Brighton Stuns Arsenal in Women's FA Cup, Liverpool Advances to Semifinals

Brighton pulled off a major upset in the Women's FA Cup quarterfinals, defeating Arsenal 2-0 at Borehamwood. The win extended Arsenal's wait for their first Women's FA Cup title in over a decade. Fran Kirby, a former Chelsea forward, played a crucial role in the victory, providing two assists.

Madison Haley opened the scoring shortly after halftime with a superb finish into the top corner, and Caitlin Hayes sealed the win with a header from a deep Kirby corner. Arsenal, who had recently knocked out Chelsea in the Champions League, looked disjointed and below their best.

In another match, Liverpool secured a semifinal spot with a scrappy 115th-minute goal from substitute Zara Shaw against Charlton Athletic. Shaw's goal came after a scramble in the box, marking her return to competitive action after a 12-month knee injury.

Liverpool manager Gareth Taylor praised Shaw's determination, saying, 'What a story, Zara Shaw, eh? The way people speak about her at the club, it couldn’t have happened to a better person.'

Charlton's head coach, Karen Hills, expressed pride in her team's performance, stating, 'I’m so proud of the group. The way they performed today, they were outstanding.'