Newcastle United Women begin their Subway Players Cup campaign against Aston Villa on Wednesday night.
The competition has undergone a major change for 2026/27, replacing the traditional group stage with a Swiss-style league phase.
WSL Football confirms all 23 clubs share one league table, with every team playing six matches.
Newcastle have three at home and three away.
Newcastle Women Players Cup fixtures
Newcastle’s six league-phase fixtures are:
- 30 September: Aston Villa (A), 7.30pm
- 18 October: Sunderland (H), 2pm
- 21 October: Everton (A), 7pm
- 1 November: Durham (A), 12pm
- 22 November: Nottingham Forest (H), 2pm
- 16 December: Manchester United (H), 7pm
The Manchester United fixture will be staged at St James’ Park, while Sunderland and Nottingham Forest visit Gateshead International Stadium.
Supporters planning for Wednesday can find our Aston Villa vs Newcastle date, venue and ticket guide.
How does the Players Cup format work?
Three points are awarded for a win.
If a league-phase game finishes level after 90 minutes, it goes to penalties. The shootout winner receives two points, while the losing team receives one.
Only the top eight of the 23-team table progress to January’s quarter-finals, with first facing eighth, second facing seventh, third facing sixth and fourth facing fifth.
That makes Newcastle’s six fixtures significantly more important than the old regional group-stage system.
