After Chelsea and Arsenal advanced to the League Cup final, Women's Super League managers criticized the "unfair" League Cup format.
Teams in the Champions League group stage enter the quarterfinals instead of the League Cup groups.
Chelsea and Arsenal played just two games to advance to the final, while West Ham and Manchester City, the losers in the semifinals, played five and six games, respectively.
They should be involved completely or not at all, according to Matt Beard, the manager of Liverpool. ".
Beard thinks that the men's League Cup, where teams from European competition enter in round three, compares favorably to the women's League Cup.
They must play six games, including a two-leg semifinal and championship game, to win the trophy, which is twice as many as Arsenal and Chelsea will play in the 2022–23 competition.
"The structure is unfair. After Chelsea and Arsenal play two games, they will compete in another final, according to Beard. "They can use their academy and have big squads now with 25 players. ".
A group stage has been a part of the women's League Cup's format since 2017–18. This competition includes 24 teams from the Women's Super League and Championship.
But starting last season, clubs that made it to the Champions League group stage were permitted to forego the first round.
Before the 2023–24 season, Aston Villa manager Carla Ward called for a review of the competition's organization.
To put it politely, she said. Everyone should be able to participate in a competition. To advance to the final, some teams play seven or eight games, while others only play two.
"You would think that the potential design would be discussed, but you never know. ".
Despite criticism of the structure, the two late entrants have never before advanced to the League Cup final.
Manchester City, captained by Gareth Taylor, won the competition in 2021–2022, entering at the group stage and defeating Chelsea, who once again began in the last eight, 3-1 in the championship match.
Last season, Arsenal made it to the quarterfinals as well, but they were defeated by Manchester United 1-0 at home.
Taylor said it was simple to criticize in hindsight after his team's 1-0 overtime loss to Arsenal on Wednesday.
"Last season, it was the same. No matter the format, the rules are the rules, he said.
"After the event, it's difficult to go back because the rules have always been in place.
"You can see that teams have a chance to advance after just two games, but we are aware of the rules before we play.
. "
