2020 Women's FA Cup final

Everton were one of 23 WSL and Championship teams to enter the competition in the fourth round proper and were drawn against London Bees of the Championship to start, a tie that provided Everton with the only non-top flight opposition of their cup run. The Toffees beat the second division side 1–0 with Dutch international Inessa Kaagman scoring the only goal of the game, a 25-yard strike on the stroke of half-time.[17][18] Everton were handed an away tie against Bristol City at Ashton Gate in the fifth round, a team sat bottom of the WSL and battling relegation at the time but had progressed to this stage after similarly besting Championship opposition by one goal. Everton proved comfortable 5–0 winners: Kaagman again opened the scoring, her first of two goals on the day. Esme Morgan and Lucy Graham added goals before the break with Hannah Cain and Kaagman's second giving Everton their biggest margin of victory since a 6–1 FA Cup quarter-final victory over second-tier Durham in March 2018.[19][20] A home quarter-final tie against Chelsea, a team in the midst of a title challenge having already lifted one trophy this season by beating Arsenal in the 2020 FA Women's League Cup Final in their previous match, was scheduled for 15 March 2020. However, it was postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic. With the 2019–20 FA WSL season eventually curtailed and decided on a points-per-game basis,[21] the FA Cup was permitted to resume at the quarter-final stage six months later than planned. Everton ultimately faced newly-crowned WSL champions Chelsea on 27 September 2020 having already played two matches of the 2020–21 season. The game was played behind closed doors at Goodison Park with Erin Cuthbert giving the visitors an early lead in the 5th minute, the only goal the Toffees would end up conceding en route to the final. Everton went in level at the break through a 40th-minute Lucy Graham goal before French international Valérie Gauvin, a high-profile summer signing from Montpellier,[22] scored the decisive goal just past the hour mark, ending the London side's hopes of a domestic treble.[23] Three days later, Everton booked their place at Wembley with a 3–0 victory away at Birmingham City, a team undergoing a sizeable rebuild having lost eight senior players over the summer and under new management with Carla Ward.[24][25] Everton's Nicoline Sørensen, another of the club's international summer recruits, scored her first goal for the club in the game.[26]

Manchester City were one of 23 WSL and Championship teams to enter the competition in the fourth round proper and were drawn against Manchester derby rivals Manchester United having already met twice earlier in the year: City had triumphed on the opening day of the season before United earned a League Cup group stage win. The game was selected as the televised match of the round and broadcast live on the BBC Red Button. City won a five-goal thriller 3–2 with a brace from England international Ellen White putting the away side ahead. Substitute Lauren James pulled one back for United in the 69th-minute and the Red Devils thought they had drawn level when former City player Abbie McManus saw her shot trickle over the line but the officials disagreed, putting the lack of goal-line technology in women's football under scrutiny.[27][28] Jill Scott restored City's two-goal cushion shortly after while a Lauren Hemp own goal two minutes from time set up a nervy finish.[29] The fifth round paired the defending FA Cup champions in a favourable matchup against Ipswich Town of the FA Women's National League Division One South East (tier 4), the lowest ranked team left in the competition who had entered during second round qualifying and won six games to reach this stage.[30] Pauline Bremer, Jess Park and Georgia Stanway all scored hat-tricks as City ran out resounding 10–0 winners.[31][32] Reaching the quarter-final stage for the seventh consecutive season, City were drawn against Championship side Leicester City. With the season postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic the 2019–20 FA WSL season was eventually curtailed and decided on a points-per-game basis, moving City down from 1st to 2nd in the process as Chelsea were declared WSL champions.[21] Despite this, the FA Cup was permitted to resume at the quarter-final stage six months later than planned with opponents Leicester City having transitioned from semi-professional to full-time during the offseason layoff.[33] Manchester City, meanwhile, had appointed Gareth Taylor as manager ahead of the new season on 28 May following the departure of Nick Cushing during the previous campaign.[34] Despite the increased investment and influx of WSL talent to the new-look Leicester team, the Cityzens were able to see off the Foxes 2–1. Chloe Kelly, who had joined the Manchester club from Everton over summer, scored her first goal as a City player from the penalty spot to open scoring with Georgia Stanway doubling the lead before half-time. Leicester earned a penalty of their own in the 78th-minute, converted by Charlie Devlin, but City were again able to see out the win to set up a semi-final meeting with Arsenal. The teams had already met at the semi-final stage of the 2019–20 FA Women's League Cup earlier in the year with the Gunners emerging 2–1 winners. City were able to reverse the scoreline in this rematch: England international teammates Steph Houghton and Jordan Nobbs traded first-half goals before Sam Mewis, City's reigning World Cup champion midfielder acquired from North Carolina Courage in August, scored her first goal in English football to clinch the defending champions' place in the final.[35][36]