The2022–23 FA Women's League Cup was the twelfth edition of theWomen's Super League andWomen's Championship'sleague cup competition. It was sponsored byContinental AG, who have sponsored the competition since its creation in 2011, and was officially known as theFA Women's Continental Tyres League Cup[1] for sponsorship reasons. All 24 teams from the WSL and Championship took part in the competition.Manchester City were the defending champions.[2]
The competition kept the same format as the previous season, starting with a group stage split regionally. Teams competing in theUEFA Women's Champions League group stage were exempt from the League Cup group stage, earning a provisional bye to the quarter-finals. As a result, the initial group stage draw made on 9 August 2022 featured 21 of the 24 teams: one Northern group had five teams drawn into it with the remaining Northern group and all three Southern groups initially featuring four teams each. The three teams excluded from the draw were Chelsea, who automatically entered theChampions League group stage and therefore joined the League Cup at the quarter-final stage, and Manchester City and Arsenal who were taking part in theChampions League qualifying rounds. Should either team be eliminated during qualification, they would enter the League Cup group stage and be drawn into an existing group of four in their geographical region.[3] Manchester City were eliminated from the Champions League in the first qualifying round and were therefore placed in Group B as the only Northern group with four teams.
The first place team in each of the five groups will qualify for the knock-out stage. Because Manchester City failed to progress from Champions League qualifying, one best-placed runner-up will also progress to make up eight teams in the quarter-finals.
Due to Manchester City's failure to progress from Champions League qualifying, they entered the League Cup group stage. With only two teams receiving byes to the League Cup quarter-finals, the best-placed runner-up team progressed with the five group winners to make up the final eight. With the three Southern groups containing one fewer team than the two Northern groups, the ranking to determine which second-placed team progressed was calculated on a points-per-game basis.
Chelsea andArsenal entered the League Cup at the quarter-final stage, having been exempt from the group stage due to their participation in theChampions League group stage.
On 5 December 2022, it was announced that the 2023 FA Women's League Cup Final would be held atSelhurst Park, the home ofCrystal Palace, for the first time. The final took place on 5 March 2023.[43]
^Sunderland vs Leicester City was postponed due to a frozen pitch on 8 December 2022.[26]
^Leicester City v Manchester City was postponed due to a frozen pitch on 17 December 2022.[27]
^Blackburn Rovers v Sunderland was postponed due to a frozen pitch on 15 December 2022.[29] The game was postponed for a second time on 18 January 2023, again for a frozen pitch.[30]
^Brighton & Hove Albion v West Ham United was postponed due to a frozen pitch on 17 December 2022.[35]
^Charlton Athletic v Crystal Palace was postponed due to a frozen pitch on 18 December 2022.[38]
^Lewes v Bristol City was postponed due to a frozen pitch on 16 December 2022. The game had been switched to a Bristol City home match on 16 December after Lewes had deemed their pitch unplayable the previous day but reverted back to a Lewes home game once rescheduled.[40]
Sam KerrChelsea (6 goals)
