WSL Football issued an apology to Spurs and have launched an investigation into the League Cup Quater-final draw after they let influencer GK Barry who knows little about women’s football complete the draw.
The live on TIKTOK was considered unprofessional and with sexual innuendos even at point people GK Barry said “what do you think of Tottenham?” Which is a football chant which normally is hating on the club. She also asked what colour Liverpool played in and took a ball out of the bag then put it back in. The fact she pulled out a ball then put it back in the bag again could give grounds for the draw to be invalid.
The adjudicator present confirmed that the ball that was put back in the bag was the same ball that GK Barry then pulled out. If it hadn’t been, the drawn would have been stopped and restarted.
Why are companies out to destroy any credibility women’s football have with mistakes like this giving platforms to those who don’t know the game or are not sending the correct message to fans is only going to push the development back and give those individuals who believe women should not be in sport more ammunition.
As usual, the WSL top four seem to have won the draw lottery and will not face each other in the quarter-finals of the Subway Women’s League Cup.
The fixtures are as follows:
Liverpool v Chelsea
The last time these two met was in the WSL, where Chelsea took an early lead when Alyssa Thompson cut inside from the left and curled a shot into the top corner in the ninth minute. Liverpool responded well and equalised just after the half-hour mark when Beata Olsson raced onto a ball from Lily Woodham, burst through the Chelsea defence and calmly slipped her finish past the goalkeeper. In the second half, Chelsea pressed hard for a winner and had the ball in the net through Aggie Beever Jones, but the effort was ruled out for offside. Liverpool also threatened late on when Woodham sent a low strike narrowly wide. The match finished 1–1 after a competitive and well-balanced contest.
Crystal Palace v Arsenal
Arsenal took control early after a sweeping move down the left saw Chloe Kelly deliver a cross to Beth Mead, who volleyed in from the edge of the box to give the visitors the lead around the 14th minute. Ten minutes later, Alessia Russo doubled the advantage after a mistake in Palace’s defence, coolly slotting home to make it 2–0 just before half-time. In the second half, Palace struggled to break out, but the pressure told: a dangerous run by Chloe Kelly caused trouble for the defenders and led to an own goal by Allyson Swaby around the 77th minute. Deep into stoppage time, a last-minute strike from Mead supplied by Kim Little sealed a 4–0 win. Arsenal dominated possession and chances throughout, while Palace rarely threatened meaningfully.
Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester United made the perfect start at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, taking the lead inside six minutes when Elisabeth Terland met a cross from the right and volleyed confidently past the goalkeeper. United controlled much of the first half, moving the ball well and creating further chances through Ella Toone and Lisa Naalsund, although Spurs kept the deficit to a single goal at the break.
Tottenham improved after half-time and began to push forward with more intent. Jess Naz caused problems out wide, and Bethany England worked openings in the box, but United’s defence stayed organised, and Mary Earps made the necessary stops. Spurs continued to apply pressure in the closing stages, yet they struggled to find a decisive final touch.
United managed the final minutes calmly and held on to their early advantage. The match finished 1–0, with United’s sharp start and disciplined defending proving the difference.
West Ham United v Manchester City
Manchester City took the lead midway through the first half when Aoba Fujino guided a low finish into the corner after being picked out by Vivianne Miedema. City controlled most of the possession and created a steady flow of chances, although West Ham had one early opening when Viviane Asseyi struck over the bar from a quick break. After the goal, City kept the tempo high and limited West Ham to very little in attack.
In the second half, West Ham tried to push forward and forced a few half-chances, but City’s defence stayed well organised, and goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita dealt with everything that came her way. Gracie Prior almost added a second for City late on when her header came back off the bar, but the single goal proved enough.
The match finished 1–0 to Manchester City after a composed performance, with Fujino’s first-half finish and City’s control of the game making the difference. At the same time, West Ham showed effort but lacked the cutting edge to force an equaliser.
These games will be contested across the weekend of December 19, 20 and 21, 2025, with additional details– including dates and kick-off times - to be confirmed in due course.
Potential fixtures for the final four for the semi-final are as below:
Crystal Palace/Arsenal v Manchester United/Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United/Manchester City v Liverpool/Chelsea
The semi-finals will be played over January 21 and 22, 2026.
Across both the quarter and semi-finals, there will be 30 minutes of extra time and penalties if the scores are level after 90 minutes.
The final will then be contested across the weekend of March 14 and 15, 2026 – with details including the date, kick-off time and venue to be confirmed soon.
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