Liverpool stun Gunners to set up Chelsea clash
Liverpool earned a shock win at Meadow Park to dump Arsenal out of the FA Cup, securing a semi-final against Chelsea with a second straight win under interim head coach Amber Whiteley. The winner came in the 78th minute, Sophie Roman Haug’s half-volley from the edge of the box hitting the post but rebounding in off the home keeper, Daphne van Domselaar. It was no more than the visitors deserved after Haug had twice come close to scoring against an uncharacteristically disjointed Arsenal side.
They will now travel to face a Chelsea side still chasing a quadruple after Lauren James’s winner saw off Crystal Palace in their quarter-final on Sunday. The other semi-final will see Manchester City host United in a local derby. City booked their place with a 2-0 home win over Aston Villa, with Khadija Shaw and Jess Park on target for the hosts. Manchester United sealed their place by defeating second-tier Sunderland on Saturday.
That’s all for this live blog, so thanks for joining us. You can recap the action from Arsenal 0-1 Liverpool below and also see the semi-final draw, which was made shortly after full-time.
That Manchester derby in the last four should be tasty, to say the least.
Women's FA Cup semi-final draw
Manchester City v Manchester United
Chelsea v Liverpool
Games to be played on the weekend of 12 and 13 April. The final at Wembley will then take place on 18 May.
The draw will commence very shortly. Liverpool will be the underdogs of the four sides, given the strength and form of the other three.
Confirmation of the quarter-final results:
Manchester United 3-1 Sunderland
Manchester City 2-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0-1 Liverpool
Chelsea 1-0 Crystal Palace
The draw for the last four will be made shortly, so stick with us and we’ll bring you that.
FT: Arsenal 0-1 Liverpool
That’s it. Liverpool have booked their place in the Women’s FA Cup semi-finals. Daphne van Domselaar’s unfortunate own goal following Sophie Haug’s volley is the difference between the sides on a day when Arsenal were flat and devoid of ideas and Liverpool, under their new interim manager Amber Whiteley, defended smartly and with great grit.
Van Domselaar went up to challenge for a late Arsenal set-piece but Liverpool cleared and survived – as they did all afternoon. Huge credit to them, a mammoth effort.
Chelsea have beaten Crystal Palace 1-0 in the other 2.30pm kick-off, so we have our four semi-finalists confirmed.
90 mins + 6: Laws incurs some howls of Arsenal derision as she holds onto the ball for as long as possible. Liverpool then launch it into the far corner of the ground. They’re managing this smartly.
90 mins + 5: Brave stuff from Liverpool, choosing to press high, but it actually works out as Catley puts the ball out of play. A theme of the afternoon has been some scruffy Arsenal play in possession and it could see them crash out of the Cup.
90 mins + 3: Williamson has stationed herself just outside the Liverpool box and is sending in a succession of crosses. Nobody has quite got on the end of one yet.
Into a whopping nine minutes of added time. That gets an almighty cheer. Will Arsenal’s Women’s FA Cup drought stretch to a 10th year? They’ve at least got a decent chunk of time to keep probing.
89 mins: The home fans are turning up the volume in an effort to encourage their side here. But it’s not quite happening for Arsenal. Another loose pass gifts the ball to Laws and Liverpool.
87 mins: Arsenal are probing, Liverpool are shuttling back and across in their shape and we have ourselves an intriguing (possible) end to this cup tie. Can the Gunners force extra-time? They need to get near the visitors’ goal first.
Amanda Ilestedt is the latest substitute coming on.
85 mins: Smith’s pace is now a very useful asset for Liverpool on the break and she’s won her side a corner.
Nice weather, not so nice Arsenal performance.
Gooners enjoying the weather at Meadow Park!@GoonerFanzine
— Isobel Gilligan (@isobelgilligan) March 9, 2025
📸 @Boodlepim pic.twitter.com/iVMEYDGcQT
82 mins: Some 43,000 people are watching the live coverage on YouTube at the moment. It’s a shame they haven’t had a better spectacle of a game.
Arsenal introduce Blackstenius and Kim Little.
81 mins: Maanum has found herself in some good positions since coming on and gets another shot away – but it’s straight down Laws’ throat.
