Wins for Birmingham, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City saw them make it into the hat for Monday afternoon’s draw.

Birmingham City 1-0 Arsenal

Fans of the respective clubs could have predicted a tight game, the Blues a familiar thorn in Arsenal’s side, the Gunners routinely stifled by Birmingham last year and only victorious on penalties once in three draws. Even with a new manager and new look to the home team it was like Groundhog Day for Arsenal, as the London side dominated the game creating chance after chance but unable to take any for the superb work of the home defence.

With Ann-Katrin Berger putting in a player of the match performance in the goal it looked to be the three match-up on the bounce between the two that would be locked at 0-0 come the full-time whistle. However the deadlock was finally broken – and extra time swiftly avoided – fifteen minutes from time when Marisa Ewers found herself in the right place at the right time to send the ball whizzing past Sari van Veenendaal in the away goal. A goal down, Arsenal didn’t relent but came up short, with nothing to show for their dominance and have been knocked out at the quarter-final stage for just the second time in the last 12 seasons.

Bristol City 1-2 Manchester City

When current WSL Champions took to the Stoke Gifford pitch many were expecting a drubbing, the Vixens’ last WSL 1 match-up against City a 6-1 win in favour of the Sky Blues. However (and even with City’s dominance from the off) the game was far closer on the scores than any could have predicted, Nikita Parris’ 88th minute winner a vastly important strike that circumvented extra time – City loathed to go another 30 minutes with a return UWCL match on Thursday.

A scramble in the box seven minutes in saw Steph Houghton claim the vital touch to send the ball spinning past Caitlin Leach after the young keeper had tamely punched the ball clear. The Vixens immediately saw a good chance save by Marie Hourihan but there was little the Irish international could do when Claire Emslie powered the ball past her at the second time of asking, just before the break. Despite being on the back foot for most of the game, Bristol did well to stick in and continue to look dangerous on the counter and with extra time looming it was a body-blow for the hosts when Parris wiggled free in the box to fire low past Leach.

In their third consecutive semi-final, City will be looking to put past demons behind them and finally make it to Wembley.

Chelsea 5-1 Sunderland

Three-time finalists, Chelsea came from behind at home to put in their bid for a third consecutive trip to Wembley. Lucy Staniforth gave the visitors an unexpected lead midway through the first-half when she finished coolly past Hedvig Lindahl from the spot but two classy goals in six minutes from Swiss international Ramona Bachmann gave the Blues the advantage at the break.

Braces were the order of the day and Chelsea made their quality count in the second-half when defender Hannah Blundell volleyed Claire Rafferty’s cross home before neat interplay between herself and Karen Carney culminated with a low drive beyond Anke Preuss nine minutes later. Still the dominant force in the match and wholly unrelenting, Drew Spence made it five at the death as she sent her header beyond Preuss and into the back of the net.

Liverpool 2-0 Notts Countyreport

With just two final appearances to their name – and no silverware to show for their endeavours – Liverpool put in a strong performance at home to make it to the last four. A mistake from Carly Telford gave the hosts the advantage when the England international let Caroline Weir’s tame effort trickle through her gloves three minutes into the game. Despite a spirited response from Notts, they were up against a fine defensive unit that refused to let anything through to Siobhan Chamberlain, and the Lady Pies spent the majority of the match frustrated by the Reds.

Natasha Harding added a second twenty minutes in at a smooth counter, her curled effort far too much for Telford to deal with, the Reds in cruise control, able to dictate play against a side that for so long had been their bogey team.

Semi-final draw

Having squared off in the semi-finals two years on the bounce in London, Chelsea and Manchester City were finally able to avoid each other in the last four, a trip to Birmingham in store for the 2015 winners and a home tie against a stubborn Liverpool team (only one of two to take points off of them last year) in store for the Citizens in their bid to reach their first FA Cup final.

Birmingham City vs Chelsea

Manchester City vs Liverpool

Both ties are scheduled to be played on 17 April (Easter Monday)

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About the author
Sophie Lawson
Neutral football fan travelling around Europe, covering matches and bothering footballers for interviews