Chelsea fall short as Shaw brace seals City’s FA Cup Final spot
Two of the nation’s best battled it out for the converted opportunity to play under the Wembley Arch in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup Final. Newly crowned Barclays Women’s Super League Champions, Manchester City took on six-time FA Cup winners Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday in a tight Semi Final clash.
It’s been a season where the two teams in blue have swapped places: Chelsea, who have been so dominant domestically winning the last six WSL trophies, now sit second in the league whilst Andrée Jeglertz, formally of Denmark Women and Umeå IK, in his debut season at the club has led Manchester City to their first league title in ten years.
This was the second Semi Final played between the sides this season, after Wieke Kaptein’s header sent Chelsea to the Subway League Cup Final, the Blues’ first trophy of the season. However, City left Stamford Bridge victorious with a 3-2 victory secured by Khadija Bunny Shaw in the first half of extra time. Despite two first-half goals from Erin Cuthbert and Sam Kerr for Chelsea, their hopes were shattered by Mary Fowler and Shaw’s late second-half goals to push for half an hour extra time in the Cup tie.
Road to the Semi Finals
Manchester City are yet to play a top flight side in this edition of the FA Cup, cruising past third tier side, AFC Bournemouth in the fifth round, before a 4-0 victory against WSL2 side Sheffield United; Lauren Hemp and Fujino on the score sheet, with recent retiree, Laura Coombs firing in the final blow to send the side to the Quarter Finals. The final match was a challenging 1-0 win against WSL2 champions Birmingham City, Shaw’s 8th minute strike all that separated the sides but enough to confirm tomorrow's clash. As first reported by Tom Garry, Jamaica’s super striker is expected to sign with Chelsea when the season concludes as a free transfer, adding another level of intrigue to this clash, Shaw looking to finish the season with City, where she has been since 2021, with the domestic double under her belt.
Chelsea have had a more challenging run to the penultimate stage of this competition. A 5-0 win against newly promoted Crystal Palace in January was rewarded with a competitive clash against top 4 Manchester United. There's history between these sides in the FA Cup, as a rematch of last year's final but also meeting the in semi finals of the 2024 competition where Emma Hayes side were shockingly knocked out by a 2-1 win in Manchester goals scored by Lucia Garcia and Rachel Williams. A reversed 2-1 win in February saw Chelsea victorious, late goals by Sam Kerr and Janssen forced extra time before USA international Naomi Girma fired the blues into the quarters.
Another 2-1 victory booked Chelsea’s place at Stamford Bridge, their London rivals Tottenham Hotspurs putting up a good fight with a trademark Summerman free kick levelling the score, before Dutch star Veerle Buurman' s 86’ minute shot confirmed their place in this round.
FA Cup History
This was be the 5th FA Cup Semi Final meeting between these sides who have consistently stood at the top of English women's football. A 1-0 win for Manchester City through former Chelsea Captain Magdelana Eriksson’s 90+2 own goal in 2019 sent the Manchester side on their way to their last FA Cup victory without conceding a single goal in the competition.
The 2021 semi-final was a 3-0 Chelsea victory away from home, midfielder Erin Cuthburt on the scoresheet. There are many familiar faces from this clash Chelsea’s Keira Walsh and Lucy Bronze were in the Manchester City squad defeated that day, the pair moving to Barcelona before settling in South West London, a darker shade of blue now the colours they represent.
The last outing between the sides was the 2022 grand final under the arch. Sam Kerr, newly crowned Chelsea top scorer as of last week, started proceedings in the 33rd minute, with Lauren Hemp leveling the field just before half time. Cuthbert’s screamer from outside the box put Chelsea back in front but Australian international Hayley Raso, bow in her hair, sent the tie into extra time outrunning her defender into the box and thumping it past Ellie Roebuck in goal. The decisive blow came again from Kerr in the 99th minute to confirm the London club's 4th title.
Manchester City, three of the starters of that game still leading names in the sky blue squad now put themselves in the position to rewrite that heartache of their last Wembley run out.
An Unpredictable Clash
This season has proved that this may be one of the most uncertain duels in women's football.
The opening day of the WSL season sealed a 2-1 win for Chelsea against the sky blues at Stamford Bridge, a ground where Manchester City are yet to register a victory over the London side. The game was dominated by the visitors with 17 shots on goal but goals by Hamano and Beever-Jones caused an early upset for City.
Manchester City dealt a thumping response to Chelsea’s league cup semi final win, only 10 days later at the Etihad Brazilian attacker Kerolin’s hat-trick, Miedema's clever assist for Bunny Shaw and subsequent headed goal from a pinpoint Casperaji corner carved out a 5-1 win against their rivals. This got the Manchester side well on their way to their first league title in a decade, Chelsea, who the week prior had lost to London enemy Arsenal, were out of league contention for the first time in 6 years.
Manchester City’s new found dominance this season, without Champions League football after finishing fourth in the previous season's campaign, has seen a real resurgence under new manager Andrée Jeglertz, a rested and world class squad, with new editions Kerolin, Sam Coffey and Iman Beney raising the sky blue levels.
Chelsea, who have struggled with significant injuries to striker Maya Ramirez, Aggie Beever Jones, Natalia Bjorn and Naomi Girma along with the slow ACL comeback of Kadisha Buchanan and Sam Kerr, have not had the same dominance of previous years. From winning the league cup, to bowing out of the UEFA Champions League against Arsenal at the quarter final stage, a disappointing loss to Everton, and now an FA Cup exit in the final four has seen their 6 year streak of multiple trophies a season come to an end.
Pushing for more
Pre-match the Manchester City boss reflected on their midweek title win and the challenge of once again facing Chelsea in such a defining fixture:
“We know we have beaten them before, we know we can win one title, we need to keep working to win the next one. You build confidence by winning a title and you can also bring it to the next competition and game.”
Dutch International Wieke Kaptein has stepped up for Chelsea this season, a key figure in the midfield at only 20 years old. She reflected on the possibility of reaching another Wembley final after the victory against Manchester United last year:
“They're going to be up for it 100 per cent, and they want to reach the final as much as we do.Especially this year, they have so much quality on the pitch and on the bench. It's going to be a tough game. But I always think, if we focus just on ourselves, on what we can do and show the fans what we can do, I think we have a good chance.”
The chance to walk away with the domestic brace awaited Manchester City. 90 minutes stood between both sides reaching game under the converted Wembley Arch in English Football’s most historic competitions. A complicated rivalry defined by fine margins and longstanding history was battled once again for a chance at glory, Chelsea looked to redefine their season, but Manchester City put the cherry-on-top of a resplendent campaign.
City will face Brighton & Hove Albion, who will play their first FA Cup Final in the club’s history. On Sunday 31st May at Wembley Stadium (15:00 KO BST) these sides will battle for the trophy.