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19 hours ago
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Khadija Shaw showed Manchester City what they are giving up and Chelsea what they are potentially getting in emphatic style at Stamford Bridge, scoring an injury-time equaliser and then an extra time winner as City came from two goals behind to earn a place in the FA Cup final against Brighton.
Shaw has dominated headlines this week: the Women’s Super League top scorer is set to leave City and Chelsea are leading the chase. Her 91st-minute goal forced extra time before a thumping header in the 103rd minute ensured City’s double ambitions remain alive after the most fraught of encounters.
A rejuvenated Sam Kerr looked to have stolen the show at Stamford Bridge, the Australia forward scoring her eighth goal in eight games in the FA Cup semi-final showdown between the WSL champions and the League Cup winners, after Erin Cuthbert had given them a first-half lead.
However, Andrée Jeglertz’s team have a new grit to them and Mary Fowler reduced the deficit one minute after coming on and Shaw struck on the turn in the first minute of added time before sealing victory with her head after Yui Hasegawa beat Joanna Rytting Kaneryd to Hannah Hampton’s ball out to her right.
The prize was a great one at Stamford Bridge: an FA Cup final at Wembley against Brighton on 31 May, after the Seagulls’ 3-2 defeat of Liverpool in the other semi-final.
Chelsea had won six of their seven matches against City in the FA Cup prior to this meeting. However, City are the current dominant force in the WSL, having ended Chelsea’s run of six back-to-back league titles, with an emphatic 5-1 defeat of the London side in February a key momentum and confidence boosting result in the title race.
It was the home team that started far brighter at Stamford Bridge though. The dynamic front three of Alyssa Thompson, Kerr and Lauren James really troubled the City defence.
A well-deserved opener arrived in the eighth minute, when Cuthbert, making her 300th Chelsea appearance, fired the ball in via a big deflection off Jade Rose after some neat play between Thompson and Kerr.
Chelsea had reason to feel aggrieved at not having a second a minute later, when Kerr’s goal was denied with the ball adjudged to have gone out of play before Ellie Carpenter swung it in from the byline. It was close, but replays seemed to show it had not fully crossed the line.
City were far from out of the game, but they were sluggish, the exertion of the title race and relief in having secured it potentially playing its part. A neat backheel from Shaw into the middle was muscled away from Cuthbert by Lauren Hemp, who was given a hefty bloody nose in the second half, but her effort was wide. Meanwhile, Hampton made a strong save from Laura Blindkilde Brown shortly before the break.
Chelsea’s hunt continued after the break and their second came from Kerr, who pounced when Khiara Keating failed to claim James’s cross, the goalkeeper pushing it into the air for Kerr to nod in.
This City side are a different beast though, and with three minutes of normal time remaining, substitute Fowler squeezed a low shot between many bodies to reduce the deficit.
Then Shaw arrived, turning and firing in under pressure from Lucy Bronze. The celebrations were wild but it was Chelsea that were on the front foot in extra time and were fuming when their penalty appeals were waved away after Keating in fact made a great save at the feet of Aggie Beever-Jones.
Shaw delivered the winner, the forward’s powerful header from Hasegawa’s cross stunning the home team after the Japanese midfielder had raced on to Hampton’s rolled out ball ahead of Rytting Kaneryd.
Chelsea pushed to come back into it, Keating’s fingertip save, pushing the ball on to the bar, denying Sjoeke Nüsken late on.
Chelsea will have some soul searching to do after giving up a two-goal lead with four minutes of normal time remaining but this was Shaw’s and City’s day, an FA Cup final further reward for a season of dominance and determination.
