2020–21 Women's FA Cup
The 2020–21 Women's FA Cup was the 51st staging of the Women's FA Cup, a knockout cup competition for women's football teams in England. Manchester City were the defending champions, having beaten Everton 3–1 in the previous final.[1] The draw was split regionally until the fourth round proper.
Country | England Wales |
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Teams | 376 |
Champions | Chelsea (3rd title) |
Runners-up | Arsenal |
Matches played | 369 |
Goals scored | 1904 (5.16 per match) |
← 2019–20 2021–22 → |
Teams
A total of 376 teams had their entries to the tournament accepted by The Football Association, an increase of 76 from the previous year.[2] 174 teams from outside the top four divisions will enter at the extra preliminary round with another 109 joining in the preliminary round. The 47 teams that play in the FA Women's National League Division One (tier 4) are given exemption to the second round qualifying, while teams in the Northern and Southern Premier Divisions (tier 3) enter at the second round proper. Teams in the FA Women's Super League and FA Women's Championship (tiers 1 and 2) are exempted to the fourth round proper.[3]
Round | Clubs remaining | Clubs involved | Winners from previous round | Games played | Goals scored | Prize money | |
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Winner | Loser | ||||||
Extra preliminary round | 376 | 174 | – | 82 | 520 | £300 | £75 |
Preliminary round | 290 | 196 | 87 | 95 | 540 | £360 | £90 |
First round qualifying | 192 | 98 | 98 | 49 | 235 | £400 | £100 |
Second round qualifying | 143 | 96[lower-alpha 1] | 49 | 47 | 228 | £450 | £115 |
Third round qualifying | 95 | 48 | 48 | 24 | 93 | £600 | £150 |
First round | 71 | 24 | 24 | 12 | 51 | £850 | £215 |
Second round | 59 | 36[lower-alpha 2] | 12 | 16 | 61 | £1,000 | £250 |
Third round | 41 | 18 | 18 | 9 | 29 | £1,250 | £315 |
Fourth round | 32 | 32[lower-alpha 3] | 9 | 16 | 87 | £2,000 | £500 |
Fifth round | 16 | 16 | 16 | 8 | 38 | £3,000 | £750 |
Quarter-final | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 17 | £4,000 | £1,000 |
Semi-final | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | £5,000 | £1,250 |
Final | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | £25,000 | £15,000 |
- 47 FA Women's National League Division One teams added
- 24 FA Women's National League Premier Division teams added
- 23 FA Women's Championship and FA WSL teams added
Extra preliminary round
![](../I/Bristol_Rovers_WFC_v_Bristol_%2526_West%252C_September_2020.jpg.webp)
As a result of 376 teams entering the competition, 174 teams were drawn into an extra preliminary round, which were played on Sunday 6 September 2020.[4]
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Preliminary round
98 matches were scheduled for the preliminary round on Sunday 20 September 2020, made up of the 87 winning teams from the extra preliminary round plus the 109 teams that were granted a bye into the preliminary round.[5]
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First round qualifying
49 matches were scheduled for the first round qualifying on Sunday 4 October 2020, made up of the 98 winning teams from the preliminary round and did not include the introduction of any new teams.[6]
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Second round qualifying
48 matches were scheduled for the second round qualifying on Sunday 18 October 2020, made up of the 49 winning teams from the first round qualifying and included the introduction of 47 teams from the fourth-tier FA Women's National League Division One.[7]
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Third round qualifying
24 matches were scheduled for the third round qualifying on Sunday 1 November 2020, made up of the 48 winning teams from the second round qualifying and did not include the introduction of any new teams.
