# FA Women's League Cup

The Women's League Cup, also known as the Subway Women's League Cup due to sponsorship reasons, is a league cup competition in English women's association football. The competition was originally open to the eight teams in the FA WSL, but since the WSL's restructuring to two divisions, it has featured 23 teams. Prior to this it was known as the FA WSL Cup. Continental AG sponsored the competition from the inception until 2024 and during this period, the cup was referred to as the FA Women's Continental Tyres League Cup (commonly known as just the Conti Cup). Following the completed takeover by Women's Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL), the cup is now referred to as the Women's League Cup.
Fourteen editions have been played, with Arsenal being the most successful club with seven titles.

## History

Before the Women's Super League (WSL) was established, the top women's clubs competed in the FA Women's Premier League Cup.
The first League Cup edition under the WSL was played after the inaugural FA WSL season. Arsenal, having already won the WSL and the FA Women's Cup, completed the national treble after a 4–1 win over Birmingham City.
The 2012 edition saw a change of format. The straight knockout system was abolished and a group stage with two groups was established. The top two teams from each group advanced to the semi-finals.
In 2014, 18 teams entered, and new WSL 2 teams joined the WSL teams. There were three groups of six teams. In 2015, the quarter-final stage was played for the first time.
For 2016, the cup changed to a true knockout format and abolished the group stage, a move made in agreement with the clubs to increase excitement and competitiveness. With 19 teams, the bottom six teams played a preliminary round. In the round of 16 that followed, the seeding system was used, so the WSL 1 teams met the WSL 2 teams, who had home field advantage.
In 2017–18, a group stage was added again.
In 2018–19, as part of the restructuring of women's football, 22 teams entered. The competition was split up into North and South, with each region having one group of six and one group of five. Each team would play one match against each other, with the top two in each group advancing to a quarter-final.
The format was similar in 2019–20, with an extra team in the South for a total of 23 teams.

## List of finals

Only Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City have won the Women's League Cup. Arsenal, Birmingham City and Chelsea have lost the most finals, finishing as runners-up three times.
Women's League Cup winners :
| Season | Winners | Score | Runners-up | Venue | Attendance |
| 2011 | Arsenal | 4–1 | Birmingham City | Pirelli Stadium, Burton upon Trent | 2,167 |
| 2012 | Arsenal | 1–0 | Birmingham City | Underhill Stadium, London | 2,535 |
| 2013 | Arsenal | 2–0 | Lincoln | The Hive, London | 3,421 |
| 2014 | Manchester City | 1–0 | Arsenal | Adams Park, High Wycombe | 3,697 |
| 2015 | Arsenal | 3–0 | Notts County | New York Stadium, Rotherham | 5,028 |
| 2016 | Manchester City | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Birmingham City | Academy Stadium, Manchester | 4,214 |
| 2017–18 | Arsenal | 1–0 | Manchester City | Adams Park, High Wycombe | 2,136 |
| 2018–19 | Manchester City | 0–0 (4–2 p) | Arsenal | Bramall Lane, Sheffield | 2,424 |
| 2019–20 | Chelsea | 2–1 | Arsenal | City Ground, Nottingham | 6,743 |
| 2020–21 | Chelsea | 6–0 | Bristol City | Vicarage Road, Watford | 0 |
| 2021–22 | Manchester City | 3–1 | Chelsea | Plough Lane, Wimbledon | 8,004 |
| 2022–23 | Arsenal | 3–1 | Chelsea | Selhurst Park, London | 19,010 |
| 2023–24 | Arsenal | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Chelsea | Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton | 21,462 |
| 2024–25 | Chelsea | 2–1 | Manchester City | Pride Park Stadium, Derby | 14,187 |
* ↑ The 2021 final was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

## Results by team

Teams shown in italics are no longer in existence.
Results by team :
| Club | Wins | First final won | Last final won | Runners-up | Last final lost | Total final appearances |
| Arsenal | 7 | 2011 | 2024 | 3 | 2020 | 10 |
| Manchester City | 4 | 2014 | 2022 | 2 | 2025 | 6 |
| Chelsea | 3 | 2020 | 2025 | 3 | 2024 | 6 |
| Birmingham City | 0 | — | — | 3 | 2016 | 3 |
| Lincoln | 0 | — | — | 1 | 2013 | 1 |
| Notts County | 0 | — | — | 1 | 2015 | 1 |
| Bristol City | 0 | — | — | 1 | 2021 | 1 |