The Subway Players Cup continues on Wednesday 30 September with seven matches across the league phase, including several meetings between Women’s Super League clubs and teams from the divisions below.
Manchester United will look to build on their remarkable 10-1 opening victory when they travel to Durham, while Brighton & Hove Albion host an unbeaten Tottenham Hotspur side at Broadfield Stadium.
West Ham United welcome Southampton after collecting two points from their opening match, Liverpool travel to Birmingham City and London City Lionesses face Ipswich Town. Aston Villa, meanwhile, begin life after Natalia Arroyo when they take on Newcastle United.
Here are all of Wednesday’s Subway Players Cup fixtures, UK kick-off times, where to watch and our preview of every game.
Subway Players Cup fixtures today
| Fixture | Kick-off |
|---|---|
| West Ham United vs Southampton | 7:00pm |
| Crystal Palace vs Charlton Athletic | 7:00pm |
| Durham vs Manchester United | 7:00pm |
| Birmingham City vs Liverpool | 7:00pm |
| Ipswich Town vs London City Lionesses | 7:30pm |
| Aston Villa vs Newcastle United | 7:30pm |
| Brighton & Hove Albion vs Tottenham Hotspur | 7:45pm |
All times BST.
How to watch the Subway Players Cup
Broadcast and streaming arrangements vary between matches. Manchester United’s trip to Durham will be available live and free through MUTV, ManUtd.com, the United App and Manchester United Women’s YouTube channel, with coverage beginning shortly before the 7pm kick-off.
Brighton against Tottenham will also be available free, with the 7.45pm fixture being shown live on the WSL’s official YouTube channel.
Streaming information has not been confirmed in the material available to us for the other five matches, so supporters should check the respective clubs’ official channels for the latest broadcast information.
West Ham United vs Southampton
West Ham collected two points from their opening Subway Players Cup fixture after drawing 0-0 with Tottenham before winning the resulting penalty shootout 4-3.
Rita Guarino’s team now return to Victoria Road to face Southampton, an opponent they have enjoyed considerable success against in this competition. West Ham beat the Saints 3-0 in 2024/25 before recording a 5-0 victory in the corresponding fixture last season.
Southampton should arrive with considerably more confidence this time. Simon Parker’s side are unbeaten across their opening four WSL 2 matches, recording one victory and three draws. Their latest result was a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
West Ham remain without Riko Ueki, who is recovering from the calf injury sustained against Everton earlier this month.
The Hammers will nevertheless be looking for a response after Sunday’s 2-1 WSL defeat against Manchester United. They have found the net in each of their opening four league matches, with Viviane Asseyi scoring three times, but are still searching for their first WSL victory.
Crystal Palace vs Charlton Athletic
Crystal Palace made a winning start to the competition with a 1-0 victory over Watford and now face WSL opponents Charlton Athletic.
The Eagles have experienced a mixed opening to their league campaign. An opening-day victory over Everton was followed by an impressive draw away to Arsenal, before a 7-0 defeat against Tottenham. They responded on Sunday with an entertaining 3-3 draw against Birmingham City.
Charlton are still searching for their first WSL points after four defeats, although their performance in Saturday’s narrow 1-0 loss to Manchester City demonstrated their ability to frustrate stronger opposition.
They will have Ash Neville available again following the completion of her three-match suspension, but Kiera Skeels misses out after picking up a knock against London City Lionesses.
Paula Partido has temporarily returned to London City for treatment on a minor knee injury, while Linda Líf Boama is in rehabilitation after undergoing surgery on a knee injury. The clubs know each other well following their meetings in WSL 2 last season, when both sides won their respective home fixture.
Durham vs Manchester United
Manchester United produced the standout result of the opening round when they demolished Sheffield United 10-1.
The cup also provided opportunities for Eva Olid to use some of United’s younger players. Mared Griffiths marked her first senior start with a hat-trick, Jess Simpson scored and provided two assists, while Scarlett Hill made her first-team debut from the bench.
Olid has confirmed that more young players will be involved against Durham. United should arrive with renewed confidence after finally securing their first WSL victory of the season on Sunday. Elisabeth Terland and Andrea Medina scored in a 2-1 win over West Ham, giving Olid her first league victory since taking charge.
Durham, however, present a different challenge. Olid is familiar with Wednesday’s opponents from her time at Hearts and expects a physical team prepared to play directly and attack the spaces behind United’s defence. Another victory would leave Manchester United extremely well placed after two league-phase matches.
Birmingham City vs Liverpool
Both Birmingham City and Liverpool enter Wednesday’s match following eventful weekends. Birmingham drew 3-3 with Crystal Palace after twice leading the game. Océane Hurtré scored twice, taking her WSL total to four goals, before Suzu Amano rescued a point with an 87th-minute equaliser.