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First round proper
Twelve matches were scheduled for the first round proper, pending a fixture date due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The round was eventually scheduled for Sunday 13 December 2020. The round was made up of the 24 winners from the previous round and did not include the introduction of any new teams.[10]
Tie | Home team (tier) | Score | Away team (tier) | Att. |
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1 | FC United of Manchester (5) | 1–2 | Liverpool Feds (4) | |
2 | Chester-le-Street (4) | 0–3 | Brighouse Town (4) | |
3 | Newcastle United (4) | 3–1 | Barnsley (4) | |
4 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (4) | 3–0 | Stourbridge (6) | |
5 | Lincoln City (4) | 3–1 | Solihull Moors (4) | |
6 | Wem Town (4) | 4–3 | Boldmere St. Michaels (4) | |
7 | Harlow Town (5) | 2–9 | Ipswich Town (4) | |
8 | Kent Football United (4) | 1–1 (4–3 p) | Enfield Town (4) | |
9 | Billericay Town (4) | 4–0 | Maidenhead United (4) | |
10 | Leyton Orient (4) | 2–1 | Actonians (4) | |
11 | AFC Bournemouth (5) | 0–5 | Southampton F.C. Women (4) | |
12 | Exeter City (4) | 1–1 (3–4 p) | Cheltenham Town (4) | |
Second round proper
18 matches were scheduled for the second round proper originally scheduled for Sunday 3 January 2021. The round was made up of the 12 winners from the previous round and included the introduction of 24 teams from the third-tier FA Women's National League Premier Division.[11] With only one game able to go ahead, the competition was suspended on 4 January 2021 following further government restrictions on non-elite sport due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[12] The competition recommenced on 31 March, with the second-round matches being held on 4 April.[13]
Tie | Home team (tier) | Score | Away team (tier) | Att. |
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1 | Sunderland (3) | 5–1 | Sheffield F.C. (3) | |
2 | Liverpool Feds (4) | 2–3 (a.e.t.) | Huddersfield Town (3) | |
3 | Brighouse Town (4) | 3–0 (a.e.t.) | Newcastle United (4) | |
4 | Middlesbrough (3) | 3–1 | Hull City (3) | |
5 | Burnley (3) | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Fylde (3) | |
6 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (4) | 2–2 (5–4 p) | Nottingham Forest (3) | |
7 | West Bromwich Albion (3) | 5–2 | Lincoln City (4) | |
8 | Loughborough Foxes (3) | 0–6 | Derby County (3) | |
9 | Stoke City (3) | A–W | Wem Town (4) | |
Stoke City withdrew. | ||||
10 | Crawley Wasps (3) | 2–3 | Gillingham (3) | |
11 | Billericay Town (4) | 2–1 | Ipswich Town (4) | |
12 | Hounslow (3) | 0–4 | Leyton Orient (4) | |
13 | Watford (3) | 3–1 | MK Dons (3) | |
14 | Chichester & Selsey (3) | 3–1 | Kent Football United (4) | |
15 | Portsmouth (3) | A–W | Cheltenham Town (4) | |
Portsmouth won 2–0 but later disqualified for fielding an ineligible player.[14] | ||||
16 | Southampton F.C. Women (4) | 3–0 | Plymouth Argyle (3) | |
17 | Keynsham Town (3) | 0–1 | Yeovil United (3) | |
18 | Cardiff City (3) | 0–1 | Oxford United (3) | |
Third round proper
Nine matches were played on Sunday 11 April 2021. The round was made up of the 18 winners from the previous round and did not include the introduction of any new teams.[15]
Tie | Home team (tier) | Score | Away team (tier) | Att. |
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1 | Huddersfield Town (3) | 1–1 (5–3 p) | Brighouse Town (4) | |
2 | Middlesbrough (3) | 4–0 | Wem Town (4) | |
3 | Burnley (3) | 0–0 (3–1 p) | Sunderland (3) | |
4 | Oxford United (3) | 3–1 | Billericay Town (4) | |
5 | West Bromwich Albion (3) | 1–4 | Derby County (3) | |
6 | Watford (3) | 1–4 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (4) | |
7 | Cheltenham Town (4) | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | Gillingham (3) | |
8 | Southampton F.C. Women (4) | 3–0 | Yeovil United (3) | |
9 | Leyton Orient (4) | 1–2 | Chichester & Selsey (3) | |
Fourth round proper
16 matches were played on the weekend of 18 April 2021. The round was made up of the nine winners from the previous round and introduced 23 teams from the first and second-tier FA Women's Super League and FA Women's Championship.[16]
16 April 2021 | Chelsea (1) | 5–0 | London City Lionesses (2) | Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames |
19:00 | Report | Referee: Chloe Anderson |
17 April 2021 | Manchester City (1) | 8–0 | Aston Villa (1) | Academy Stadium, Manchester |
12:00 | Report |
18 April 2021 | Birmingham City (1) | 5–1 | Coventry United (2) | Damson Park, Solihull |
12:30 | Report |
