Our Gunners are set to commence their Adobe Women's FA Cup journey with a fourth-round clash against Bristol City Women this Sunday.
After almost a month away from the pitch, our squad returns to footballing action at Meadow Park and the weekend's fixture will also mark the fourth year of our No More Red initiative.
Here is everything you need to know about the match and this year’s competition.
Our Opposition
Championship side Bristol City booked their place in the fourth round of the tournament with a 3-0 win away to Southampton.
Historically, we have dominated this clash, securing 15 victories in 21 fixtures. Our previous encounters came just last season, when Bristol City were still a WSL side, and we beat them home and away in the league. Notably, we set a record for the biggest win in WSL history against the Robins in December 2019, scoring a remarkable 11 times.
We are the most successful side in Women's FA Cup history, lifting the trophy a staggering 14 times in its 55-year history. Bristol, meanwhile, have reached the semi-final of the competition five times.
What the manager says
Slegers on Bristol: "I think it’s going to be an interesting game. It’s going to be challenging in the way that it’s our first game back after the break. Bristol City are a top team in the Championship we definitely shouldn’t think this is going to be an easy one. What we’re going to ask from the girls is to be on their toes in this game against this opposition."
Team news
In her pre-match press conference, Slegers confirmed that Lia Walti had returned to full team training after missing fixtures in December.
Our interim head coach also confirmed that Emily Fox and Lina Hurtig joined the squad later but have now made their return to Sobha Realty Training Centre.
Victoria Pelova and Amanda Ilestedt are back training on the pitch but have yet to take part in full team training.
match officials
Referee: Amy Fearn
Assistant referees: Harley Hetherington and Steven Walsh
Fourth official: Aimee Keir
HOW DOES THE TOURNAMENT WORK?
The Adobe Women's FA Cup allows clubs across the country’s various divisions to compete, with a total of 514 teams in this year’s edition.
The competition follows a knockout format, beginning with a series of preliminary and qualifying rounds where lower-league teams go head-to-head for a place in the main draw. As the tournament progresses, higher-ranked teams enter in later rounds. Championship sides are exempt until the third round, whilst those from the Women’s Super League are exempt until the fourth round.
In 2015, the final was held at Wembley Stadium for the first time, showcasing the remarkable rise in popularity of the women’s game and drawing a record crowd of 30,710. The following year, our Gunners solidified their dominance in the competition by defeating Chelsea 1-0 in the 2016 final. This victory marked our record 14th trophy win, celebrated in front of an even larger crowd of 32,912 and watched by two million viewers on the BBC.
Future KEY DATES
Should we beat Bristol City Women on Sunday and progress into the fifth round of the Adobe Women's FA Cup, the draw will take place on Monday, January 13. Fixture dates and locations will be confirmed in due course.
Fifth round: Sunday, February 9 2025
Quarter-final: Sunday, March 9 2025
Semi-final: Sunday, April 13 2025
The final: Sunday, May 18 2025
HOW TO WATCH
The match kicks off at 3pm at Meadow Park and if you haven’t got tickets, you can watch our Gunners in action live on the Adobe Women’s FA Cup YouTube channel and FA Player. This fixture is available wherever you are in the world, with the exception of the Middle East and North Africa.
Highlights of the game will be available on Arsenal.com and the app after the game.
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