Matildas Abroad Preview: Conti Cup quarter-finals begins

The Conti Cup quarter-finals kick off in England, as Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur look to book their spot in the final four.

Read our preview of all the Matildas Abroad action below. All games can be seen live and free on the FA Player, simply sign up for a free account to watch the games.  

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Arsenal v London City Lionesses

The defending Conti Cup champions, Arsenal, will be looking to book their place in the final four when they take on Championship side London City Lionesses in the quarter-finals.

Arsenal qualified through to the quarter-finals after finishing at the top of Group D, recording three wins and beating Spurs 4-3 penalties to claim to bonus point and finish the group stage on 11 points.

Caitlin Foord of Arsenal scores her team's first goal during the FA Women's Continental Tyres League Cup match between Reading and Arsenal at Select Car Leasing Stadium on January 24, 2024 in Reading, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Caitlin Foord of Arsenal scores her team's first goal during the FA Women's Continental Tyres League Cup match between Reading and Arsenal at Select Car Leasing Stadium on January 24, 2024, in Reading, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

London City went through at the top of Group C, recording two wins, beating Lewes and Crystal Palace and being defeated 7-6 on penalties by Watford. The side has a number of former Arsenal players now representing London City, with the side currently sitting 10th in the Championship with only three wins, just shy of the relegation zone.

Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross will all be looking to get on the pitch, with a quick turnaround following their 2-1 defeat to West Ham in the WSL over the weekend.

London City Lionesses v Arsenal
Date: Thursday 8 February
Time: 6:00am AEDT 
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Chelsea v Sunderland

Chelsea enter the Conti Cup at the quarter-finals stage, having been exempt from the group stage due to their participation in the UEFA Women's Champions League.

The Blues will be looking to kick off their Conti Cup run with a bang, having played in the last four finals, although facing defeat to Manchester City in the 2021/22 season and most recently Arsenal in the 2022/23 season. Despite being without Sam Kerr, Chelsea hasn't struggled to find the back of the net and will be hoping to translate their dominant league run to the Conti Cup.

Sunderland advanced to the quarter-finals stage after finishing at the top of Group A, with the Championship side finishing with 10 points. A victory over Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield United was bolstered up after being awarded three points despite losing 7-0 to Aston Villa, with Villa fielding an ineligible cup-tied player and thus Sunderland was awarded a scoreless victory.

Chelsea v Sunderland
Date: Thursday 8 February
Time: 6:00am AEDT 
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Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City

Aussies will go head-to-head for a spot in the semi-finals as Charli Grant's Spurs host Alanna Kennedy and Mary Fowler's Manchester City. The two recently faced off in WSL action at the end of January, with City recording a 2-0 win over Spurs.

Charli Grant scored her first goal for Spurs in their last Conti Cup outing as Spurs recorded a 3-0 win over Southampton. Tottenham booked their spot in the quarter-finals after finishing second in Group D, thus advancing as one of the best second-placed teams.

Charli Grant celebrates scoring her first goal for Tottenham Hotspur in their Conti Cup win over Southampton. (Photo: Spurs Women/X)

Manchester City booked their spot in the final eight after finishing at the top of Group B. A do-or-die clash in their final Conti Cup game saw them defeat rivals Manchester United 2-1, helping book City's spot in the next stage and knocking out United in the process.

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City
Date: Thursday 8 February
Time: 6:00am AEDT 
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