Chelsea vs Man City LIVE: Women’s League Cup final latest team news and confirmed line-ups

Sonia Bompastor and Nick Cushing name two attacking line-ups.

For Chelsea, Cat Macario starts alongside Mayra Ramirez, with Lauren James and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd on the wings. If there was a temptation to play a midfield three, Wieke Kaptein drops to the bench with Erin Cuthbert and Sjoeke Nusken the central pair.

City also name an attacking team with Vivianne Miedema joining Khadija Shaw in the side. The slight surprise, perhaps, is that Aoba Fujino starts ahead of England international Jess Park, who drops to the bench, with Mary Fowler also named in attack. It’s as expected elsewhere.

Chelsea XI: Hampton; Bronze, Bright, Bjorn, Baltimore; Nusken, Cuthbert; Rytting-Kaneryd, Macario, James; Ramirez

Man City XI: Yamashita, Casparij, Prior, Aleixandri, Ouahabi, Hasegawa, Miedema, Roord, Fujino, Fowler, Shaw

Despite Chelsea’s dominance in England under Emma Hayes, the Women’s League Cup is a trophy that has painfully eluded them in recent years.

The Blues have lost the last three finals, twice two Arsenal in 2024 and 2023 and to Manchester City in 2022, but Sonia Bompastor says that has no relevance to today’s clash.

The French coach – who is still unbeaten in all competitions since succeeding Emma Hayes – will be aiming to lift her first trophy of her tenure at Stamford Bridge.

“It is a new season. I think we just need to be going into this game with confidence,” Bompastor said.

“We are expecting a really hard and difficult game because Man City has a really good squad, good players, top-class players, but we think we are ready.”

Nick Cushing enjoyed a long, successful stint at Manchester City between 2013 and 2020, a period that included their breakthrough WSL success in 2016.

He left to take a role as an assistant at New York City FC, also a member of the City Football Group network of clubs, before stepping up to the top role in 2022. He was sacked after two seasons last year and has since been out of work.

“I’m obsessed with the game, and love how competitive the WSL is,” he said ahead of the League Cup final.

“The good thing is I have a top group of staff filling in the gaps I might not know about personalities and who can do two games in a week.

“They’ve worked incredibly hard over the last few days to help me and I appreciate that.”

Manchester City captain Alex Greenwood said she and her teammates were “shocked” by the club’s decision to sack long-time manager Gareth Taylor.

England international Greenwood was signed to Manchester City by Taylor in 2020 and has played her full five-year career there under his leadership, lifting the League Cup in 2022.

She told reporters: “I was shocked by the news, of course… I had to digest it. Ultimately the decision was made and we have to respect the decision and trust the decision.”

Manchester City sprung a huge surprise on Monday by sacking Gareth Taylor five days before the League Cup final.

Taylor had been in charge of City for five years, winning the League Cup in 2022, but managing director Charlotte O’Neill said results had not been good enough this season with the team only in fourth in the WSL.

“Unfortunately, results this season have so far not reached this high standard. With six games of the WSL campaign remaining, we believe that a change of management will breathe fresh life into our bid to ensure qualification for the 2025/26 Women’s Champions League,” a statement said.

Chelsea and Manchester City should be sick of the sight of each other by the end of the month: today’s League Cup final is the first of four meetings between the teams in just 12 days .

Chelsea have a fairly healthy lead in the WSL, while Man City are scrapping to make the top three, but the Champions League quarter-finals loom large.

The Blues are of course desperate to progress and win that competition: will be interesting to see how both managers rotate their squads throughout the fortnight.

The four matches in 12 days

15/03: Chelsea vs Manchester City | Women’s League Cup final

19/03: Manchester City vs Chelsea | Champions League QF first leg

23/03: Manchester City vs Chelsea | Women’s Super League

27/03: Chelsea vs Manchester City | Champions League QF second leg

Chelsea XI: Hampton; Bronze, Bjorn, Bright, Baltimore; Cuthbert, Kaptein, Nusken; Rytting-Kaneryd, Ramirez, James

Manchester City XI: Yamashita; Casparij, Prior, Aleixandri, Ouahabi; Hasegawa, Roord, Miedema; Park, Shaw, Fowler

Manchester CIty are still without long-term absentees Alex Greenwood and Lauren Hemp. Aoba Fujino has been passed fit but Rebecca Knaak is out.

Chelsea have several key absences with January signings Keira Walsh and Naomi Girman unavailable – while forward Guro Reiten has also been ruled out.

Mia Fischel is nearing a return after returning to the bench in the win over Crystal Palace but Sam Kerr and Kadeisha Buchanan are long-term absentees.