Controversy Surrounds WSL Draw as Chelsea Faces Liverpool

The draw for the Women’s Super League (WSL) quarter-finals took place on Tuesday night, resulting in notable matchups. Chelsea will face Liverpool, and the WSL leaders, Manchester City, are set to compete against West Ham. Additionally, Arsenal will visit Crystal Palace, while Manchester United will go up against Tottenham. The semi-final draw was also conducted, with the winner of the West Ham versus Manchester City match scheduled to host either Chelsea or Liverpool. The other semi-final will feature the victor of the Crystal Palace versus Arsenal match hosting either Manchester United or Tottenham. These quarter-finals are scheduled to take place from December 19 to 21, with the semi-finals set for January 21 and 22, 2026.

Despite the exciting matchups, significant backlash has arisen regarding the conduct of the draw. Many clubs expressed their frustration with the behavior of Barry, who conducted the draw live on WSL Football’s TikTok page alongside her partner, Portsmouth midfielder Ella Rutherford. An incident occurred when Barry accidentally dropped a ball back into the bag and later remarked, “Am I allowed to do that? I’ve done it now, it’s too late. Oh, I picked up the same ball.” Her comments included inappropriate remarks, raising concerns about the professionalism and legitimacy of the draw, as reported by BBC Sport.

Barry made several lewd comments during the broadcast and referenced an anti-Tottenham chant associated with Arsenal fans, sparking further controversy. Following the event, WSL Football reached out to Tottenham to extend an apology and address the concerns raised by the incident, according to Sky Sports Football.

The decision to conduct the draw live on TikTok aimed to engage a more diverse and younger audience. However, the chaotic execution has led to criticism and highlighted the need for improvements in future events. As stated by Sky Sports News, “learnings from the draw will be introduced in the future” to prevent similar issues. This incident follows another disruption in women’s football, as the FA Cup third-round draw earlier in the week faced significant problems when the YouTube stream was broadcast without sound due to technical difficulties.