More frustration for the home side, but they did look the more likely to score before Liverpool delivered the sucker punch.
79 mins: Van Domselaar hasn’t had a stunning game but that is seriously unlucky. Absolutely nothing she could have done with that, but credit must go to Haug for the accuracy of her strike.
Liverpool have something to hold onto.
GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Liverpool (Van Domselaar OG, 78)
Haug turns and volleys home! I think this may go down as an own goal from Daphne van Domselaar though – it struck the post and rebounded in off the goalkeeper’s back.
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77 mins: There’s simply been no football played in the last five minutes.
76 mins: This is getting very stop-start, with Holland now down too after McCabe goes in, wins the ball and then clatters in. Not much sympathy from the Arsenal player either.
74 mins: Another lengthy injury delay here as Hinds goes down. Looks like we’re ready to restart but referee Stacey Pearson is having a conflab with the players and her assistants.
Chelsea 1-0 Crystal Palace is the score in the other game. Lauren James has just broken the deadlock for the WSL league leaders.
70 mins: Liverpool clear, clear and clear again. They’re digging in. Can they get the ball to Smith on the counter to create something?
69 mins: It might just be my perception, but I think Liverpool are getting a bit tired here. They’ve done a fair amount of defending today – along with some adventurous attacking work at times – but gaps are beginning to open up.
Mariona Caldentey skies a shot from the edge of the box.
66 mins: Laws has been sprung into action by a fine header from Maanum, who met Williamson’s cross very firmly, but the Liverpool goalkeeper may have hurt herself in the process. Looks like she landed awkwardly.
65 mins: Arsenal are finally starting to maintain some dominance and carving out chances.
Laws in the Liverpool goal has hardly been worked, mind, and Van Domselaar has looked a little error-prone at the other end.
62 mins: Liverpool are going to introduce Gemma Evans for Jasmine Matthews at the back.
61 mins: Catley goes close! Her volley wasn’t particularly powerful but it was nearly perfectly aimed, following a post-corner melee. Just past the post.
59 mins: Van Domselaar now does something good. A sprawling save from her to deny Hobinger, who hit a decent shot across the face of goal.
58 mins: Daphne van Domselaar nearly repeats her mistake from the first half, passing it straight to Haug under very little pressure. She’s having a shocking game, the Arsenal keeper.
56 mins: Arsenal fans scream foul play after Smith renews her battle with McCabe and it is indeed a free-kick for the home side, who are again struggling to maintain any control.
54 mins: McCabe goes in the book for a cynical trip on Olivia Smith. That’s pretty much been the only way for Arsenal have been able to handle the tricky Liverpool right-winger. She’s been electric.
52 mins: Russo flashes a shot over the bar after a nifty turn. Better from Arsenal, this.
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51 mins: Foord again causes confusion in the Liverpool defence with a bouncing, dropping cross that Rachael Laws should have collected but didn’t.
It brings about an Arsenal corner, which McCabe delivers well, but everyone misses.
50 mins: Foord nearly fashions a chance after making inroads on the right flank. The Liverpool defence squeeze it away.
49 mins: A couple of young Arsenal fans unfurl an Irish flag with Katie McCabe’s face in the centre of the stripes. She’s a very popular figure at Meadow Park.
And she’s seeing lots of the ball early in the second half.
47 mins: The second half has started in similar fashion to the first – lots of Arsenal possession in their own half.
Second half: We go again. Renée Slegers clearly wasn’t happy with that first half Arsenal display but it’s probably a change she’s been forced into, in ushering on Frida Maanum for Beth Mead. Mead took a hefty knock towards the end of the first half.
The players are back on the pitch and we’re ready to get back under way.
There’s the small matter of Arsenal’s men taking on a besieged Manchester United side later this afternoon, too.
Like with this game, the Gunners should really win it, if we’re going off the formbook.
Just a reminder that if the game does finish level after 90 minutes, we will have extra time and penalties.
There’s little to separate the sides, clearly.
HT: Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool
The stoppage time period was short of goalmouth action, a microcosm of the half itself really. Arsenal began the game confidently and in control but Liverpool have gradually asserted themselves on the contest and have actually carved out the better openings.
