It is the fifth round of the Women's FA Cup. With four WSL clashes, derby days, and final reruns, this is the round when everything gets much more serious, with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs. Here are five must-watch/ follow games for you this weekend.
First up, the rerun of two of the last three FA Cup finals in Chelsea v Manchester United. United will want to replicate their epic 2023/24 semi-final at Kingsmeadow, where they won 2-1. This was their first-ever victory over Chelsea in any competition, and Chelsea's hopes of the quadruple in Emma Hayes's last season at the club. Chelsea, on the other hand, will want to replicate the final meetings between these two sides in 2023, which they won in front of a then-record-breaking crowd of over 77,000, with Sam Kerr scoring the decisive goal to secure Chelsea's third consecutive FA Cup title. Then last season, Chelsea won 3-0 to secure the domestic treble. Sandy Baltimore scored twice, including a penalty, and Catarina Macario added a header to ensure manager Sonia Bompastor finished her debut season with the trophy. The return of some injured players boosts Chelsea. Lucy Bronze came on at half-time against Liverpool after shin discomfort in recent weeks, the same shin she broke before the Euros. At the same time, Aggie Beever-Jones also came back in that game in the latter stages. The home side will hope their captain is back after a late tackle in the game against Spurs left her hobbling and unable to play in their latest fixture. For Man United, Ella Toone is out with a hip injury and could miss the League Cup final between the two sides. Marc Skinner has confirmed that Anna Sandberg will be out for four to eight weeks with a meniscus injury. Millie Turner is back with a bang with a header in the winner late on against London City Lionesses. Chelsea reached the fifth round with a 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace, while Man United had the same scoreline against Burnley.
Next up is a Merseyside derby, Liverpool v Everton. Both teams secured comfortable wins in the fourth round: the Reds defeated their London Bees 6-0, and the Toffees beat West Brom 5-0. Mia Enderby of Liverpool has a pair of shooting boots on in 2026, three goals in five games, and a key rivalry fixture, adding emotional spice beyond just progression. Traditionally tight, with bragging rights on the line and a rare cup clash intensifying it. Liverpool's last outing was a 2-0 loss to Chelsea, in which their attack was well defended. Since the appointment of interim manager Phil Jevon at Everton, they have been on an upward curve, winning their last three league games, most recently a 1-0 victory over West Ham.
Arsenal hold the record for the most FA Cup titles, with 14. Bristol City are comfortably in the top half of the WSL2 table. Boasting a good scoring record and home form. They have scored 35 goals in 16 league games, with 8 wins to date. They, however, had to play extra time against Southampton to win their fifth-round match. Arsenal beat fellow WSL side Aston Villa 2-0, with goals from Kim Little and Stina Blackstenius. Arsenal come into this game with a trophy already in the Champions League and are in the quarter-finals, where they hope to defend their title, but they face Chelsea next. In the 2025 Women’s FA Cup, Arsenal won 5-0 against Bristol City in a previous round, with goals from Mead, Blackstenius and Maanum. This dominant display underlined the gulf between the sides at that stage.
Oxford United and Chatham Town are the lowest-ranked sides. They play in the fourth tier of this competition, and their presence at this stage highlights the FA Cup’s giant-killing magic. Charlton sit top of the WSL2 and are unbeaten in the league. They secured their place in the fifth round with a 10-0 victory over Swindon Town, including an Amalie Thestrup hat-trick, their biggest victory of the season. Oxford United Women produced a dramatic late comeback to beat Middlesbrough Women 3–1. Oxford struck three times in the final ten minutes to get it over the line.
Finally, one of the WSL showdowns is Spurs v London City Lionesses. Spurs come into this after a notable 7-3 victory over Aston Villa, with contributions from January signings like Signe Gaupset and Julie Blakstad. London City's last outing was a 2-1 loss to Manchester United, though it does show they can test the top opposition and remain competitive. In the last meeting between these two sides in the WSL, London City got the better of Spurs with a 4-2 victory, with Freya Godfrey and Nikita Parris scoring braces, while Spurs repeatedly came back from behind. Spurs got to this stage in the competition following a 3-0 victory over Leicester City with goals from Bethany England and Drew Spence. London City's fifth round was a 1-0 win against Sunderland.
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