Liverpool Women vs. Chelsea Women League Cup: Predicted Lineups + Match Preview

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Chelsea Women travel to Liverpool on Sunday for their League Cup quarter-final, with Sonia Bompastor demanding a “better performance” than the 1-1 draw between the sides last month.The defending champions enter the competition at the knockout stage after receiving a bye due to their Champions League participation.Victory would secure Chelsea’s place in the semi-finals as they look to retain the trophy won in March. We probably didn’t perform the way we wanted to, and at the level we needed to perform to get the better result,” Bompastor reflected. https://twitter.com/LiverpoolFCW/status/2001594035094589825Alyssa Thompson’s superb opener was cancelled out by Beata Olsson’s counter-attacking goal, with Chelsea unable to convert their dominance into a winning position.

But they remain winless in the WSL, sitting bottom with three points after last weekend’s 2-2 draw at West Ham.Gareth Taylor has issued a fitness update on his squad ahead of Sunday's meeting with Chelsea ⤵️— Liverpool FC Women (@LiverpoolFCW) December 19, 2025 Predicted LineupsLiverpool (4-2-3-1): Laws; Parry, Clark, Matthews, Hinz; Holland, Nagano; Lundgaard, Daniels, Enderby; OlssonChelsea (4-2-3-1): Peng; Bronze, Bright, Bjorn, Baltimore; Walsh, Cuthbert; Carpenter, Macario, Thompson; Kerr https://twitter.com/ChelseaFCW/status/2002021067565727795Also read: Sonia Bompastor Hails Chelsea’s Resilience After Comeback Win at Wolfsburg Secures Direct Champions League Quarter-Final Spot Arsenal DragonWhy is UEFA Paying £7.9m to European Clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal?Published 1 day agoon December 19, 2025UEFA has distributed 9m euros (£7.9m) to 103 European clubs as benefit payments for releasing players for Women’s Euro 2025, doubling the 4.5m euros awarded after the 2022 tournament.Chelsea and Arsenal received a combined 870,525 euros (£762,000) as WSL clubs claimed 2.37m euros (£2.1m) of the total pot.The payments reflect the number of days each player was released from their club for the tournament, including 10 preparation days, the total tournament days, and one travel day. Those payments covered the tournament itself plus Nations League matches and European qualifiers, with per-day fees ranging from 3,395 to 10,187 euros (£2,970-£8,918) – significantly higher than the women’s rate. https://twitter.com/fmeetsdata/status/2002044457932189700Also read: Rehanne Skinner sacked: What was the former West Ham Women’s manager’s record before she was fired?ChelseaSonia Bompastor Hails Chelsea’s Resilience After Comeback Win at Wolfsburg Secures Direct Champions League Quarter-Final SpotPublished 2 days agoon December 19, 2025Sonia Bompastor praised Chelsea’s resilience after they came from behind to beat Wolfsburg 2-1 on Wednesday, securing third place in the Champions League group standings and avoiding February’s play-off round.Lucy Bronze and Sam Kerr struck after Alexandra Popp’s 16th-minute opener to make Chelsea the first English club to win at the German side’s stadium.The victory means Chelsea progress directly to the quarter-finals in March, crucially avoiding two extra matches as they chase down Manchester City’s six-point lead at the top of the WSL.

Bompastor’s side will face either Arsenal or OH Leuven in the last eight after the holders’ play-off tie next month. https://twitter.com/ChelseaFCW/status/2001446477273477381Avoiding Play-Offs Critical for Title RaceBompastor emphasized the importance of securing automatic qualification given Chelsea’s congested fixture schedule. Chelsea Women: Predicted Lineups + Match PreviewArsenal DragonHow will holders Arsenal Women and WSL champs Chelsea potentially face in UWCL – Scenario explainedPublished 2 days agoon December 18, 2025Arsenal and Chelsea are set on a collision course to meet in the Women’s Champions League quarter-finals after Thursday’s knockout draw in Nyon.The defending champions must first overcome OH Leuven in February’s play-off round to secure a last-eight showdown with their WSL rivals at Stamford Bridge.Arsenal finished fifth in the inaugural league phase after beating Leuven 3-0 in Belgium on Wednesday, missing out on automatic quarter-final qualification by one place. https://twitter.com/ArsenalWFC/status/2001630525132271637Chelsea finished third and progressed directly to the last eight alongside Barcelona, Lyon and Bayern Munich.Play-Off Route Set for HoldersThe draw paired Arsenal with Leuven, the team they defeated just 24 hours earlier, in a two-legged play-off on February 11-12 and 18-19.The winners will face Chelsea in the quarter-finals on March 24-25 and April 1-2, with the Blues enjoying home advantage in the second leg. https://twitter.com/ArsenalWFC/status/2001683883729760288Arsenal manager Renée Slegers acknowledged the challenge ahead: “We know OH Leuven well now.