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By Emily Keogh
Multiple Authors
Defending champions Chelsea are set to face Tottenham Hotspur, while Manchester City will take on past champions Birmingham City in the FA Cup quarterfinals.
Chelsea, who have clinched the title six times, secured their quarterfinal spot by defeating 2024 champions Manchester United 2-1 in a thrilling extra-time victory on Sunday. They will now confront a Women’s Super League rival, Tottenham, who triumphed over London City in a penalty shootout on Monday to clinch the final quarterfinal position.
Manchester City will face Birmingham City, a WSL 2 side that previously lifted the cup in 2012. After being relegated from the WSL in 2022, Birmingham is fighting for promotion and currently sits second in the league, which is expanding to 14 teams with the top two teams from WSL 2 being promoted at the season’s end. This match will test their status against this year’s likely champions, who are currently leading the table by eight points.
In another matchup, former champions Arsenal will head to Brighton, who recently defeated West Ham in the fifth round.
Arsenal had a comfortable 3-0 victory over Bristol City. Meanwhile, promotion-contending Charlton Athletic, who are currently undefeated and lead WSL 2, will face Liverpool, who are struggling at the bottom of the WSL table.
Liverpool currently holds the 11th position, just one point above relegation-threatened Leicester City. The team finishing in the 12th spot in the WSL will play the third-place WSL 2 team for a coveted position in the WSL next season, making the upcoming clash between Liverpool and Charlton especially significant.
The quarterfinal matches are slated to take place on April 4-5, with the final set for Wembley on May 30.