2024–25 Women's League Cup
Tournament details | |
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Country | England |
Dates | 2 October 2024 – 15 March 2025 |
Teams | 23 |
Defending champions | Arsenal |
Final positions | |
Champions | Chelsea (3rd title) |
Runner-up | Manchester City |
Tournament statistics | |
Matches played | 37 |
Goals scored | 135 (3.65 per match) |
Top goal scorer(s) | Maria Edwards (5 goals) |
The 2024–25 Women's League Cup was the 14th edition of the Women's Super League and Women's Championship's league cup competition. All 23 teams from the WSL and Championship took part in the competition. Arsenal were the defending champions.[1] It marked the first time since the competition's inception in 2011 that the cup would not be played under the named sponsorship of Continental AG[2] or under the branding of The Football Association following the completed takeover by Women's Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL).[3] On 16 December 2024, the WPLL announced a partnership with Subway, with the competition officially known as the Subway Women’s League Cup for sponsorship reasons.[4]
Format
[edit]The competition kept the same format as the previous season, starting with a group stage split regionally. However, the competition ran with 23 teams, one fewer than previous season, after Reading withdrew from the Championship in June 2024.[5] Teams competing in the UEFA Women's Champions League group stage are exempt from the League Cup group stage, earning a provisional bye to the quarter-finals. As a result, the initial group stage draw made on 19 August 2024 featured 20 of the 23 teams, with all groups featuring four teams each. The three teams excluded from the draw were Chelsea, who automatically entered the Champions League group stage, and Manchester City and Arsenal who advanced in the Champions League qualifying rounds, and will all enter the League Cup at the quarter-final stage.
The first place team in each of the five groups qualifies for the knock-out stage.
Group stage
[edit]Group A
[edit]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | Manchester United | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | +6 | 9 | Advanced to knock-out stage |
2 | Liverpool | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 6 | |
3 | Everton | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 2 | |
4 | Newcastle United | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 12 | −7 | 1 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
Everton | 0–2 | Manchester United |
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Group B
[edit]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | WPEN | LPEN | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | Durham | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 8 | Advanced to knock-out stage |
2 | Blackburn Rovers | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 6 | |
3 | Sunderland | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 3 | |
4 | Sheffield United | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 1 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
Blackburn Rovers | 1–2 | Durham |
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Durham | 1–1 | Sheffield United |
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Penalties | ||
4–3 |
Sunderland | 1–2 | Durham |
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Group C
[edit]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | WPEN | LPEN | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | West Ham United | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | +11 | 9 | Advanced to knock-out stage |
2 | London City Lionesses | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 6 | |
3 | Southampton | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | |
4 | Portsmouth | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 15 | −12 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
Portsmouth | 2–5 | London City Lionesses |
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West Ham United | 3–0 | Southampton |
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Group D
[edit]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | WPEN | LPEN | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 7 | Advanced to knock-out stage |
2 | Leicester City | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 | |
3 | Birmingham City | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 3 | |
4 | Bristol City | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 10 | −6 | 2 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
Leicester City | 1–1 | Bristol City |
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Penalties | ||
1–2 |
Brighton & Hove Albion | 6–2 | Bristol City |
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Leicester City | 5–2 | Birmingham City |
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Group E
[edit]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | WPEN | LPEN | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | Tottenham Hotspur | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 9 | Advanced to knock-out stage |
2 | Aston Villa | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 6 | |
3 | Crystal Palace | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 3 | |
4 | Charlton Athletic | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
Knockout stage
[edit]Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | |||||||||||
Chelsea | 5 | ||||||||||||
Durham | 0 | ||||||||||||
Chelsea | 2 | ||||||||||||
West Ham United | 0 | ||||||||||||
Tottenham Hotspur | 1 | ||||||||||||
15 March – Derby | |||||||||||||
West Ham United | 2 | ||||||||||||
Chelsea | 2 | ||||||||||||
Manchester City | 1 | ||||||||||||
Brighton & Hove Albion | 0 | ||||||||||||
Arsenal | 4 | ||||||||||||
Arsenal | 1 | ||||||||||||
Manchester City | 2 | ||||||||||||
Manchester United | 1 | ||||||||||||
Manchester City | 2 | ||||||||||||
Quarter-finals
[edit]Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City entered the League Cup at the quarter-final stage, having been exempt from the group stage due to their participation in the Champions League group stage. The draw for the quarter-final and semi-final took place on 16 December 2024.[6][7]
Chelsea | 5–0 | Durham |
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Brighton & Hove Albion | 0–4 | Arsenal |
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Semi-finals
[edit]Chelsea | 2–0 | West Ham United |
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Arsenal | 1–2 | Manchester City |
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Final
[edit]On 16 December 2024, it was announced that the 2025 final would be held at Pride Park Stadium, the home of Derby County, for the first time. It was also announced that VAR and goal-line technology would be returning.[9]
Chelsea | 2–1 | Manchester City |
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Report | Fujino ![]() |
Top goalscorers
[edit]Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
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1 | ![]() |
Blackburn Rovers | 5 |
2 | ![]() |
Liverpool | 4 |
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West Ham | ||
4 | ![]() |
Durham | 3 |
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Portsmouth | ||
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Southampton | ||
7 | 16 players | 2 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Arsenal beat Chelsea to win Women's League Cup - as it happened". BBC. 31 March 2024. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- ^ "Continental Tyres Celebrates 13th Year of Sponsoring Women's League Cup". Tyre Trade News. 9 October 2023. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ^ "WSL and Women's Championship takeover: Deal complete for club-owned body to replace FA". BBC Sport. 15 August 2024. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ^ "Subway Partners with Women's Professional Leagues Limited to become the Women's League Cup Title Partner". The Football Association. 16 December 2024. Archived from the original on 16 December 2024. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ "Reading withdraw women's team from Championship". BBC Sport. 30 June 2024. Archived from the original on 9 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ "2024/2025 Women's League Cup – Quarter and Semi-Final Draw". The Football Association. 13 December 2024. Archived from the original on 13 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ "Man Utd to face Man City in Women's League Cup quarters". BBC. 16 December 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ Wrack, Suzanne (6 February 2025). "Manchester City into Women's League Cup final as Fowler strike stuns Arsenal". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 February 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ^ "Derby County's Pride Park Chosen as Women's League Cup Final Venue". The Football Association. 16 December 2024. Archived from the original on 19 December 2024. Retrieved 16 December 2024.