Everything you need to know before Nottingham Forest Women host Aston Villa in the Subway Players Cup.
Nottingham Forest Women kick off their Subway Players Cup campaign at home to Aston Villa on Wednesday.
The Reds were eliminated in the group stage of last year’s competition, with an opening game win over Newcastle United followed by defeats against Everton, on penalties, and Manchester City.
But now Forest enter a new-look version of the competition, where they will hope to go further than before.
New format explained
The competition’s new format means that, rather than traditional groups, clubs will now compete in a league phase, akin to that seen in UEFA competitions.
Forest will face six opponents here, with three at home and three away from home.
From here, only the top eight, out of 23 competing teams, will advance to the quarterfinals.
The 23 participating sides are comprised of every WSL and WSL2 side not competing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, meaning that Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City will not be in the competition.
League phase games will take place between now and mid-December, before the quarterfinals commence in January, followed by semi-finals in February and the final in March.
Full league phase schedule
| DATE | TIME | FIXTURE (Bold = home) |
|---|---|---|
| 23/09/2026 | 7pm BST | Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa |
| 18/10/2026 | 2pm BST | Sheffield United vs Nottingham Forest |
| 01/11/2026 | 2pm GMT | Nottingham Forest vs Burnley |
| 18/11/2026 | 7pm GMT | Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool |
| 22/11/2026 | 2pm GMT | Newcastle United vs Nottingham Forest |
| 16/12/2026 | 7pm GMT | Birmingham City vs Nottingham Forest |
A tough opening test awaits Forest
Facing a team from the division above is never something to take lightly, and Forest have a big task on their hands if they want to kick their cup journey off with a win.
Despite a gulf in quality, on paper, however, Forest edge the form charts ahead of the game.
The Reds are unbeaten under new head coach Tom Mallinson, and are riding a high after a comeback win away to Durham at the weekend.
Villa, on the other hand, are winless after three games, following two draws away at Brighton and Chelsea, as well as a heavy home defeat against Manchester City.
But form is relative to the opposition faced, and it is undeniable that Natalia Arroyo’s side have faced some of the best sides in the country in their opening games this season.
When is the match?
The match will kick off at 7pm BST on Wednesday 23 August at the City Ground, the permanent home of Nottingham Forest Women.
How can I follow?
For those able to get to the City Ground, tickets are still available for the match, starting from just £6 for adults and £1 for children.
Tickets can be purchased directly from the club here.
Unfortunately, there are no streaming options available to watch the game live at present, barring any late announcement by the club.
