Brighton Shocks Arsenal to Advance to Women's FA Cup Semifinals

In a stunning upset, Brighton ousted European champions Arsenal from the Women's FA Cup with a 2-0 victory at Meadow Park. The decisive goals came from Madison Haley and Caitlin Hayes, both assisted by Fran Kirby. This win marked a significant milestone for Brighton, as they reached the FA Cup semifinals for the fourth time in their history. Arsenal, on the other hand, failed to build on their midweek Champions League win over Chelsea, suffering a disappointing loss despite being 14-time FA Cup winners. Brighton's triumph was sealed after they withstood intense pressure from Arsenal, with Kirby praising her team's performance, saying, 'It is so special... we knew we could come here and get a result, but to do it against a team like Arsenal, who have quality all over, is really special.' In another quarterfinal matchup, Liverpool edged out Women's Super League 2 side Charlton 1-0 in extra time, with Zara Shaw scoring the winning goal in her return from injury. The Women's FA Cup semifinal draw is set to take place on Monday, with the final quarterfinal tie between Birmingham City and Manchester City kicking off at 5pm.