Manchester City secured a first domestic double with victory over Brighton in the Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley.
Three weeks after being crowned Women’s Super League champions for the first time in a decade, City proved why they have been England’s best this season.
Their star striker Khadija Shaw, who announced she would be staying at the club for another four years in a shock turn of events on Monday, was once again at the centre of the action.
The Jamaican striker headed in City’s opening goal after 38 minutes and later set-up Aoba Fujino to make it 3-0.
City captain Alex Greenwood’s low 20-yard free-kick had given City a strong lead at half-time and Andree Jeglertz’s side never looked in danger of folding, with Vivianne Miedema returning late on to round-off the scoring.
The Seagulls, who have impressed in the final two months of the WSL campaign, were the better side for large periods of the first half but did not capitalise on their chances.
Midfielder Maisie Symonds impressed, Fran Kirby threatened and Kiko Seike frustrated City but it was not enough to derail the champions.
Dario Vidosic’s side were competing in their first major final, while City enjoyed a fourth FA Cup title.
Brighton analysis: Growth for Seagulls despite result
It was a memorable day for Brighton despite the result as Vidosic’s side capped off a season in which the club have shown immense growth.
With a purpose-built stadium for the women’s team in creation and a squad packed full of talent, Brighton want to be competing on these stages for many years to come.
They tested Manchester City early on with Kirby finding space in the box and Seike racing down the right-hand side on several occasions. Madison Haley was more involved in the second half but City’s lead proved too big to catch.
It was a step too far and too early for the Seagulls, who came up against a superior squad and did not have enough to get over the line.
They started the game well, pressing City’s backline and causing problems.
However, their failure to capitalise on that pressure proved costly as City jumped into a commanding lead in the space of eight minutes towards the end of the first half and there was no way back for Brighton.
City’s bench was stacked with quality and they were able to introduce Miedema and Fujino as substitutes – the two both scoring to extend City’s lead.
Brighton’s young squad were given a harsh lesson by City but they showed in patches they are capable of competing with England’s best.
Their fans had travelled in numbers, saturating Wembley Way in the morning, draped in blue and white flags and striped shirts.
They unveiled a tifo before kick-off which showed an image of manager Vidosic with his father, Rado, who had been a much-loved member of staff at Brighton before he died from cancer in January.
In the week leading up to the final, Vidosic had spoken about the pride he felt in honour of his father, while words on the tifo captured his influence perfectly, and read: ‘Father, coach, mentor.’
