The first domestic trophy of 2026 will be decided this weekend as Chelsea Women face Manchester United Women in the Subway Women’s League Cup final.
Chelsea arrive as the holders and one of the most dominant teams in the competition’s modern history. The Blues are appearing in their seventh League Cup final and have reached every final since 2019 after missing the first eight editions of the tournament between 2011 and 2018.
Their record against Manchester United is also strong. Chelsea have won 13 of the last 15 meetings between the sides across all competitions. The most recent encounter came just before the international break in the Women’s FA Cup fifth round, when Chelsea secured a dramatic 2–1 victory after extra time thanks to a goal from Naomi Girma.
Girma believes the final will present another major challenge but says the squad are determined to start the year with silverware.
“It’ll be very important to win a trophy, especially so early in the season,” she said.
Chelsea’s journey to the final has been emphatic. They began their defence of the trophy with a dominant 9–1 victory away to Liverpool in the quarter-final before travelling to Manchester City and securing a 1–0 win in the semi-final.
Despite their strong form, Sonia Bompastor will be without several players. Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter are both away with Australia at the Asian Cup, while captain Millie Bright remains sidelined with a contact injury. Niamh Charles, Catarina Macario and Mayra Ramirez have also recently been unavailable.
There is positive news in defence with Kadeisha Buchanan having returned from an ACL injury, while Nathalie Bjorn is expected to be available again. In attack, much could depend on the creativity of Lauren James, who has consistently delivered in big matches for the Blues.
Another player to watch is Wieke Kaptein. The 20-year-old has already scored in both the quarter-final and semi-final of this season’s competition and could become only the third player to score in the quarter-final, semi-final and final of the same League Cup campaign.
For Manchester United, the occasion represents a historic opportunity. Sunday will mark the club’s first appearance in the Women’s League Cup final and a chance to become the fourth different team to win the competition since its creation in 2011.
United currently sit second in the Women’s Super League table and have impressed throughout the campaign under head coach Marc Skinner.
Their run to the final has highlighted their resilience. In the quarter-final, they came from behind to beat Tottenham Hotspur 2–1, before edging past Arsenal in the semi-final on the back of a decisive goal from Elisabeth Terland.
United will be without Hinata Miyazawa, who is representing Japan at the Asian Cup. Leah Galton remains sidelined with a back injury, and Celin Bizet Donnum is unavailable as she is expecting a baby.
There is better news for Skinner with the return of Jayde Riviere, while Fridolina Rolfo is also back in contention after recovering from a recent knock. Captain Maya Le Tissier will once again marshal the defence as United attempts to limit Chelsea’s attacking threats.
Tactically, the final could hinge on key battles across the pitch. Chelsea’s defensive organisation, led by Girma and Buchanan, will be tested by United’s attacking options, including Terland and Rolfo. At the other end, United’s structure will need to contain the creativity and unpredictability of Lauren James.
While Chelsea brings experience of finals and a dominant recent record in this fixture, Manchester United arrive with the motivation of making history in their first appearance in the competition’s showpiece event.
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