A Sunday of FA Cup quarter-final action has come and gone and with it, four sides’ chances of lifting the FA Cup trophy.
Both Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion rained on the parade that is the prospect of a Championship side upsetting a team in the top flight.
Meanwhile, holders Chelsea made light work of dispatching Reading as they kept pace with their bid of claiming a third successive FA Cup.
And Aston Villa provided the drama as Rachel Daly’s extra-time goal dumped last season’s runners-up Manchester City out of the quarter-finals.
Below, we recap the weekend that was. The FA Cup semi-final draw is scheduled for Tuesday morning and the last-four will be played on 16 April.
Reading vs Chelsea
Chelsea are familiar with the requisites of FA Cup dominance and against Reading, they showed just that as they comfortably put to bed their WSL opponents.
But it’s Guro Reiten who deserves any and all plaudits from the match. Returning to Emma Hayes’ starting XI, Reiten’s fingerprints were all over the 3-1 victory, supplying the assist for Jess Carter’s opener, winning the penalty for Maren Mjelde’s penalty and finally etching her name on the scoresheet in the second half as she tapped in a well-worked counter.
Sanne Troelsgaard offered a glimmer of hope as she pulled a goal back 20 minutes from time, but despite Hayes emerging from her seated position after the reduced arrears, her expression did not belie any worry. As it transpired, Hayes was right.
Lewes vs Manchester United
Manchester United were made to work for this one, and in the first five minutes, there lurked the whispered sensation that Lewes might just do the thing and slay their WSL opponent, twice coming close to get the better of a rotated but formidable United side.
Yet, that possibility was soon quashed as United found the back of the net as Ona Batlle’s cross deflected off Rhian Cleverly seven minutes after the start. The own goal, initially credited to Alessia Russo, refreshingly didn’t dampen Lewes’ spirit or their remarkably compact defence. The second-tier side, who sit a lowly eighth in the Championship table, gave a laudable account of themselves, eventually reducing the deficit after a superb goal from Emily Kraft got the better of a Mary Earps howler.
Nevertheless, Vilde Boe Risa and substitute Nikita Parris sealed the win late on, the latter scuppering an earlier easier chance to put the game to bed and opting to show her clinical edge with an arguably much more difficult finish.
Birmingham City vs Brighton Women
After Lewes’ early defeat, Birmingham City were the last remaining chance for a Championship upset and how the Blues relished the opportunity.
Five times the second-tier side smacked the crossbar, but they were made to rue their missed opportunities as Brighton – still managerless after Jens Scheuer’s sudden departure from the club after just two months in charge – capitalised on marginal but ultimately decisive errors from their opponents.
Poppy Pattinson opened the scoring on the 28th minute directly from a floated corner, while Danielle Carter doubled the lead from the penalty spot after Brianna Visalli was clipped in the box.
Despite Birmingham City’s impressive display, their FA Cup run came to a halt. For Brighton, it’s a chance to make history as the Seagulls have never emerged victorious from the semi-finals.
Aston Villa vs Manchester City
If a full-day of FA Cup action had not satiated the drama junkies, the finale certainly did the job. An engrossing affair ended in victory for the underdogs after Rachel Daly’s extra-time goal – a quintessential poacher’s finish at the back post – proved the difference.
Villa took the lead on the 20-minute mark as captain Rachel Corsie headed beyond Ellie Roebuck. The goal was more than deserving, but despite more salvos on goal, City eventually clawed back their equaliser through Deyna Castellanos just before half-time.
A second-half dominated by City was punctuated by a painful bluntness from the top-four side, with both Chloe Kelly and WSL top goalscorer Bunny Shaw delivering uncharacteristically tepid performances.
And City were made to suffer for their profligacy as Daly – in front of a home crowd that included England head coach Sarina Wiegman – offered further evidence to the argument that the striker role belongs to her.
It’s a cruel sense of deja vu for City, who lost in extra-time to Chelsea in last season’s FA Cup finale. For Villa, it’s history, as well as the perfect shock an FA Cup quarter-final weekend requires.
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