The 2026 Women’s League Cup final will take place at Ashton Gate in Bristol on Sunday, with Manchester United taking on reigning champions Chelsea.
Chelsea won the trophy last season as part of a historic domestic treble – 12 months later, it’s an opportunity for them to add some early silverware in a season that has seen them trail in the title race. United, by contrast, have never won the League Cup and have suffered regularly at the hands of west London sides in recent seasons.
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CompetitorCerys Jones, Ari Rampling and Carl Anka discuss the big game.
Who will win the trophy?
Cerise Jones: A one-sided head-to-head record, with Manchester United winning just one of 18 meetings with Chelsea, belies the slim advantage in this game. Both sides felt they deserved victory in the 1-1 league draw in October, while Chelsea won 2-1 in extra time in the FA Cup fifth round in February. Only one point separates the two in the standings.
However, in their last game against Manchester United, Chelsea looked more like their old, ruthless, scrappy selves than they have all season. Consecutive losses to Manchester City and Arsenal to drop out of the WSL title race seem to have focused their attention and I think they will take advantage.
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Ari Rampling: Chelsea have not been at their best this season, especially in the Women’s Super League, but they have still shown their ability to get the job done once and for all on big occasions, as evidenced by their 1-0 win over league leaders Manchester City in Sunday’s final and their unbeaten run into the Champions League stage.
In the two matches this season, the points difference between the two sides is not big, and the league points are only one point apart. This will be another fierce confrontation with a narrow advantage to decide the outcome. My prediction is that Erin Cuthbert’s deflected shot from the edge of the area in the 82nd minute settles the game.
Carl Anka: Manchester United have faced Chelsea 16 times in all competitions since 2018 (restructure). They have won just once and lost 13 times. Two of those defeats came in the 2025 and 2023 FA Cup finals. There have been teams that have made bogeys, and there have been things Chelsea have done to many of Mark Skinner’s tactical plans. The gap between the two teams seems closer than ever this season. If United want to get rid of this gremlin, now is the time to do so. I predict that this game will have a low number of goals and a lot of yellow cards, and Manchester United will equalize the score.
What are the key factors on the pitch?
jones: Manchester United captain Maia Le Tissier said on Friday morning that her team’s performance “in both boxes” played a big role in the FA Cup tie, with Chelsea’s goals all coming from set pieces and United missing multiple chances at the other end.
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Waste in front of goal has also been Chelsea’s bane this season. In the absence of Sam Kerr, Catarina Macario and Mayra Ramires, Lauren James is most likely to take charge of Chelsea’s front line, with Elizabeth Tran as her counterpart. Which of the two is more clinical will be the deciding factor – again, goalkeepers Hannah Hampton and Fallon Tullis-Joyce will both need to be at their best.
Rampling: Manchester United attacking midfielder Jessie Parker has been a joy to watch this season with her quick feet and dribbling ability. She has the ability to win Sunday’s final with a moment of magic.
Chelsea striker Lauren James had similar claims. After being interrupted by injury at the end of last season and the start of this one, the England international appears to be on the verge of returning to her best, having contributed a goal and an assist in her first full 90 minutes of the season against Liverpool in February, before impressing against Iceland during the international break in March.
How United limit the impact of Chelsea right-back Ellie Carpenter will also be key. The Australia international can cause havoc with her boundless energy and constant running.
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Ankh: Manchester United’s two games in the Champions League summed up the good and bad of their season. Against Atletico in October, they were reduced to 10 men late in the first half, adjusted well and found a way to win 1-0. Against Wolfsburg in November, they were intimidated by their opponents, making stupid passes time and time again in their own third area, ultimately losing 5-2.
United have the means to attack from the back but may overreact to the first opposition player to take the lead rather than recognizing where the larger trap is being set. Communication in the defense is integral to everything. Chelsea were dangerous enough on their own without a United player giving away possession.
Which player’s absence will be felt the most?
jones: Chelsea will certainly miss Sam Cole’s goal-scoring skills against Manchester United, but they will also have to get used to playing without her this season as she returns from injury. United have not yet had a chance to adjust to playing without Hyuga Miyazawa, who like Cole is still in Australia for the Asia Cup. The midfielder is the quiet hub of the team’s attack and a tireless defensive contributor, having started in every league and Champions League game this season. Her absence, while not surprising, is a real blow.
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Rampling: Both clubs have a number of absentees in similar areas. Chelsea are without three centre-forwards, with Sam Cole out for the Asia Cup, Catarina Macario out and Myra Ramirez out long-term. United, meanwhile, have been hit hard with Miyazawa out on international duty and Ella Toone, who usually plays a more advanced role, out injured.