Liverpool recorded their first WSL victory of the campaign with a 2-0 Merseyside derby win against Everton. Beata Olsson opened the scoring after only four minutes before Cornelia Kapocs secured the points late on.
The Reds also won their first Subway Players Cup match, beating Sunderland 4-2.
Gareth Taylor has indicated that squad management will be important during a demanding run of fixtures. Liverpool face Manchester United in the WSL after Wednesday’s cup match, and the manager is expected to balance maintaining the team’s structure with giving opportunities to players who need minutes.
Birmingham, meanwhile, are still waiting for their first WSL victory but have shown enough attacking threat to make this an interesting test for a potentially rotated Liverpool side.
Ipswich Town vs London City Lionesses
Ipswich Town face one of the most intriguing tests of the evening when London City Lionesses visit the JobServe Community Stadium. The home side enter the match unbeaten across their opening four games of the season. Head coach David Wright has encouraged his players to approach the occasion with freedom despite the significant step up in opposition.
London City have already made a strong start to the Players Cup, beating Leicester City 2-0 in their opening fixture.
They also arrive following an important WSL victory. Alexia Putellas and Lucía Corrales scored as London City beat Brighton 2-0 on Saturday, with Corrales securing the result in stoppage time.
The scoreline did not tell the entire story of that contest, but London City showed their ability to find decisive moments even when the opposition created chances.
With Putellas, Kadidiatou Diani, Daniëlle van de Donk and Delphine Cascarino among the attacking options available to Arturo Ruiz, Ipswich’s defensive organisation is likely to receive its biggest examination of the season so far.
Aston Villa vs Newcastle United
The circumstances surrounding Aston Villa’s meeting with Newcastle United changed dramatically on Monday when the club parted company with head coach Natalia Arroyo.
Arroyo had been in charge since January 2025 and helped Villa preserve their WSL status last season, but leaves after a winless start to the new league campaign. Women’s Technical Advisor Brian Sørensen has taken interim charge of first-team affairs and will lead Villa against Newcastle.
Their last match under Arroyo ended in a heavy 4-0 defeat against Tottenham on Sunday. Villa held Spurs goalless during the first half but were overwhelmed after the interval as Victoria Pelova scored twice before Caitlin Dijkstra and Cathinka Tandberg completed the victory.
Their cup form has been more positive. Villa opened their Players Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory away to Nottingham Forest. Wednesday therefore provides Sørensen with an immediate opportunity to produce a response as Villa attempt to put a difficult few days behind them.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Tottenham Hotspur
Brighton and Tottenham meet in arguably one of the most interesting fixtures of Wednesday’s programme.
The Seagulls started their cup campaign impressively with a 4-0 victory over Charlton, with Olaug Tvedten scoring twice. Head coach Arturo Ruiz has spoken positively about the congested schedule, viewing competitive matches as an opportunity to accelerate his team’s development and establish his tactical ideas.
Brighton were unable to carry that result into Saturday’s league game, losing 2-0 to London City Lionesses despite competing well and creating opportunities.
Tottenham arrive in excellent WSL form. Sunday’s 4-0 victory over Aston Villa extended their unbeaten league start, with Pelova scoring twice to move onto four goals for the season.
Their opening cup fixture was less successful. Spurs drew 0-0 with West Ham before losing 4-3 on penalties, meaning they collected one point.
Martin Ho made nine changes for that game, but says he will select the strongest team he believes can win against Brighton. Everyone involved against Aston Villa is expected to remain available.
Jess Naz and Maite Oroz continue to take part in limited sections of training as they work back from ACL injuries, while Clare Hunt remains sidelined.
With Brighton already on three points and Tottenham looking for their first regulation-time victory of the league phase, there is plenty at stake at Broadfield Stadium.
What to watch on Subway Players Cup Matchday 2
Manchester United’s youngsters will be one of the major storylines after their extraordinary opening result. Olid has already confirmed that more academy players will be involved, giving them another opportunity to impress against senior opposition.
Aston Villa’s situation is very different. Their match against Newcastle comes barely two days after Arroyo’s departure, putting an immediate spotlight on Sørensen and the response of the players.
Ipswich against London City offers one of the biggest contrasts of the night. The unbeaten hosts can test themselves against a squad containing some of Europe’s most recognisable players, while London City have the opportunity to make it two cup victories from two.
Brighton against Tottenham could provide the best indication of how seriously the WSL clubs are approaching the competition. Both managers have deep squads to manage, but three points would already put Brighton in a strong position while Spurs need to build on the single point earned against West Ham.
With seven matches taking place across Wednesday evening, Matchday 2 should begin to give the Subway Players Cup league-phase standings a much clearer shape.
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