Manchester City delivered a ruthless performance to win the Women's FA Cup for the fourth time, completing a historic double with a 4-0 victory over Brighton at Wembley. Khadija Shaw, who recently signed a new contract, opened the scoring with a header, followed by a free-kick from Alex Greenwood, a deflected effort from Aoba Fujino, and an angled header from Vivianne Miedema.
Brighton's Early Dominance Unrewarded
Brighton, playing in their first Wembley final, started strongly and created early chances through Fran Kirby and Kiko Seike. However, they lacked the clinical edge that City demonstrated after weathering the pressure. Brighton head coach Dario Vidosic praised his team's bravery but acknowledged the harsh lesson in finishing.
Shaw's Decisive Contribution
Shaw, who had been expected to leave the club before signing a new lucrative deal, nodded City in front from Greenwood's cross. The goal was her 25th of the season and exemplified her value. "It's been a crazy few weeks, lots of emotions," Shaw said. "The last time I was at Wembley, I lost so I wanted to correct that today."
Greenwood's Set-Piece Mastery
Greenwood doubled City's lead just before half-time with a well-disguised free-kick that caught Brighton's wall and goalkeeper Nnadozie off guard. It was the City captain's first goal in over two years. Fujino's deflected strike and Miedema's late header sealed the comprehensive win.
City's Double Triumph
Added to their first Women's Super League title in a decade, the FA Cup victory completed a memorable season for manager Andrée Jeglertz and his team. The win was City's first FA Cup with spectators present since 2017, as their 2020 triumph was behind closed doors.
Brighton's Pride Despite Defeat
Vidosic remained proud of his team's performance, stating, "To show that bravery, to play the way we did, to pin them back... I'm really, really proud." Brighton will look to build on this experience as they aim for future success.
City now have four FA Cup titles, making them the fifth most successful club in the competition's history. They will return to the Champions League next season, with a first European title still the outstanding milestone.