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18 April 2021 | West Ham United (1) | 11–0 | Chichester & Selsey (3) | Victoria Road, Dagenham |
13:00 | Report | Referee: Sarah Garrett |
18 April 2021 | Leicester City (2) | 1–0 | Liverpool (2) | Farley Way Stadium, Quorn |
14:00 |
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Report |
18 April 2021 | Middlesbrough (3) | 0–9 | Sheffield United (2) | Bedford Terrace, Billingham |
14:00 | Report |
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18 April 2021 | Burnley (3) | 0–6 | Manchester United (1) | County Ground, Leyland |
14:00 | Report |
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Referee: Jane Simms |
18 April 2021 | Everton (1) | 2–1 | Durham (2) | Walton Hall Park, Liverpool |
14:00 | Report |
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18 April 2021 | Huddersfield Town (3) | 3–2 | Derby County (3) | Storthes Hall, Huddersfield |
14:00 |
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18 April 2021 | Reading (1) | 2–3 (a.e.t.) | Tottenham Hotspur (1) | Madejski Stadium, Reading |
14:00 |
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Report |
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18 April 2021 | Oxford United (3) | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | Charlton Athletic (2) | Marsh Lane, Oxford |
14:00 |
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Report |
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18 April 2021 | Arsenal (1) | 10–0 | Gillingham (3) | Meadow Park, Borehamwood |
14:00 | Report |
18 April 2021 | Lewes (2) | 1–2 | Southampton F.C. Women (4) | The Dripping Pan, Lewes |
14:00 |
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Report |
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18 April 2021 | Brighton & Hove Albion (1) | 1–0 | Bristol City (1) | Broadfield Stadium, Crawley |
14:00 | Report |
18 April 2021 | Crystal Palace (2) | 3–0 | London Bees (2) | Hayes Lane, Bromley |
14:00 | Report |
18 April 2021 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (4) | 2–5 | Blackburn Rovers (2) | CKW Stadium, Castlecroft |
15:00 |
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Report |
Fifth round proper
Eight matches were scheduled for the fifth round proper and played Sunday 16 May 2021 with the exception of Chelsea who were competing in the 2021 UEFA Women's Champions League Final on that day and as such had their FA Cup game against Everton rescheduled to Thursday 20 May 2021. The round was made up of the 16 winners from the previous round.[17]
16 May 2021 | Blackburn Rovers (2) | 0–1 | Charlton Athletic (2) | Sir Tom Finney Stadium, Bamber Bridge |
12:00 | Report | King ![]() |
Referee: Elizabeth Simms |
16 May 2021 | Brighton & Hove Albion (1) | 6–0 | Huddersfield Town (3) | Broadfield Stadium, Crawley |
12:00 | Report |
16 May 2021 | Manchester United (1) | 2–3 | Leicester City (2) | Leigh Sports Village, Leigh |
12:00 | Report | Referee: Rebecca Welch |
16 May 2021 | Birmingham City (1) | 3–2 | Southampton F.C. Women (4) | Damson Park, Solihull |
12:30 | Report |
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16 May 2021 | Manchester City (1) | 5–1 | West Ham United (1) | Academy Stadium, Manchester |
14:00 | Report |
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16 May 2021 | Tottenham Hotspur (1) | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Sheffield United (2) | The Hive Stadium, Edgware |
14:00 | Report |
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Referee: Abigail Byrne |
16 May 2021 | Arsenal (1) | 9–0 | Crystal Palace (2) | Meadow Park, Borehamwood |
15:00 | Report |
20 May 2021 | Chelsea (1) | 3–0 | Everton (1) | Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames |
19:00 | Report | Referee: Kirsty Dowle |
Quarter-finals
Following a three-month hiatus to the competition during the second round proper from 4 January to 4 April 2021 due to government guidelines, the final stages of 2020–21 Women's FA Cup were delayed until the 2021–22 season. The competition recommenced at the quarter-final stage on Wednesday 29 September 2021.[18] As a result of playing the competition across two seasons, clubs were able to register new players barring certain restrictions: any player who had not yet featured in the 2020–21 Women's FA Cup could be registered. Up to three players who appeared in the competition for teams that had been eliminated prior to the quarter-final stage could be registered for their new club but no player who appeared for a different team still in the quarter-finals could be registered.
