Holders Chelsea will host Manchester United in the semi-finals of the Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup, while Manchester City will be at home to Tottenham Hotspur, as four of the top five sides in the Women’s Super League battle for the first piece of major silverware available this season.

Thursday’s draw raised the likelihood of a first-ever meeting in a major domestic final between perennial semi-final opponents Chelsea and Manchester City, who have faced each other at the last-four stage of the FA Cup or the League Cup a remarkable eight times since 2014 but have never met in a final. Between them, they have won 17 of the past 21 major honours available in England, dominating the silverware in the women’s game’s professional era without a head-to-head showdown in a final that many neutrals have craved.

However, Tottenham and Manchester United will have other ideas, with the in-form north London club having reached the last four of a major cup competition for the first time in their history. Manchester United are also bidding to reach their first major final, having only been promoted to the top flight – like Tottenham – in 2019.

Rehanne Skinner’s Tottenham beat Championship Liverpool 1-0 to reach the semi-finals, while Manchester United won by the same scoreline away at league leaders Arsenal on Wednesday. Chelsea were 4-2 winners away at West Ham United, while Manchester City hit back from a goal down to overcome last season’s beaten finalists, Bristol City, 3-1.

Drawn to play at home – with a neutral venue not used until the final – Chelsea and Manchester City will be the favourites to go through. Both one-legged semi-final ties will be played on either February 2nd or 3rd, ahead of the final at AFC Wimbledon’s Cherry Red Records Stadium on Saturday March 5th, the kick-off time for which was confirmed on Thursday as 5.15pm. The final will be broadcast live on BBC Two.