The2017–18 FA WSL Cup was the seventh edition of theFA WSL'sleague cup competition. It was sponsored byContinental AG, who sponsored the competition from its creation, and was officially known as theFA WSL Continental Tyres Cup. All 20 teams of the two divisions of the WSL took part in the competition - the largest field in its history.
Manchester City were the defending champions; only they andArsenal had won the cup in the previous six seasons it was contested in.
After a one-year experiment with a pure knockout formula, the WSL Cup returned to a format featuring a group stage. Four groups of five teams each, with an approximately even split between the two divisions, competed for two qualification spots for the knock-out round in each group, with each team playing every other team only once. Similarly to previous iterations, the groups had a geographical split, with two "Northern" groups and two "Southern". Another new implementation for the season was an automatic penalty shoot-out for all games tied after 90 minutes, with a bonus point awarded for the team who emerged victorious afterwards.[1]
After the group stage, the remaining eight teams contested a non-seeded standard knock-out format as in the 2015 season.[1]
Fran KirbyChelsea (7 Goals).jpg)
Christie Murray