29 September 2021 | Manchester City (1) | 6–0 | Leicester City (2*) | Academy Stadium, Manchester |
19:00 | Report | Referee: Lucy May | ||
Note: *Leicester City began the competition as a second division team but will contest the latter part as a first division team following promotion at the end of the 2020–21 season. |
29 September 2021 | Birmingham City (1) | 0–4 | Chelsea (1) | St Andrew's, Birmingham |
19:45 | Report | Referee: Elizabeth Simms |
29 September 2021 | Arsenal (1) | 5–1 | Tottenham Hotspur (1) | Meadow Park, Borehamwood |
19:15 |
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Report |
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Attendance: 1,563[19] Referee: Kirsty Dowle |
29 September 2021 | Brighton & Hove Albion (1) | 1–0 | Charlton Athletic (2) | Broadfield Stadium, Crawley |
19:00 | Gibbons ![]() |
Report | Referee: Emily Heaslip |
Semi-finals
The semi-finals were played on Sunday 31 October 2021 and both televised by the BBC.[18]
31 October 2021 | Manchester City (1) | 0–3 | Chelsea (1) | Academy Stadium, Manchester |
12:45 | Report | Attendance: 1,343 Referee: Rebecca Welch |
31 October 2021 | Arsenal (1) | 3–0 | Brighton & Hove Albion (1) | Meadow Park, Borehamwood |
16:45 |
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Report | Attendance: 1,328[20] Referee: Abigail Byrne |
Final
The final was played at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 5 December 2021.[18]
Television rights
Round | BBC | BT | Ref. |
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Quarter-finals | Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur (BBC Four) | [22] | |
Semi-finals | Manchester City v Chelsea (BBC One) Arsenal v Brighton and Hove Albion (BBC Two) |
[23] | |
Final | Arsenal v Chelsea (BBC One and BT Sport 1) | [24] |
References
- "Everton Women 1-3 Man City Women (aet): Georgia Stanway and Janine Beckie score as City win FA Cup". Sky Sports.
- "The Women's FA Cup Season 2020–2021 List of 376 Clubs Accepted" (PDF). thefa.com. The Football Association. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- "The Women's FA Cup Season 2020–2021 List of Exemptions" (PDF). thefa.com. The Football Association. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- "Extra preliminary Round draw" (PDF). thefa.com. The Football Association. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- "Preliminary round draw" (PDF). thefa.com. The Football Association. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- "First round qualifying draw" (PDF). thefa.com. The Football Association. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
- "Second round qualifying draw" (PDF). thefa.com. The Football Association. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- "7 Wolves women lincoln molineux 20-21" (PDF). Wolverhampton Wanderers.
- @DulwichHamletFC (18 October 2020). "Record Breaking Attendance" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- "First round proper draw" (PDF). thefa.com. The Football Association. 1 November 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
- "The Vitality Women's FA Cup second round draw was made on Monday morning". The Football Association.
- "'Non-elite' football suspended following latest COVID-19 restrictions". The Football Association. 4 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- "Women's FA Cup: Postponed 2021 competition to resume on 31 March". BBC Sport. 4 March 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
- "Pompey Women kicked out of Women's FA Cup for fielding ineligible player against Cheltenham Ladies". Portsmouth News.
- "Third round proper draw" (PDF). thefa.com. The Football Association. 4 March 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
- "Fourth round proper draw" (PDF). thefa.com. The Football Association. 4 March 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
- "Fifth round draw". womenscompetitions.thefa.com. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- "Remaining Cup dates confirmed". womenscompetitions.thefa.com.
- Attendance for the NLD in the women's FA Cup: 1,563
- "Arsenal Women 3-0 Brighton & Hove Albion Women". BBC. 31 October 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- Stoddart, Craig (17 November 2021). "Helen Conley is chosen for Cup final". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
- "BBC to show Arsenal v Spurs in Women's FA Cup". 8 September 2021.
- "Women's FA Cup semi-finals on the BBC". 14 October 2021.
- "Arsenal vs Chelsea: Women's FA Cup final prediction, kick off time, TV, live stream, team news, h2h results". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2022.