The 2020–21 FA Women's League Cup was the tenth edition of the FA Women's Super League and FA Women's Championship's league cup competition. It was sponsored by Continental AG, who sponsored the competition since its creation, and is officially known as the FA Women's Continental League Cup for sponsorship reasons. All 23 teams from the FA Women's Super League and FA Women's Championship contested the competition. Chelsea were the defending champions and successfully defended the title by beating Bristol City in the final.
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Dates | 7 October 2020 – 14 March 2021 |
| Teams | 23 |
| Defending champions | Chelsea |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Chelsea (2nd title) |
| Runner-up | Bristol City |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 38 |
| Goals scored | 137 (3.61 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | Bianca Baptiste (6) |
Format changes
editAs a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the start of the 2020–21 season was delayed, forcing many leagues and competitions to shorten their format. To reduce the total number of games, the previous format of four groups of six (with one being reduced in size by one to suit the total of 23 teams) was altered to six groups of four (with one short again), reducing the number of group stage games from five each to three each. With six group winners now, only the two best second place teams qualified for the knock-out round.[1]
Group stage
editGroup A
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | WPEN | LPEN | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | AST | DUR | SHU | COV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aston Villa | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | +10 | 8 | Advanced to knock-out stage | — | — | 1–0 | — | |
| 2 | Durham | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 3 | +9 | 7 | Possible knock-out stage based on ranking | 1–1 | — | — | 5–2 | |
| 3 | Sheffield United | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 3 | — | 0–6 | — | — | ||
| 4 | Coventry United | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 18 | −16 | 0 | 0–9 | — | 0–4 | — |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
| Durham | 5–2 | Coventry United |
|---|---|---|
| Durham | 1–1 | Aston Villa |
|---|---|---|
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| Penalties | ||
| 2–4 | ||
Group B
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | WPEN | LPEN | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | CHE | ARS | TOT | LCL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 6 | Advanced to knock-out stage | — | 4–1 | 2–0 | — | |
| 2 | Arsenal | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 5 | Possible knock-out stage based on ranking | — | — | 2–2 | — | |
| 3 | Tottenham Hotspur | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 4 | — | — | — | 4–0 | ||
| 4 | London City Lionesses | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | −8 | 0 | C–C[α] | 0–4 | — | — |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
| London City Lionesses | 0–4 | Arsenal |
|---|---|---|
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| London City Lionesses | Cancelled | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
Group C
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | WPEN | LPEN | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | MCI | EVE | LIV | MNU | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 7 | Advanced to knock-out stage | — | 3–1 | — | — | |
| 2 | Everton | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | Possible knock-out stage based on ranking | — | — | 1–0 | 1–0 | |
| 3 | Liverpool | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 3 | 0–3 | — | — | 3–1 | ||
| 4 | Manchester United | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 2 | 0–0 | — | — | — |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
| Manchester City | 3–1 | Everton |
|---|---|---|
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| Everton | 1–0 | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
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| Everton | 1–0 | Manchester United |
|---|---|---|
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Group D
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | WPEN | LPEN | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | WHU | REA | BHA | CHA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Ham United | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 8 | Advanced to knock-out stage | — | 3–0 | — | — | |
| 2 | Reading | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 | Possible knock-out stage based on ranking | — | — | — | 4–0 | |
| 3 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | — | — | ||
| 4 | Charlton Athletic | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | −8 | 0 | 0–4 | — | C–C[α] | — |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
| Reading | 4–0 | Charlton Athletic |
|---|---|---|
| West Ham United | 3–0 | Reading |
|---|---|---|
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| Charlton Athletic | Cancelled | Brighton & Hove Albion |
|---|---|---|
| Charlton Athletic | 0–4 | West Ham United |
|---|---|---|
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Group E