Sophie Haug’s chance just before the break was the biggest chance, but there’s been precious little to write home about in truth. Let’s hope for more entertainment in the second half. Arsenal, in particular, have to improve.
Three minutes are added on.
45 mins: Wow, that’s a chance for Haug, for Liverpool but it’s spurned. It came from another Van Domselaar error – a mis-kick gifting possession to the Liverpool striker but she couldn’t take it in her stride and the angle narrowed. Straight at the keeper in the end.
Probably the biggest chance of the game, that.
43 mins: These delays may translate to a fair bit of added time at the end of this first half. Haug is at least back on her feet after staying down for a period.
42 mins: Sophie Haug is now down clutching her head as well, after an aerial battle with Leah Williamson.
40 mins: Beth Mead has taken a whack, potentially on the head, and needs a minute to get some medical treatment. It gives both sides the chance to grab a drink, much-needed in these warm early spring conditions.
38 mins: It’s a succession of corners for Liverpool, the latest one conceded by a Van Domselaar fumble in the Arsenal goal.
Arsenal are having to do a lot of defending from crosses right now.
36 mins: Another mesmerising run from Smith down the Liverpool right nearly opens up the hosts. She made a beeline for the byline and cut it across goal, but had to settle for a corner.
35 mins: Liverpool are enjoying another decent spell here. But will it lead to a shot of significance?
The answer is no.
32 mins: Mead barges into Olivia Smith, after Arsenal appealed for a foul by Smith earlier in the play.
31 mins: I’ve been impressed with Taylor Hinds in the Liverpool left-back position. She’s been very tidy in possession and difficult to get past – hence perhaps why Arsenal have aimed the bulk of their attacks down the Liverpool right instead.
29 mins: Well, there is a shot from McCabe but it’s not a vintage one. It dropped nicely to her at the backpost following the corner but it was skied into the terraces off her left foot.
28 mins: The tempo has slowed once again, with Liverpool happy to retreat into their shape. We haven’t had a clear cut chance – let alone a goal.
Arsenal do get a corner, though, after Matthews’ skews away a poor clearance.
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26 mins: Holland and Hobinger get in Arsenal’s way again and this time Haug is there to pick it up in the centre-forward position and try to drive Liverpool forward.
25 mins: This Liverpool defence is doing a good job at snuffing out Arsenal’s attacks, with Hobinger the key cog in midfield. The visitors haven’t quite pieced it together going forward yet, but they’re very much in this cup tie.
22 mins: Arsenal are taking a good few chances in possession. And Liverpool are getting a bit braver in terms of their pressing.
20 mins: Russo gets a run at the Liverpool defence but goes down a blind alley and misses her pass to Foord. It’s not quite happening in attack for Arsenal.
Smith makes another good foray down the visitors’ right but nobody can meet her dangerous-looking cross.
18 mins: It should be no secret, but it’s worth mentioning how talented a player Olivia Smith is. She was just 15 (and only just!) when she was given an international debut for Canada and she’s already played in her homeland, in Portugal and now in the WSL by the age of 20.
Marie Hobinger has picked up the game’s first yellow card.
15 mins: This is better stuff from Liverpool, with Olivia Smith exhibiting some neat footwork coming inside off the right flank and winning her side a corner.
Hobinger sends it into bodies the box again to prompt halfhearted Liverpool appeals for a handball. No penalty given.
13 mins: Liverpool have themselves a set-piece and an opportunity to lift the ball into the Arsenal box, Hobinger’s delivery finds its way though bodies but Fox is there to mop up.
11 mins: By the way, it’s a cracking initiative from the powers-that-be to make these Women’s FA Cup games available to watch live and for free on YouTube. More exposure = a good thing.
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10 mins: Maybe it’s the warm weather – shirt-sleeve stuff in the south of England today – but the tempo has been reasonably pedestrian thus far. Liverpool aren’t exactly pressing high, so Arsenal have had time on the ball for the most part.
7 mins: Liverpool look to counterattack with pace but Williamson deals with it decisively. It means Arsenal can stay on top.
