Brilliant Brighton knock Arsenal Women out of FA Cup | OneFootball

Goals from Madison Haley and Caitlin Hayes knocked Arsenal out of the Women’s FA Cup at Meadow Park, taking Brighton into the semi finals.

The Gunners were looking to reach their second semi final of the week, after beating Chelsea 3-2 on aggregate in midweek to reach the UWCL last four. 

Arsenal survived early pressure from Brighton, who started well and had an early strike by Jelena Cankovic tipped over the bar by Arsenal keeper Daphne van Domselaar after Kim Little was dispossessed in midfield.

The resulting corner gave Brighton another golden chance but the shot from Charlie Rule inside the box was cleared off the goal line. Defender Manuela Vargas also had a shot blocked in the opening five minutes, before her second attempt on the volley was easily collected by van Domselaar. 

Arsenal pressed as the half went on, and spurned an opportunity to break the deadlock at the half hour mark as Smilla Holmberg failed to beat goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie from just yards out. Brighton kept them at bay for the rest of the half and the two sides finished the opening 45 minutes on level terms.

Brighton came out brightly in the second half and were rewarded when Haley raced past Laia Codina on to a through ball from Fran Kirby and slotted the ball low past van Domselaar into the bottom left corner. They did not let up and pushed Arsenal again when half-time substitute Carla Camacho sent a shot low towards the bottom right corner, which van Domselaar only just managed to parry away.

Arsenal showed signs of life though, pushing on the counter and were unlucky again when Holmberg swept her shot wide across goal from the edge of the box. The pressure mounted from both sides as the second half went on. 

Arsenal made a triple change to try and inject attacking threat into the second half, taking off Beth Mead, Chloe Kelly and Frida Maanum for Olivia Smith, Caitltin Foord and Alessia Russo.

Brighton grabbed the next goal however, as Hayes headed home at the back post from Kirby’s perfect corner delivery.

Arsenal kept pushing for a goal, with Stina Blackstenius racing down the left-hand side but she put too much on her cross, lifting it over the bar. Foord drove into the box, but took too many touches before she took her shot.

Arsenal pushed in the final minutes, seeing several shots blocked in the Brighton penalty box before Nnadozie dove low to her left to deny an excellent strike from Codina at the top of the box.

A free kick in the final minutes of added time gave the Gunners a chance to get a goal back, but substiute Katie McCabe, making her 300th appearance for Arsenal, curled her shot just wide of the post. The hosts could not capitalise on a late goal-mouth scramble to take a consolation goal.

Brighton, now safe from league relegation but out of reach of European qualification, left it all on the field as they pushed to keep their trophy hopes alive this season. The Seagulls ended Arsenal’s campaign for a record-extending 15th FA Cup title, leaving the Champions League as their only remaining possibility of silverware this season.