2020 FA Women's League Cup Final

The 2020 FA Women's League Cup Final was the ninth final of the FA Women's League Cup, England's secondary cup competition for women's football teams and its primary League Cup tournament. It took place on the 29 February 2020, at the City Ground, contested by Arsenal and Chelsea.[1]

2020 FA Women's League Cup Final
Event2019–20 FA Women's League Cup
Arsenal Chelsea
1 2
Date29 February 2020 (2020-02-29)
VenueCity Ground, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire
Player of the MatchAnn-Katrin Berger
RefereeHelen Conley
Attendance6,743

Arsenal have competed in all but one (2016) of the previous finals, winning five. Chelsea made their first appearance in a League Cup final having been a losing semi-finalist at the hands of Manchester City in each of the last two seasons.[2][3]

Route to the final
Round Opposition Score
GS London City Lionesses (A) 5–0
GS Charlton Athletic (H) 4–0
GS Brighton & Hove Albion (A) (p) 0–0 (p)
GS Bristol City (H) 7–0
GS London Bees (H) 9–0
QF Reading (H) 1–0
SF Manchester City (H) 2–1
Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue.

Arsenal

Arsenal topped their League Cup Group for the second consecutive season, doing so by winning four of their five games; against second-tier teams London City Lionesses, Charlton Athletic and London Bees as well as FA WSL relegation battlers Bristol City. The only team to stop Arsenal from winning in the Group Stage was fellow WSL side Brighton & Hove Albion who earned themselves a goalless draw before the Seagulls also took the extra available point by winning the ensuing penalty shootout 4–2. Arsenal finished the Group Stage without conceding a goal.

The quarter-finals saw Arsenal drawn at home to Reading as their strong defensive record continued, seeing off the midtable WSL side 1–0 thanks to a late Kim Little strike. The semi-final matched Arsenal against defending League Cup champions and fellow WSL title-challengers Manchester City. A 2–0 Arsenal lead at half-time was halved in the 60th minute as Gemma Bonner scored the first goal Arsenal had conceded in the competition but the Gunners held on for the win, sending them to their third consecutive final.

Round Opposition Score
GS West Ham United (H) 2–0
GS Crystal Palace (A) 3–0
GS Lewes (A) 2–1
GS Tottenham Hotspur (H) 5–1
GS Reading (A) (p) 1–1 (p)
QF Aston Villa (H) 3–1
SF Manchester United (A) 1–0
Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue.

Chelsea

Chelsea topped their League Cup Group for the third consecutive season, and, like Arsenal, progressed with 13 points after winning four of the five games and drawing a fifth before losing the penalty shootout. They beat two WSL teams and two second-tier teams by way of West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and Lewes before Reading forced a 1–1 draw. The Royals won the extra point 4–2 on penalties.

In the quarter-finals, Chelsea were drawn at home to Aston Villa, one of two Championship teams to progress to the knockout stage. Chelsea ran out comfortable 3–1 winners. The Blues' place in their first League Cup final was ultimately assured by a sole Maren Mjelde goal as Chelsea once again narrowly beat newly-promoted Manchester United 1–0 in the semi-final, a repeat of the scoreline when the teams had first met in the league in November 2019.

Match

Details
Arsenal1–2Chelsea
 Report
Attendance: 6,743
Referee: Helen Conley
Arsenal
Chelsea
GK1 Manuela Zinsberger
DF16 Louise Quinn
DF17 Lisa Evans
DF22 Viktoria Schnaderbeck
DF15 Katie McCabe 81'
MF6 Leah Williamson
MF14 Jill Roord
MF7 Daniëlle van de Donk
MF8 Jordan Nobbs (c)
FW11 Vivianne Miedema
FW19 Caitlin Foord
Substitutes:
GK18 Pauline Peyraud-Magnin
MF20 Leonie Maier
MF26 Ruby Grant
MF27 Melisa Filis
DF30 Ruby Mace
Manager:
Joe Montemurro
GK30 Ann-Katrin Berger
DF18 Maren Mjelde
DF4 Millie Bright
DF16 Magdalena Eriksson (c) 59'
DF25 Jonna Andersson
MF5 Sophie Ingle
MF10 Ji So-yun 75'
MF11 Guro Reiten
FW9 Bethany England
FW20 Sam Kerr 90+3'
FW22 Erin Cuthbert 77'
Substitutes:
GK28 Carly Telford
DF2 Maria Thorisdottir 75'
DF3 Hannah Blundell
MF7 Jessica Carter
DF21 Deanna Cooper
FW23 Ramona Bachmann
MF24 Drew Spence 90+3'
Manager:
Emma Hayes

Player of the match:
Ann-Katrin Berger

Match officials

Assistant referees:
Helen Edwards
Magda Golba


Fourth official:
Stacey Pearson

Match rules

  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary.
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level.
  • Seven named substitutes.
  • Maximum of three substitutions.

References
  1. "Conti Cup final comes to The City Ground on Saturday". www.nottinghamforest.co.uk.
  2. "Chelsea Women v Arsenal Women: Continental League Cup final". BBC Sport. 28 February 2020.
  3. Aluko, Eni (27 February 2020). "Continental Cup final gives an unloved competition a fascinating climax". The Guardian.
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