Women's FA Cup fourth round roundup: Arsenal, Chelsea, City and United all progress
WSL sides dominate as Chatham Town steal headlines as lowest-ranked side left in the competition
The fourth round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup was a showcase of dominance with WSL sides asserting their quality, but it wasn’t without individual stories and debut moments too, showing just why this competition is so special.
Across the matches, clean sheets were a recurring theme, with the majority of favourites progressing without conceding. The matches allowed managers to rotate squads and hand opportunities to emerging young talent.
Results
There were no major upsets in the fourth round, but the scale of some of the victories was notable. Heavy wins for Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Everton and Liverpool ensured a smooth passage into the next stage, while several WSL2 and National League teams battled competitively despite falling short.
West Bromwich Albion 0–5 Everton
Newcastle United 0–3 West Ham United
Chelsea 5-0 Crystal Palace
Sunderland 0–1 London City Lionesses
Tottenham Hotspur 3–0 Leicester City
AFC Bournemouth 0–6 Manchester City
Ipswich Town 1–2 Sheffield United
Oxford United 3–1 Middlesbrough
Chatham Town 3–0 York City
Manchester United 5–0 Burnley
Southampton 1–2 Bristol City
London Bees 0–6 Liverpool
Brighton & Hove Albion 2–0 Nottingham Forest
Charlton Athletic 10–0 Swindon Town
Arsenal 2–0 Aston Villa
Hull City 2–6 Birmingham City
Charlton, who are five points clear at the top of WSL2 and look poised to move up to the WSL next season, had the biggest win of the weekend, beating Swindon Town 10-0.
The clashes between WSL sides largely reflected the trajectory of the league season so far, as Tottenham and Arsenal dispatched Leicester and Aston Villa, respectively, with performances that underlined their relative positions and momentum.
West Ham claimed their first victory under new manager Rita Guarino, offering a much-needed lift after their heavy loss to Chelsea in the league last weekend. A penalty in the first half gave them the lead, with goals from Riko Ueki and Sarah Brasero securing a 3-0 win in the second half.
Debuts and breakthroughs
The FA Cup once again highlighted the importance of clear pathways from academy football to senior debuts, providing defining moments for young players on a big stage. Manchester United academy product Layla Drury marked her debut at just 16 years old with a goal. Liverpool’s Maizie Trueman, also 16, became the youngest player to ever play for the club.
Liverpool new arrivals Denise O’Sullivan and Martha Thomas, who joined the club this week, scored first-half goals on their debuts.
London City Lionesses’ Danielle van de Donk made her long-awaited first appearance for the club after being sidelined with an injury since the start of the season.
Honourable mention
Chatham Town’s 3–0 victory over York City secured progression to the fifth round of the Women’s FA Cup for the first time in the club’s history. The result represents a significant milestone for the National League side. Advancing to the last 16 puts Chatham among a small group of fourth-tier teams still in the competition and provides a platform for further visibility as the tournament moves into its latter stages. Oxford United are the only other National League side still in the competition.
The attention now turns to Monday’s fifth-round draw, which will determine the remaining path to Wembley, Matches are scheduled to be played in mid-February.