Adobe Women’s FA Cup storylines – New faces, big upsets and surprise packages as WSL clubs join competition

Ahead of the games kicking off, we’ve run through some of the major storylines that you’ll want to be keeping an eye on across the weekend.

New signings looking to make their mark

It’s been a bit of a quieter start to the January transfer window across football as a whole and that is particularly true for the WSL.

However, Manchester City got the ball really rolling with a move worth a reported £650,000 to acquire defensive midfielder Sam Coffey from the Portland Thorns, one of the best in the world in her position. Coffey is unlikely to start at the weekend as City travel to face Bournemouth but she could get her first minutes off the bench.

Aston Villa opened their coffers as well recently to sign talented young French midfielder Oriane Jean-Francois, while one of the surprise moves of the window so far saw the Villains sell England international Katie Robinson to Bristol City. Robinson, too, has made her debut but it will be fascinating to see how she fares at her new club for the rest of the season as they chase promotion back to the top division.

Where will the shocks come from?

We’re not even sure how much of a shock this would necessarily constitute but Newcastle seem poised to spring one on West Ham on Friday evening. The Hammers are second-from bottom in the WSL with just one win all season, while Newcastle have been going well, fourth in WSL 2 and unbeaten since September in the league.

Highlights: Macclesfield SHOCK holders Crystal Palace in cupset for the ages

Video credit: TNT Sports

Bournemouth have been absolutely flying in the Southern Premier Division this season, with nine wins and three draws thus far and no defeats, averaging three goals a game thanks to the prolific form of Sophie Quirk. Can they stop the WSL champions-elect in Manchester City? That’s an extremely tough ask but what a story it would be.

London Bees have done tremendously well to make it into the fourth round and their reward is to face WSL side Liverpool. But this is a Liverpool side that has been struggling all season, rooted to the bottom of the table without a solitary victory. By contrast the Bees have been going well in the fourth tier, sitting third in the South East division behind established names such as Fulham and Norwich City. Keep your eye on that one.

Can Spurs make a run?

Is there a team in England as hot as Tottenham Hotspur at the minute? Yes, maybe City, but after so many years of disappointment, it feels as if there is a real feel-good factor at Spurs under manager Martin Ho, who took over in the summer.

Spurs currently sit fourth in the WSL, level on points with arch-rivals and European champions Arsenal, and only four points behind champions Chelsea. Their goal difference of one (in comparison to 24, 18 and 13 above them and 11 in the one place below them) perhaps belies the fact that maybe they are slightly higher than they should be but Ho has made this team so much harder to beat than in previous years.

Martin Ho, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur, looks on during the Barclays Women’s Super League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Progress with Unity Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Leigh, England

Image credit: Getty Images

However, the club are also backing Ho in the market, with Andy Rogers and his team getting extremely creative in their business. In have come exciting young Swedish duo Hanna Wijk and Matilda Nilden and they have also picked up Maika Hamano on loan from Chelsea, who played a key role in their treble success last season. They also signed Julie Blakstad, once of Manchester City, but the big move was to go out and get Signe Gauspet from Brann. Gauspet was widely considered one of the most exciting young talents in Scandinavia and Spurs had to break their transfer record to get that deal done.

It is an extremely exciting time to be a supporter of Spurs at the moment and don’t rule out the possibility of them making a deep run in this competition under Ho.

Is the Chelsea revival real?

We end with the holders of the competition. It has been extremely weird season so far for Chelsea. They did make it through in the top four places of the Champions League but they are a whopping six points off City at the top of the WSL. In a 22-game league that is a big gap, even though the two giants still have to play each other again in the league, not to mention in the semi-finals of the League Cup.

After their stunning 1-0 defeat at home against Everton on December 7 the Blues have worked through the gears. They won the following five games either side of the winter break against Roma, Brighton, Wolfsburg, Liverpool and West Ham, scoring 25 and conceding just two. Those are impressive numbers whatever way you look at it regardless of the opponents.

Sonia Bompastor, Manager of Chelsea, speaks to the media following victory in the Subway Women’s League Cup Quarter Final match between Liverpool and Chelsea at The St Helens Stadium on December 21, 2025 in St Helens, England

Image credit: Getty Images

As already mentioned, West Ham and Liverpool are the two bottom teams of the WSL, Brighton are in the bottom-half. Roma have re-established themselves as the dominant force in Italy this season, but they are still a clear step below the elite of the WSL. The Wolfsburg win is a quality one, no question about it. Yes, they have fallen behind Bayern Munich in the Frauen-Bundesliga but this is historically one of the best teams in women’s football along with Lyon and Barcelona and they are still extremely free-scoring. Going to Germany and beating them 2-1 is a good win whatever way you shake it.

But is that enough for us to say that Chelsea are “back”? Can they rein in City, defend their domestic cup titles and finally get over the hump in Europe? We don’t know, and we still may not know after they face Crystal Palace, but it’s another test for Sonia Bompastor’s side and perhaps another clue for us as we try to figure them out.