This is where Chelsea’s depth comes into play, and they could still call on England internationals Aggie Beaver-Jones or Lauren James to lead the way. I agree with Sirise about Miyazawa – she makes huge contributions offensively and defensively and will be hard to replace.
Ankh: Miyazawa’s absence due to the Asian Cup leaves a void in Manchester United’s midfield with no immediate solution. The Japan international plays simple football in the most intelligent way. She is United’s pressure valve on both sides of the ball and Skinner is unlikely to leave Julia Chigioti-Olm as the only defensive midfielder in a game of this magnitude.
Simi Awujo will provide some of Miyazawa’s progressive passing and look to bolster the attack, but this could leave United vulnerable to quick counter-attacks in midfield. Dominik Janssen is an option, moving from centre-back to midfield as an extra spoiler, but the gain in defensive safety will allow United to play more direct football. To beat Chelsea, United must use the ball correctly. Miyazawa understands this better than almost anyone else on the team. She will be missed.
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What does it mean for Manchester United to become just the fourth team to win the League Cup?
Ankh: Winning trophies is always good, but victory on Sunday means even more as it will involve beating Chelsea. United’s one win against them came in a bizarre 2023-24 FA Cup semi-final where they scored in the first minute before eventually winning 2-1. United eventually won the final, but many believed a difficult transition period was ahead. That didn’t happen, thanks to the incredible efforts of a team that was largely left to themselves by the Ineos hierarchy.
Another trophy against tough opponents should give Skinner and his coaching staff more credit in the bank.
Rampling: This would represent a significant achievement in the history of Manchester United Women’s team. As Carr puts it, United won their first major trophy by beating Tottenham Hotspur in the 2024 FA Cup final, outsmarted the WSL’s “big three” on a number of occasions in recent seasons, and hit some real highs on their Champions League debut. But beating serial champions Chelsea in a cup final remains uncharted territory and would make a real statement.
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What does the League Cup mean for defending champion Chelsea?
jones: By Chelsea’s extremely high standards, this trophy is not enough to make this season a success. Unless they lift the Champions League, this season will be remembered as the one in which they gave up the WSL title.
The main value of winning the League Cup, apart from ruling out the chance of a season entirely without trophies, is to start a crucial phase of the season with positive momentum. Heading into the quarter-finals against London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League and FA Cup respectively, Chelsea will need to be confident of reaching the knockout stages to ensure they remain favorites against the WSL heavyweights.
Rampling: Chelsea have had a mediocre season and now appear to be going through a post-Emma Hayes transition. One of the hallmarks of Hayes’ Chelsea has been its ability to keep winning even as the team continues to develop, even when it’s not at its best. Victory in Sunday’s final will prove that Sonia Bompasto’s Chelsea are capable of doing the same.
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2018-19 was the last time Chelsea ended a season without lifting a major trophy – they have since won the domestic treble twice and completed the Double three times. But in reality, only winning the Champions League this season can make up for their defeat in defending the WSL title.
Do you favor the format changes coming next year?
jones: The same three or four teams competing for major domestic honors is not good for women’s football, and these three or four teams are usually the teams with the heaviest workload for the players – so from this point of view, I don’t think canceling the League Cup is no problem. Giving WSL2 clubs more opportunities to test themselves in the top flight via a Swiss-style league stage should also help close the gap between the two levels.
One drawback is that finishing third in the WSL this season does not guarantee participation in the Champions League stage. With England top of the Women’s UEFA Women’s Football League coefficient, the Women’s League currently has two automatic promotion spots to the league, but this still leaves the risk that the third-placed Women’s League team could exit Europe in qualifying and still be unable to participate in the League Cup.
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Rampling: League Cup needs fixing. Chelsea and Manchester United only need to win two games to reach the finals of this season, which doesn’t lend a lot of credibility to the competition. But the solution is tricky. Improving fairness will require either adding more games for players already overloaded with European competition, or cutting out Champions League teams altogether. WSL Football chose the latter.
While the possibility of new trophy winners for England is refreshing, with the relentless dominance of Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal, it’s also important to note that three of England’s best teams won’t be in the competition, dampening their shine slightly. Regardless, whoever fails to qualify for the Champions League, whether it’s Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal or Manchester United, is likely to win the Champions League every year.
Ankh: The relative newness of the League Cup (the competition started in 2011) makes it more creative in its format, as it is less bound by old traditions. The League Cup provides a greater opportunity for the 99% to compete for the glory and trophies that the 1% enjoy every year, which is a noble idea. But League Cup prize money is already limited and the lack of competition for the biggest domestic teams will make it harder to attract sponsors/broadcasters.
In England and Europe, finding the sweet spot between competitiveness and entertainment is a question that affects more than one cup competition. Kudos to the League Cup for the brave decision; it may take us three to five seasons to know if it was a smart choice.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Chelsea, Manchester United, Women’s Football
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