6 mins: Arsenal continue to move the ball swiftly, with Emily Fox marauding forward from right-back and Katie McCabe doing the same down the left.
Marie Hobinger has looked good for Liverpool so far, dropping between the lines to make herself an option for the out-ball.
4 mins: Arsenal’s two centre-backs and deepest-lying midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross are seeing plenty of the ball in these early stages. We’ve not yet had a chance.
2 mins: There’s always a good amount of noise at these Arsenal home games and today is no different. It’s an expectant home support, as Foord makes inroads down the left but Liverpool get back into position.
KICK OFF
Here we go then, as the whistle from referee Stacey Pearson gets us going at a sun-soaked Meadow Park.
It’s all over at the Joie Stadium where Manchester City have seen off the challenge of Aston Villa. With Chelsea v Crystal Palace getting under way at 2.30pm as well, we’ll know all four semi-finalists in a couple of hour’s time – and then we’ll get the draw.
It would be something of a surprise if it wasn’t United, City, Arsenal and Chelsea – the runaway top four in the WSL – who comprised the lineup.
Here’s another good women’s football read for you to delve into as we await kick-off at Meadow Park.
In terms of today’s teams, the fact Arsenal can put Alessia Russo, Beth Mead, Caitlin Foord and Katie McCabe all on the pitch at the same time shows what a formidable attacking force they are. With Stina Blackstenius and Victoria Pelova among the substitutes, they have no shortage of depth either.
Sophie Haug is Liverpool’s main threat up front, but you suspect she’ll be feeding largely off scraps, unless the ever-reliable Ceri Holland can help the visitors gain a foothold in midfield. We shall see.
Our other live football offering right now comes from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Tim de Lisle is your man for minute-by-minute updates.
City have no doubled their lead through Jess Park and look set to book their spot in the Women’s FA Cup semi-finals. City, who lost out to Tottenham in the last four in 2024 will be gunning to go all the way this time. What price an all-Manchester final?
Bunny Shaw has given Manchester City the lead against Aston Villa.
Manchester City are ahead!
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) March 9, 2025
Mary Fowler with a lovely pass and Khadija Shaw does the rest!
Watch Man City v Aston Villa in the Women's FA Cup on BBC iPlayer#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/GyqhVZ9NsG
Amber Whiteley expects to be in charge of Liverpool until the end of the season, but is targeting an even longer stint in the job. It’s been an underwhelming campaign on Merseyside – they’ve lost more than they’ve won in the league, sitting sixth – but today represents a huge game; some silverware could save Liverpool’s season.
It’s definitely a role I’m interested in and will put in for. But that recruitment process goes to one side and I have to focus on the day-to-day.
From my interim period previously, the biggest thing I took away was that I was capable of doing the job. I am in a far better position having had the time with Matt [Beard] and working under him.
When these opportunities come about, you have to stand up and show exactly what you are capable of. It’s really important to do that as a female coach too.
“As players we’re really grateful to be a part of setting the new normal for women’s football, whether that be with the games in the stadium or through the culture around the fans within it. We try to make sure that everyone knows football is for them and it’s a place for everyone.”
Arsenal and England star Alessia Russo chats to Suzanne Wrack.
Preamble
It’s a big day in the Women’s FA Cup with three quarter-finals taking place, after Manchester United booked their spot in the last four by beating Sunderland on Saturday. United, of course, are the competition’s holders and one of the favourites to win it again given their excellent recent form.
Manchester City are currently taking on Aston Villa but our focus will be on this crunch tie between Arsenal and Liverpool at Meadow Park. The Gunners are record 14-time winners of the Cup but haven’t prevailed since 2016; since then it’s been dominated by the Manchester clubs and Chelsea. Liverpool have never lifted the Women’s FA Cup and haven’t even contested a final since the 1990s.
The Reds will be under the stewardship of interim manager Amber Whiteley, who took over from Matt Beard following his recent sacking. She’s going up against Renée Slegers of course, who herself took over mid-season at Arsenal after the sacking of a male head coach.
Can the visitors upset Arsenal today? We shall find out together, with kick-off at 2.30pm (UK time).
