Aston Villa stuns Manchester City to reach Women’s FA Cup semis in dramatic fashion

In a thrilling match at Villa Park, Aston Villa secured their place in the Women’s FA Cup semi-finals with a stunning victory over Manchester City in extra time.

Aston Villa, who have won the competition three times, faced a tough challenge against the current Women’s Super League champions. However, they were up to the task and put in an impressive performance.

The game was full of drama, with both teams creating several opportunities to score. In the 21st minute, Kirsty Hanson gave Aston Villa the lead with a powerful header from a corner kick. Manchester City responded well and equalized in the 38th minute, with Deyna Castellanos scoring a looping header after connecting with a cross from Lauren Hemp.

The second half saw both teams pushing hard for a winner. Chloe Kelly had a clear shot at goal for Manchester City in the 80th minute, but her effort went agonisingly wide. With the match looking like it was heading for penalties, Rachel Corsie nearly gave Villa the win in the final play of normal time, but her header went just beyond the far post.

The match went into extra time, and it was Aston Villa who struck the decisive blow. In the 97th minute, Rachel Daly scored from close range to give Villa a famous victory.

The Villa fans erupted in celebration as their team secured a place in the Women’s FA Cup semi-finals. While Women’s Super League leading scorer Khadija Shaw had a quiet night in front of goal, Man City’s Castellanos and Hemp came close in the second half, but they were unable to find the back of the net.

In the end, it was Aston Villa’s night, and they will now be eagerly anticipating their semi-final clash with either Arsenal or Tottenham.

Overall, it was a fantastic game of football, full of excitement and drama, and one that will live long in the memory of both sets of fans.