely contested match.
Semi-finals – schedule and pairings
After the quarter-finals, the four strongest teams in the country remain in contention. The semi-finals are scheduled for 21 January:
- Arsenal – Manchester United
- Manchester City – Chelsea
Both matches will be played on the same day and promise top-level clashes. The Manchester City–Chelsea encounter in particular is being described as an early final.
Previous winners and the importance of the cup
In the 2024/25 season, the trophy was won by Chelsea Women, who defeated Manchester City 2:1 in the final. The Women’s League Cup remains the second most important domestic cup competition in England, after the FA Cup, forming a key part of the season and providing an excellent opportunity for clubs from different league levels to compete.
The decisive stages of the 2025/26 edition promise to be especially exciting, with the road to the final running through matches that could shape the balance of power for the entire season.
