Goals galore in FA Cup as Liverpool, Man Utd & Man City progress

With 55 goals scored in 12 matches on Sunday, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United all advanced to the fifth round of the Women’s FA Cup.

With five different players on the scoresheet, including debutants Martha Thomas and Denise O’Sullivan, top-flight strugglers Liverpool overcame their goalscoring slumps to put six past fourth-tier London Bees.

After Khadija Shaw’s thumping 19th-minute header, City, the women’s Super League leaders, won 6-0 at third-place Bournemouth.

Before half-time, substitute Vivianne Miedema scored twice as City extended their unbeaten streak to 16 games in all competitions with a pair of goals from Lauren Hemp and a double from Laura Coombs.

With a 5-0 victory over third-tier Burnley, their Manchester rivals United also managed to break even with their tie.

After two minutes, Lea Schuller and 16-year-old academy graduate Layla Drury, both of whom had already signed for Marc Skinner, were both on target.

14-time champions Arsenal defeated Aston Villa 2-0 in the final all-WSL tie, with Kim Little, the captain, scoring both goals and adding an assist.

She is unbelievable. She delivers on every detail. Renee Slegers, manager of Arsenal, told Channel 4 that “she can really perform at this level.”

Without Dario Vidosic, who was away for personal reasons, Brighton was pushed all the way by second-tier Nottingham Forest at Broadfield Stadium.

Madison Hayley’s penalty gave Brighton the lead just before half-time, but Jelena Cankovic’s header made it 2-0 late in the second half.

Charlton Athletic, the WSL 2 frontrunners, recorded 10 goals in an emphatic display against Swindon Town, beating them 10 to win.

In the only tie that required extra time, Bristol City defeated fellow WSL 2 side Southampton. After the Robins’ late goal in the second half, Emily Syme made a turnaround in the 118th minute.

In the only all-third-tier game, Oxford United defeated Middlesborough 3-1, while fellow second-tier clubs Birmingham City and Sheffield United are also through thanks to 6-2, 2-1 victories over Hull City and Ipswich.

Goal-scoring debutants were the main focus of the fourth-round weekend, with many players having an immediate impact on their first matches for their new clubs.

Two January recruits spearheaded Liverpool’s victory over London Bees, who had struggled for goals this season.

Within two minutes, Martha Thomas, a fellow debutant, and Republic of Ireland international Denise O’Sullivan, whose arrival was confirmed late on Saturday evening, netted the team’s third goal.

Alice Bergstrom, a forward who also signed for the Reds earlier this month, also scored on her first start.

Manchester United’s northern rivals had a few new names on the scoresheet.

On Monday, January 19th, at 19:00 GMT, the Adobe Women’s FA Cup YouTube channel will host the fifth round draw.