Women’s FA Cup fourth round: Chelsea win in extra time, Spurs complete comeback & United silence large travelling crowd
Women’s football has returned, with this weekend seeing teams back in action for the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Chelsea need extra time to beat Hammers
Chelsea 3-1 West Ham
In a thrilling fourth-round FA Cup clash, Chelsea, the reigning champions, faced a tough challenge against West Ham, ultimately securing a 3-1 victory in extra time. Mia Fishel’s equaliser and goals from Erin Cuthbert and Sjoeke Nusken sealed the win after trailing due to Viviane Asseyi’s early shock opener.
Chelsea had a shaky start, trailing for the first time in 1,204 days in the Women’s FA Cup competition. Despite the challenge and the absence of injured striker Sam Kerr, they eventually took control in extra time, with Cuthbert and Nusken securing the win.
Emma Hayes, Chelsea’s manager, acknowledged their rusty start but expressed satisfaction with their overall performance. She commented, “In the end, we looked comfortable winners. It looked like it had been three and a half or four weeks since we played.”
Tottenham show resilience in remarkable comeback
Tottenham 3-2 Sheffield United
Tottenham displayed resilience, coming from two goals down to defeat Sheffield United 3-2. Spurs faced a potential upset but managed to overturn a 2-0 deficit. Bethany England’s goal and a late penalty paved the way for an intense turnaround, with Rosella Ayane sealing the win in added time.
Manchester United thump Newcastle
Man Utd 5-0 Newcastle
Manchester United silenced the large travelling support at Leigh Sports Village to inflict third-tier Newcastle’s first defeat in more than a year.
Ella Toone opened the scoring for the hosts, with Nikita Parris adding two before Rachel Williams and Melvine Malard struck late on.
Manchester City too strong for Durham
City 4-0 Durham
A strong Manchester City side had too much for second division Durham at Maiden Castle. Jill Roord scored twice for City, including the pick of the goals with a blistering strike into the top corner. Laura Coombs had opened the scoring after seven minutes, while Mary Fowler added a late fourth.
Arsenal beat Watford but no clean sheet
Arsenal 5-1 Watford
Arsenal cruised against Championship opponents Watford, scoring twice in the first 12 minutes through Alessia Russo and Lia Walti. Stina Blackstenius made it 3-0, before Michelle Agyemang – on loan at Watford from the Gunners – pulled a goal back with the visitors’ only shot on target.
Amanda Ilestedt and Frida Maanum added goals late on for Arsenal, who are seeking a record-extending 15th Women’s FA Cup.
Liverpool go down to 10
Liverpool 1-0 Bristol City
Liverpool progressed after they won 1-0 at Bristol City despite being reduced to 10 players. Gemma Bonner scored with five minutes remaining after Ceri Holland was given a second yellow card on the hour mark.
Villa crash out FA Cup
Everton 3-0 Aston Villa
Everton were the first top-division team to drop out of the FA Cup after being beaten 3-0 at home by Everton on Saturday.
Everton scored three times in the second half to beat Carla Ward’s side, Karoline Olesen opening the scoring on 58 minutes before Katja Snoeijs netted twice to seal an impressive win.
When is the Women’s FA Cup fifth-round draw?
The draw for the fifth round will be made on Monday, 15 January at 19:30 BST. It will be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club and also streamed on BBC iPlayer.
Mark Chapman will present the draw alongside former Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given and two-time Women’s FA Cup winner Abbie McManus.
