Manchester United Women Edge Arsenal To Reach Historic League Cup Final

History was made under the floodlights at Meadow Park on January 21, 2026, as Manchester United Women edged out Arsenal 1-0 in a tense Subway Women’s League Cup semi-final, booking their first-ever appearance in the competition’s final. For United, it was a night of redemption and resolve; for Arsenal, heartbreak and frustration after a costly defensive slip and a red card turned the tide.

Arsenal manager Renee Slegers had rung the changes ahead of the showdown, making four adjustments to the side that saw off Aston Villa in the FA Cup just days earlier. Into the starting eleven came Laia Codina, Victoria Pelova, Caitlin Foord, and Taylor Hinds. Anneke Borbe retained her place between the sticks, with Hinds slotting in at right-back, Wubben-Moy—who wore the captain’s armband—and Codina marshalling the center, and Katie McCabe on the left. Pelova and Mariona Caldentey anchored the midfield, while Olivia Smith and Foord attacked from the flanks, supporting Frida Maanum in the number ten role behind striker Alessia Russo.

On the other side, Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner arrived with a squad eager to seize the moment. Pre-match, Skinner confirmed that Norwegian forward Elisabeth Terland, who had picked up a knock in the previous outing, was fit to play. However, Frido Rolfo, Leah Galton, and Ella Toone remained sidelined, with Gabby George also unavailable but expected back in the coming weeks. United, who had drawn 0-0 with Arsenal in their last Women’s Super League meeting, were hungry to break the deadlock and reach new heights.

From the opening whistle, Arsenal looked to assert themselves. Within 30 seconds, Frida Maanum found herself unmarked in the box, but her header was straight at United keeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce. Maanum, one of five changes Slegers made from the previous match, was soon presented with another chance but fired over from a teasing Katie McCabe cross. The Gunners pressed relentlessly, with Russo and Foord also testing the United defense, but the visitors held firm.

United, acclimating to the blustery, rain-soaked conditions, began to grow into the contest. They had their own claims for a penalty when Terland tangled with McCabe in the box, but referee Stacey Fullicks waved play on. The breakthrough, when it came, was a gut punch for the home crowd. In first-half stoppage time, Arsenal goalkeeper Anneke Borbe, under pressure and perhaps looking to slow the game, dwelled too long on the ball. United’s Ellen Wangerheim, making her full debut, pounced on the loose pass and squared to Terland, who finished coolly into the bottom corner. Suddenly, Arsenal’s hopes of an eleventh League Cup final looked shaky.

"Terland was calmness personified as she coolly slotted the ball past Borbe to send United through their maiden League Cup final," reported Getty Images Sport. The Norwegian forward’s goal was her reward for a tireless performance, scrapping hard to drag United up the pitch whenever possible.

Down 1-0 at the break, Arsenal came out with renewed purpose. Maanum curled an effort over the bar early in the second half, and Pelova linked with Foord to set up Russo, whose shot went wide. Slegers turned to her bench, introducing Stina Blackstenius for Maanum in a bid to add fresh legs to the attack.

But the Gunners’ task became Herculean in the 60th minute. Olivia Smith, who had been electric on the right wing, was shown a second yellow card for a late challenge on Julia Zigiotti Olme, reducing Arsenal to ten. Smith’s first booking had come for a foul on Anna Sandberg in the opening half. It was a moment that shifted the balance, forcing Arsenal to chase the game a player down.

Still, the home side refused to surrender. Mariona Caldentey engineered a chance inside the box, only to see her shot parried away by Tullis-Joyce. Arsenal threw on Kim Little and Smilla Holmberg, with Holmberg almost making an instant impact, racing down the right but failing to hit the target. Beth Mead entered the fray late, and in the dying moments, Foord’s cross found Mead at the back post, but her header drifted wide. United, meanwhile, nearly doubled their lead on the break, but substitute Melvine Malard fired over from close range.

As the clock ticked into stoppage time, Arsenal’s appeals for a penalty—after McCabe’s shot appeared to strike the arm of Dominique Janssen—were dismissed by the referee. United held their nerve through a frantic final six minutes plus added time, with Park curling high and wide for the visitors and Borbe making a late save to keep Arsenal’s faint hopes alive.

For United, the final whistle was a moment of pure elation. Having fallen short in three previous League Cup semi-finals, they had finally broken through, setting up a date with defending champions Chelsea at Ashton Gate on March 15, 2026. The magnitude of the achievement wasn’t lost on the squad or their fans. "United—who had previously come up short in three League Cup semi-finals—will face Chelsea in the showpiece on Sunday, 15 March at Bristol City’s Ashton Gate," wrote Getty Images Sport. Terland, named the match’s MVP, was lauded for her clinical finish and all-action display, despite having just two touches in Arsenal’s box.

For Arsenal, the defeat stung. A night that began with promise ended in disappointment, with a defensive lapse and a red card proving their undoing. Nevertheless, there’s little time to dwell on the setback. The Gunners now turn their attention to a key Women’s Super League clash at Chelsea on January 24, followed by a FIFA Women’s Champions Cup semi-final at Brentford Stadium against AS FAR on January 28. The Champions Cup final and third-place play-off will then return to Arsenal Stadium on February 1, with tickets already on sale.

As the dust settles, Manchester United’s historic night will be remembered as a turning point for the club. With a first League Cup final on the horizon and a shot at silverware against Chelsea, Marc Skinner’s side has announced itself as a force to be reckoned with. For Arsenal, the challenge is to regroup and refocus, with more big matches—and perhaps, redemption—just around the corner.