Chelsea and Spurs survive FA Cup scares to progress as Arsenal debut new attack
The FA Cup. A magical time of upsets and comebacks and unmitigated drama, or so the billing promises.
And while most of the the day's fourth round ties followed a predictable script, a number of clashes succumbed to the potential for chaos. Following Everton’s 3-0 victory over fellow Women’s Super League side Aston Villa on Saturday, Sunday brought eight more top-flight sides into the fifth round with victories for Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, Brighton and Leicester.
Meanwhile, Championship sides Crystal Palace, Ipswich Town, Charlton Athletic, Birmingham City and London City booked their places in the fifth round of the competition. Second-tier Reading suffered an unexpected upset at the hands of third-tier Wolves, joining Nottingham Forest as the only third-tier sides remaining in the competition.
Mirror Football runs you through the biggest talking points....
Top-flight sides triumph
For most of the WSL sides, Sunday represented the ideal opportunity to ease back into the competitive football milieu.
Chelsea complete record-breaking Enzo Fernandez transfer after deadline day rush
Manchester City needed only seven minutes to do so, with Chloe Kelly firing Gareth Taylor’s side into an early lead against second-tier Durham. A brace from Jill Roord and a late goal from Mary Fowler completed a 4-0 victory for the Citizens.
DURHAM, ENGLAND - JANUARY 14: Jill Roord of Manchester City celebrates after scoring their team's second goal during the Adobe Women's FA Cup Fourth Round match between Durham Women and Manchester City Women at Maiden Castle Sports Park on January 14, 2024 in Durham, England. (Photo by Stu Forster - The FA/The FA via Getty Images) (Photo by Stu Forster - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)Manchester United, after shaking off some early rust, eventually showcased the attacking threat that has largely been for want this season. It was magic from Ella Toone that ignited the affair, before Nikita Parris continued her hot form to bury two past third-tier Newcastle.
Rachel Williams and Melvine Malard added the gloss to an otherwise simple affair, one that will need to be a catalyst ahead of United’s WSL heavyweight clash with Chelsea next weekend.
Arsenal also needed little time to flex their calibre against Watford. Goals from Alessia Russo and Lia Walti arrived within five minutes of each other to give the visitors a 2-0 lead before the quarter-hour mark. While the scoreline should have been conspicuously greater in its disparity at the break, the free-flowing football on display was an encouraging sign of things to come as Beth Mead, Russo and Vivianne Miedema were named in the starting XI for the first time.
Neither Mead nor Miedema etched their names on the scoresheet in the 5-1 victory, but the sight of both strikers on the pitch with Arsenal’s summer signing will certainly delight.
Vivianne Miedema started Arsenal's fourth round clash against Watford (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)Meanwhile, Brighton were dealt the task of stomping out a potential fairy tale for Luton Town, the competition’s lowest rank side. A 6-0 victory with five different players on the scoresheet will represent a solid start to the new year for Mel Phillips’ team.
Winter break rust means drama
Very few would have predicted that both Tottenham and Chelsea would be the sides in need of last-ditch heroics, but such was the case on Sunday.
The Blues fell to a 1-0 deficit against West Ham courtesy of Viviane Asseyi’s neat finish, and without goalscorer Sam Kerr leading the line, the reigning FA Cup champs looked disjointed and troubled. Not until the introduction of USWNT striker Mia Fishel did some structural cohesion begin to flow, with the 22-year-old grabbing a crucial equaliser before extra-time goals from Erin Cuthbert and Sjoeke Nusken secured passage to the fifth round.
Erin Cuthbert scored Chelsea's second goal against West Ham (Photo by Michael Hewitt - The FA/Getty Images)West Ham, having endured a woeful first half of the season, looked a different beast with new signings Shelina Zadorsky and Katrina Gorry but were eventually undone by Chelsea’s arsenal of threats.
Meanwhile, Tottenham were once more indebted to Bethany England as they found themselves two goals down to Championship side Sheffield United. It was a dream start to the visitors as Sophie Haywood secured a 1-0 lead after just 13 minutes.
Hakim Ziyech brutally denied deadline day transfer as PSG furious at Chelsea
When Jessica Sigworth doubled the advantage, fortunes looked rotten for the hosts. But such is the joy of having England back from injury, with the striker opening her goal-scoring account for the season with two goals in 11 minutes to restore parity before Rosella Ayane nabbed a last-gasp winner.
Bethany England's brace helped claw Tottenham back into their FA Cup tie against Championship side Sheffield United (Photo by Steve Bardens - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)Aston Villa's struggles continue
Villa have been far from exceptional this season. They currently languish ninth in the WSL table and just four points off the relegation spot. Now, their FA Cup run is over before it ever really got going.
With West Ham kicking into a higher gear, Villa's disappointing performance against fellow top-flight side Everton on Saturday could come as a serious warning for Carla Ward's team. A difficult test in Leicester City awaits them upon the restart of the league next weekend, followed by Manchester United.
For Everton, Saturday's victory could be the momentum needed to ignite an otherwise stilted campaign. A positive transfer window thus far has seen forward Rikke Madsen come through the doors on an 18-month contract as well as Kathrine Kuhl on loan from Arsenal for the season's remainder.
Carla Ward's side has struggled for form despite last season's sensational campaign (Photo by Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)Championship keeps pressure on top-tier
For those searching for an underdog to support in the fifth round, Nottingham Forest and Wolves will provide the goods.
Forest overcame fellow third-tier opposition in Plymouth Argyle 6-1 to advance to the next round. Wolves were handed the more daunting task of recently-relegated Reading, but a late goal from Destiney Toussaint proved the difference.
The results mean both sides are in contention for a mouth-watering fifth round tie and the financial boon that comes with it, a significant advantage as both teams are bidding to close the gap to Northern Premier Division leaders Newcastle United.
The Championship is well represented in the fifth round, with four of the league’s top five sides in Birmingham City, Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace and Southampton advancing to the next round alongside London City, who comfortably saw off lower-ranked Moneyfields Women.
This season's fight for WSL promotion is one of the fiercest yet. Just two points separate the top five sides. How clubs choose to approach the fifth round with so much lying on the line in the league could prove significant.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
