Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw made a triumphant return to the field, scoring in her team's 3-1 victory over Leicester in the Women's FA Cup fifth round. Shaw, who had briefly stepped away from the game after facing racist and misogynistic abuse on social media following City's recent 4-3 WSL loss to Arsenal, came off the bench at halftime to head home her side's third goal.
The match saw City take control early with first-half goals from Leila Ouahabi and Brazilian newcomer Kerolin, who netted her first goal since joining from North Carolina Courage in January. Shaw's emotional return and goal highlighted a day of FA Cup action that saw several top teams advance to the quarter-finals.
Chelsea maintained their impressive run toward a potential quadruple, despite an early scare against Everton. After falling behind to Sara Holmgaard's free-kick, the Blues responded with goals from Catarina Macario, Mayra Ramirez, Maika Hamano, and Sandy Baltimore to secure their place in the last eight. Sonia Bompastor's side extended their unbeaten streak to 23 games, holding firm at the WSL summit while advancing in multiple competitions.
Record 14-time champions Arsenal progressed with a 2-0 victory over Championship side London City Lionesses, with Laia Codina and substitute Stina Blackstenius providing the goals. The Gunners, who haven't lifted the trophy since 2015-16, had to exercise patience against their lower-division opponents.
Liverpool's journey to the quarter-finals proved more challenging than expected against third-tier Rugby Borough. Playing on a 3G pitch in windy conditions, the Reds struggled until late goals from substitutes Marie Hobinger and Mia Enderby sealed their progress. Liverpool manager Matt Beard acknowledged the difficult conditions and praised Rugby Borough's performance, while Rugby boss Lee Burch expressed pride in his team's showing against top-flight opposition.
Crystal Palace found respite from their challenging WSL campaign by reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in their history, defeating Newcastle 2-0 with goals from Ashleigh Weerden and Abbie Larkin. Championship side Sunderland will be the lowest-ranked team in the last eight after their 2-0 victory over Portsmouth, marking their first quarter-final appearance since 2018.
The Women's FA Cup quarter-final draw is scheduled for Tuesday at 18:30 GMT on the competition's YouTube channel, with defending champions Manchester United and Aston Villa already securing their places in the last eight after Saturday's matches.
