The 2023–24 FA Women's League Cup is the thirteenth edition of the Women's Super League and Women's Championship's league cup competition. It is sponsored by Continental AG, who have sponsored the competition since its creation in 2011, and was officially known as the FA Women's Continental Tyres League Cup[1] for sponsorship reasons. All 24 teams from the WSL and Championship will contest the competition. Arsenal are the defending champions.[2]
Format
The competition kept the same format as the previous season, starting with a group stage split regionally. 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 1 August 2023 featured 21 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 entered the Champions League group stage and therefore joined the League Cup at the quarter-final stage, and Manchester United and Arsenal who will take part in 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.[3] Arsenal were eliminated from the Champions League in the first qualifying round and were drawn into Group D.[4] Manchester United were eliminated from the Champions League in the second qualifying round and were automatically drawn into Group B.
The first place team in each of the five groups will qualify for the knock-out stage. As Arsenal and Manchester United both failed to progress in the Champions League, the two best-placed runners-up will also progress to make up eight teams in the quarter-finals.
Updated to match(es) played on 13 December 2023. Source: FA Women's League Cup Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record (E) Eliminated
Updated to match(es) played on 14 December 2023. Source: FA Women's League Cup Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record (E) Eliminated
Updated to match(es) played on 22 November 2023. Source: FA Women's League Cup Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
Updated to match(es) played on 13 December 2023. Source: FA Women's League Cup Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record (E) Eliminated
Updated to match(es) played on 22 November 2023. Source: FA Women's League Cup Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record (E) Eliminated
Due to Arsenal's and Manchester United's failure to progress from Champions League qualifying, they entered the League Cup group stage. With only one team receiving bye to the League Cup quarter-finals, two best-placed runner-up team progressed with the five group winners to make up the final eight. The ranking to determine which two second-placed teams progressed was calculated on a points-per-game basis.
Chelsea will enter 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 quarter-finals will take place on 7 and 8 February 2024.[5]
Semi-finals
The semi-finals will take place on 6 and 7 March 2024.[5]
On 15 December 2023, it was announced that the 2024 FA Women's League Cup Final would be held at Molineux Stadium, the home of Wolverhampton Wanderers, for the first time. The final will take place on 31 March 2024.[6]
