2021–22 FA Women's League Cup

The 2021–22 FA Women's League Cup is the 11th edition of the FA Women's Super League and FA Women's Championship's league cup competition. It is sponsored by Continental AG, who have sponsored the competition since its creation, and is officially known as the FA Women's Continental League Cup for sponsorship reasons. All 24 teams from the FA WSL and Championship will contest the competition. Chelsea are the defending champions.

2021–22 FA Women's League Cup
CountryEngland
Dates13 October 2021 –
6 March 2022
Teams24
Defending championsChelsea
Matches played37
Goals scored111 (3 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)Angela Addison (4)
2022–23 →
All statistics correct as of 15 December 2021.

Format changes

The competition will still feature a group stage split regionally. However, the number of groups has reduced from six to five: two in the North and three in the South. In a change from previous years, teams competing in the UEFA Women's Champions League group stage were exempt from the League Cup group stage, earning a provisional bye to the quarter-finals. As a result, the initial group stage draw featured 22 of the 24 teams: one Northern group had five teams drawn into it with the remaining Northern group and all three Southern groups initially featuring four teams each. The three teams excluded from the draw were Chelsea, who automatically enter the Champions League group stage so will enter the League Cup at the quarter-final stage, and Manchester City and Arsenal who went through the Champions League qualifying rounds. Should either team be eliminated during qualification, they would enter the League Cup group stage and be drawn into an existing group of four in their geographical region.[1][2]

The first place team in each of the five groups will qualify for the quarter-finals, joining the two UEFA Women's Champions League teams Chelsea and Arsenal, to make up the eight quarter-final teams. Because Manchester City entered the group stage of the League Cup following their elimination from the second qualifying round of the Champions League, the best-placed runner-up will also progress with the five group winners.[1]

Group stage

Group A
Pos Team Pld W WPEN LPEN L GF GA GD Pts Qualification LIV SUN BLB SHU AST
1 Liverpool (Q) 4 1 2 1 0 3 2 +1 8 Advances to knock-out stage — 2–1 1–1
2 Sunderland (E) 4 1 2 0 1 3 9 −6 7 Possible knock-out stage based on ranking 0–0 — 0–7
3 Blackburn Rovers 4 2 0 0 2 4 4 0 6 1–2 — 1–0
4 Sheffield United 4 1 0 2 1 3 3 0 5 0–0 1–1 —
5 Aston Villa 4 1 0 1 2 9 4 +5 4 0–1 1–2 —
Updated to match(es) played on 15 December 2021. Source: thefa.com
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
(E) Eliminated; (Q) Qualified to the phase indicated

Group B
Pos Team Pld W WPEN LPEN L GF GA GD Pts Qualification MNU MCI EVE LEI DUR
1 Manchester United (X) 4 2 1 1 0 8 5 +3 9 Advances to knock-out stage — 2–1 2–2
2 Manchester City (Y) 3 2 0 0 1 9 3 +6 6 Possible knock-out stage based on ranking — 5–1 3–0
3 Everton (E) 4 2 0 0 2 5 8 −3 6 0–2 — 1–0
4 Leicester City (Z) 3 1 1 0 1 5 6 −1 5 P–P 1–3 —
5 Durham (E) 4 0 0 1 3 3 8 −5 1 2–2 1–2 —
Updated to match(es) played on 15 December 2021. Source: thefa.com
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
(E) Eliminated; (X) Assured of qualification to the next round, either as group winner or best runner-up; (Y) Can still qualify directly or as best runner-up; (Z) Cannot qualify directly, but can still qualify as the best runner-up

Group C
Pos Team Pld W WPEN LPEN L GF GA GD Pts Qualification TOT CHA COV WAT
1 Tottenham Hotspur (Q) 3 3 0 0 0 15 2 +13 9 Advances to knock-out stage — 1–0
2 Charlton Athletic (Z) 3 2 0 0 1 8 2 +6 6 Possible knock-out stage based on ranking — 3–1
3 Coventry United 3 1 0 0 2 6 6 0 3 2–3 — 3–0
4 Watford 3 0 0 0 3 0 19 −19 0 0–11 0–5 —
Updated to match(es) played on 15 December 2021. Source: thefa.com
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
(Q) Qualified to the phase indicated; (Z) Cannot qualify directly, but can still qualify as the best runner-up

Group D
Pos Team Pld W WPEN LPEN L GF GA GD Pts Qualification BRI REA CRY LEW
1 Bristol City (Q) 3 2 1 0 0 4 1 +3 8 Advances to knock-out stage — 3–1
2 Reading (E) 3 1 0 1 1 4 3 +1 4 Possible knock-out stage based on ranking 0–1 —
3 Crystal Palace 3 0 1 1 1 2 4 −2 3 0–0 1–3 —
4 Lewes 3 0 1 1 1 3 5 −2 3 1–1 1–1 —
Updated to match(es) played on 15 December 2021. Source: thefa.com
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
(E) Eliminated; (Q) Qualified to the phase indicated

Group E
Pos Team Pld W WPEN LPEN L GF GA GD Pts Qualification WHU LCL BHA BIR
1 West Ham United (Q) 3 3 0 0 0 8 0 +8 9 Advances to knock-out stage — 3–0
2 London City Lionesses (E) 3 1 1 0 1 3 3 0 5 Possible knock-out stage based on ranking 0–1 — 2–2
3 Brighton & Hove Albion 3 1 0 0 2 1 4 −3 3 0–1 —
4 Birmingham City 3 0 0 1 2 2 7 −5 1 0–4 0–1 —
Updated to match(es) played on 15 December 2021. Source: thefa.com
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
(E) Eliminated; (Q) Qualified to the phase indicated

Ranking of second-placed teams

Due to Manchester City's failure to progress from Champions League qualifying, they entered the League Cup group stage. With only two teams now receiving byes to the League Cup quarter-finals, the best-placed runner-up will also progress with the five group winners to make up the final eight. With the three Southern groups containing one fewer team than the two Northern groups, the ranking to determine which second-placed team progresses is calculated on a points-per-game basis.

As of 15 December 2021
Pos Grp Team Pld W WPEN LPEN L GF GA GD Pts PPG Qualification
1B Manchester City 3200193+662 Advance to knock-out stage
2C Charlton Athletic 3200182+662
5A Sunderland (E) 4120139-671.75
4E London City Lionesses (E) 3110133051.67
3D Reading (E) 3101143+141.33
(E) Eliminated

Knock-out stage

Quarter-finals

Chelsea will enter the League Cup at the quarter-final stage having been exempt from the League Cup group stage due to their participation in the Champions League group stage. Arsenal will also enter at this stage having progressed from the Champions League qualifying rounds.[1] They are scheduled to take place on 19-20 January 2022.

Semi-finals

The semi-finals are scheduled to take place on 2-3 February 2022.

Final

The final is scheduled to take place on the weekend of 5-6 March 2022. The venue is yet to be determined.

See also

References
  1. "Conti Cup format explained". womenscompetitions.thefa.com.
  2. "Women's League Cup draw on talkSPORT". TalkSPORT. 27 July 2021.
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