2019 FA WSL Cup final

The 2019 FA WSL Cup final was the eighth final of the FA WSL Cup, England's secondary cup competition for women's football teams and its primary league cup tournament. It took place on 23 February 2019, at Bramall Lane, contested by Arsenal and Manchester City, the only two teams to have ever won the tournament.

2019 FA WSL Cup final
Event2018–19 FA WSL Cup
Arsenal Manchester City
0 0
After extra time
Manchester City won 4–2 on penalties
Date23 February 2019 (2019-02-23)
VenueBramall Lane, Sheffield
Player of the MatchCaroline Weir
RefereeLucy Oliver
Attendance2,424

Arsenal had competed in all but one of the previous finals, winning five. Manchester City had appeared in three of the last four, securing the trophy twice. The final was a rerun of the 2018 final, which was won by Arsenal by a goal to nil, while both teams also met in the final in 2014 when Manchester City won by the only goal.[1]

Route to the final
Round Opposition Score
GS West Ham United (H) 3–1
GS Lewes (A) 9–0
GS Charlton Athletic (H) 5–0
GS Millwall Lionesses (A) 3–1
QF Birmingham City (H) 2–1
SF Manchester United (H) 2–1
Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue; (N) = Neutral venue.

Arsenal

Drawn again - as with the previous season - against mostly second-tier opposition, plus WSL mid-table side West Ham United, Arsenal improved on their second-place finish in the 2017–18 group stage with a dominating series of results to top their group having secured all twelve points, the high note being an away 9–0 win over Lewes in which both Kim Little and Vivianne Miedema scored hattricks.[2]

The quarter-finals saw Arsenal paired with Birmingham City, a team only a few paces behind in the WSL title race with three previous WSL Cup final appearances to their names, including two against Arsenal.[3] A tight match saw Birmingham take the lead, but an injury time goal from Miedema would ultimately settle the tie in Arsenal's favour.[4]

The semi-final matched Arsenal against the resurrected Manchester United, who had been performing beyond their second division status all season. An all-Manchester final was prevented, however, as Arsenal took control of the match to seal their place with two more goals from Miedema.[5]

Round Opposition Score
GS Birmingham City (A) (p) 0–0 (p)
GS Leicester City Women (H) 4–0
GS Bristol City (A) 3–0
GS Sheffield United (H) 6–0
GS Aston Villa (A) 4–0
QF Brighton & Hove Albion (H) 7–1
SF Chelsea (A) 2–0
Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue; (N) = Neutral venue.

Manchester City

In the group stages, Manchester City again found themselves matched with title challengers Birmingham City, along with Bristol City and three Championship sides, playing one more game than Arsenal by virtue of the increased number of teams competing in the tournament compared with the previous season. Their campaign began slowly as they were only able to prevail against Birmingham City on penalties, meaning they would only take two points out of a possible three.[6] With the toughest match already out of the way, they would go on to win all of their remaining games, scoring 17 goals and conceding none in the process.

Their quarter-final against Brighton & Hove Albion would prove to be their highest-scoring in the cup competition, with an initially slow match bursting into life in the closing stages as four goals were scored after the 85th minute.[7] The match drew extra journalistic attention as it came barely 24 hours after Manchester City's men's team had themselves scored nine goals in their own League Cup tie.[8][9]

Manchester City's place in the final would ultimately be assured by the work of Nikita Parris, who scored both goals as they defeated the reigning WSL champions Chelsea, giving them their fourth finals appearance in the previous five competitions.[10]

Match

Details
Arsenal0–0 (a.e.t.)Manchester City
Report
Penalties
Little soccer ball with check mark
Williamson soccer ball with red X
van de Donk soccer ball with red X
Bloodworth soccer ball with check mark		 2–4 soccer ball with check mark Stanway
soccer ball with red X Hemp
soccer ball with check mark Emslie
soccer ball with check mark Houghton
soccer ball with check mark Beckie
Attendance: 2,424
Referee: Lucy Oliver
Arsenal
Manchester City
GK1Netherlands Sari van Veenendaal
DF6England Leah Williamson
DF16Republic of Ireland Louise Quinn
DF4Denmark Janni Arnthdownward-facing red arrow 69'
MF7Netherlands Daniëlle van de Donk
MF10Scotland Kim Little (c)
MF20Netherlands Dominique BloodworthYellow card 58'
MF2Denmark Katrine Vejedownward-facing red arrow 71'
FW23England Beth Mead
FW15Republic of Ireland Katie McCabe
FW17Scotland Lisa Evans
Substitutes:
GK18France Pauline Peyraud-Magnin
MF24England Ava Kuyken
FW29England Amelia Hazardupward-facing green arrow 71'
MF33Portugal Ana Caterina Albuquerque
FW11Netherlands Vivianne Miedemaupward-facing green arrow 69'
Manager:
Australia Joe Montemurro
GK1England Karen Bardsley
DF4England Gemma Bonner
DF6England Steph Houghton (c)
DF5Scotland Jen Beattie
DF3England Demi Stokes
MF25Belgium Tessa Wullaertdownward-facing red arrow 65'
MF19Scotland Caroline Weirdownward-facing red arrow 118'
MF8England Jill Scott
MF24England Keira Walsh
FW17England Nikita ParrisYellow card 82'downward-facing red arrow 105'
FW12England Georgia StanwayYellow card 40'
Substitutes:
GK26England Ellie Roebuck
FW9Germany Pauline Bremer
FW11Canada Janine Beckieupward-facing green arrow 65'
FW15England Lauren Hempupward-facing green arrow 105'
DF20Republic of Ireland Megan Campbell
FW22Scotland Claire Emslieupward-facing green arrow 118'
DF23England Abbie McManus
Manager:
England Nick Cushing

Player of the match:
Caroline Weir (Manchester City)[11]

Match officials

  • Assistant referees:
  • Fourth official:

Match rules

  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary.
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level.
  • Seven named substitutes.
  • Maximum of three substitutions.

References
  1. "Women's football round-up: Manchester City celebrate winning the WSL Cup". The Independent. 27 October 2014. Archived from the original on 2022-05-01. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  2. "Arsenal inflict drubbing at Dripping Pan but Lewes ready for long haul". The Guardian. 16 September 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  3. "2012 FA WSL Continental Cup Final". Birmingham City L.F.C. official site. 13 September 2012. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  4. "#ContiCup: Man United Women knockout Hammers". shekicks.net. 10 January 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  5. "Arsenal Women 2 - 1 Manchester United Women". BBC Sport. 7 February 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  6. "BIRMINGHAM CITY WOMEN 0 (4) MAN CITY WOMEN 0 (5)". Manchester City W.F.C. official site. 19 August 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  7. "MAN CITY WOMEN 7 BRIGHTON WOMEN 1". Manchester City W.F.C. official site. 10 January 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  8. "Manchester City Women 7-1 Brighton Women: Lauren Hemp scores twice in Continental Cup win". Sky Sports. 10 January 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  9. "FA Continental Tyres League Cup: Manchester City Women 7-1 Brighton & Hove Albion Women". BBC Sport. 10 January 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  10. "Chelsea Women 0-2 Manchester City Women: Nikita Parris fires City to final". Sky Sports. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  11. Laverty, Rich (23 February 2019). "Manchester City's [sic] wins third Continental Cup in five years after defeating Arsenal in a penalty shootout". Our Game Magazine. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
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