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | WPEN | LPEN | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | LEI | BIR | BLB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leicester City | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 5 | Advanced to knock-out stage | — | — | 5–2 | |
| 2 | Birmingham City | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 | Possible knock-out stage based on ranking | 0–0 | — | — | |
| 3 | Blackburn Rovers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 0 | — | 0–1 | — |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
| Blackburn Rovers | 0–1 | Birmingham City |
|---|---|---|
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| Leicester City | 5–2 | Blackburn Rovers |
|---|---|---|
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| Birmingham City | 0–0 | Leicester City |
|---|---|---|
| Penalties | ||
| 5–6 | ||
Group F
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | WPEN | LPEN | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | BRI | CRY | LON | LEW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bristol City | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | +8 | 9 | Advanced to knock-out stage | — | — | 4–0 | — | |
| 2 | Crystal Palace | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 6 | Possible knock-out stage based on ranking | 2–4 | — | 6–1 | — | |
| 3 | London Bees | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | −8 | 3 | — | — | — | 1–0 | ||
| 4 | Lewes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 0 | 1–3 | 1–2 | — | — |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of wins; 5) Head-to-head record
| Lewes | 1–2 | Crystal Palace |
|---|---|---|
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| London Bees | 1–0 | Lewes |
|---|---|---|
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| Crystal Palace | 2–4 | Bristol City |
|---|---|---|
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| Lewes | 1–3 | Bristol City |
|---|---|---|
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| Crystal Palace | 6–1 | London Bees |
|---|---|---|
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Ranking of second-placed teams
editDue to Group E containing one fewer team, the ranking to determine which two second-placed teams progress is calculated on a points-per-game basis.[5]
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | WPEN | LPEN | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Durham | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 3 | +9 | 7 | 2.33 | Advanced to knock-out stage |
| 2 | F | Crystal Palace | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 6 | 2.00 | |
| 3 | D | Reading | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 | 2.00 | |
| 4 | E | Birmingham City | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 | 2.00 | |
| 5 | C | Everton | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 2.00 | |
| 6 | B | Arsenal | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 5 | 1.67 |
Knock-out stage
editQuarter-finals
editThe draw for this round was made live on BT Sport Score on 19 December 2020.[6] The two teams that qualified as best placed runners-up could not be drawn against the teams that topped their respective groups meaning Bristol City were not eligible to face Crystal Palace and Durham could not be drawn with Aston Villa. Manchester City's match against Chelsea was postponed following a COVID-19 outbreak in the Manchester City first-team squad.[7]
| Bristol City | 2–1 | Aston Villa |
|---|---|---|
Salmon  55', 58' |
Report | Larsen 86' |
| Crystal Palace | 0–1 | Leicester City |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Flint 89' |
| West Ham United | 3–0 | Durham |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Semi-finals
editFinal
editOn 28 January, it was announced the 2021 FA Women's League Cup Final would be held at Vicarage Road, the home of Watford FC, for the first time.[8] The game was televised live domestically on BT Sport 2 and internationally via the FA's own streaming service the FA Player.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Conti Cup draw made". 1 September 2020. Archived from the original on 23 December 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ "London City Lionesses' clash with Chelsea postponed". FAWSL Full-Time. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
- ^ a b "FA Women's League Cup quarter-final draw date". womenscompetitions.thefa.com.
- ^ "Continental Cup tie postponed". www.brightonandhovealbion.com. Archived from the original on 2020-11-19. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- ^ "Conti Cup rules explainer". womenscompetitions.thefa.com. Archived from the original on 2020-12-09. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
- ^ "Conti Cup quarter-finals drawn as holders Chelsea to travel to Manchester City". FAWSL Full-Time. 19 December 2020. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ "Chelsea Women's Conti Cup clash against Man City postponed". Chelsea FC. Archived from the original on 2021-01-08. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
- ^ "Women's League Cup: Watford's Vicarage Road to host final on March 14". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 2021-01-28. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
- ^ "Conti Cup Heading to Watford". womenscompetitions.thefa.com.