Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City Reach Women's FA Cup Quarter-Finals
Full FA Cup 2026 Quarter-Final Draw, Match Results and Fixtures for Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Lower-Tier Teams
Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City have all advanced to the quarter-finals of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup 2026 following decisive fifth-round victories. The quarter-final draw was conducted on Monday, 23 February 2026, with matches scheduled for the weekend of 4–5 April (according to TNT Sports).
Chelsea secured a 2-1 win over Manchester United after extra time, with Naomi Girma scoring the match-winning goal in the 99th minute. United had equalised through Simi Awujo before Girma’s finish. Chelsea had previously beaten United in last season’s FA Cup final.
Arsenal Cruise Past Bristol City Amid Injury Concerns
Arsenal booked their quarter-final place with a 3-0 victory against Bristol City, with goals from Kim Little, Victoria Pelova, and Frida Maanum. The tie was overshadowed by a head injury to 21-year-old forward Olivia Smith, who was stretchered off after receiving treatment on the pitch (TNT Sports). The Arsenal Women official statement confirmed Smith is under medical observation.
Manchester City Dominate Sheffield United
Manchester City, current Women’s Super League leaders, defeated second-tier Sheffield United 4-0, scoring three goals in the opening 22 minutes. Laura Coombs added a late fourth to complete the victory (TNTSports).
The quarter-final draw pits Manchester City against Birmingham City, who beat National League side Chatham Town 8-0, marking the first meeting between the two sides since the 2021–22 season (TNT Sports).
Liverpool and Brighton Advance
Liverpool narrowly defeated Everton 2-1 in a Merseyside derby, while Brighton & Hove Albion won 2-1 at West Ham United, with manager Dario Vidosic returning to the dugout following the passing of his father, who was Brighton’s head of women’s coaching (TNTSports).
Second-tier Charlton Athletic progressed with a 1-0 victory over Oxford United.
Quarter-Final Fixtures and Broadcast Information
The quarter-final draw is as follows:
- Charlton Athletic v Liverpool
- Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur
- Arsenal v Brighton & Hove Albion
- Birmingham City v Manchester City
All matches will be played on the weekend of 4–5 April, with coverage available via discovery+, EE TV, Sky, and Virgin Media (TNT Sports).
Winning clubs in the quarter-final will receive £90,000 from the competition prize fund for 2025-26, while the losing teams will collect £22,500.
WSL 2 Promotion Context
This round offers second-tier teams an early test against WSL opposition. Charlton Athletic are unbeaten in 16 league games (11 wins, 5 draws) and lead the WSL 2 table, while Birmingham City sit second, one point clear of Crystal Palace. With the WSL expanding to 14 teams in 2026–27, the top two WSL 2 clubs will earn automatic promotion next season (TNTSports).
