Championship winners Leicester City showed their top-flight credentials with a 3-2 Vitality Women’s FA Cup win over Manchester United.
Fifth Round results:
Birmingham City 3-2 Southampton FC
Brighton & Hove Albion 6-0 Huddersfield Town
Arsenal – Crystal Palace
Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Charlton Athletic
Manchester City 5-1 West Ham United
Chelsea v Everton (Thurs 20 May, 7pm) – live on BBC Red Button / BBC iPlayer / The FA Player
Manchester United 2-3 Leicester City
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 (aet) Sheffield United
Quickfire double fires Foxes through
Leicester City twice came from behind to eventually eliminate Manchester United 3-2 at Leigh Sports Village.
Kirstie Levell made a couple of fine saves to deny Jess Sigsworth and Leah Galton, while the Foxes’ Ashleigh Plumptre made a last-ditch tackle.
Sigsworth did find the breakthrough on 32 minutes and although United were on top, Shannon O’Brien found space to get a stoppage-time effort past defenders and keeper Mary Earps to equalise.
Sam Tierney cleared off the line for Leicester, who then scored twice in a matter of moments, Hannah Cain netting from a short back-pass and Natasha Flint working space to fire the Foxes 3-2 in front.
Birmingham see off Saints fightback
Birmingham City took a 3-0 lead over underdogs Southampton but had to survive a tense finale as the visitors pulled two goals back.
The Blues had a narrow 1-0 interval lead over the lowest-ranked side left in the competition, Mollie Green forcing the ball home following a corner but not long after Rosanna Parnell headed just wide for the Saints.
After the hour mark, Sarah Mayling first set up Emily Murphy to head home from a corner and then buried a free kick.
Southampton hit back twice in the last six minutes, Ella Morris with a header and then Ellie Pusey giving the Blues further cause for concern.
Addicks edge Rovers
Charlton Athletic made it through to the quarter-finals with the only goal of the game away to Blackburn Rovers.
The decisive moment came 12 minutes from time, Katie Godden’s through-ball finding Jess King who slotted home into the bottom corner.
Man City ensure victory with late goal spree
Manchester City continued their defence of the cup, three late goals producing a 5-1 score-line against West Ham.
Ellen White was the first on the scoresheet for Man City from a Caroline Weir cross but the lead last just two minutes, with Anouk Denton bringing the Hammers swiftly back on level terms.
Lauren Hemp and White combined to set up Janine Beckie to restore the advantage with six minutes left of the first half.
Into the final half-hour and it was almost 2-2, as Leanne Kiernan struck a post, before later going off injured.
However, a late rush of goals saw Sam Mewis set up Rose Lavelle to extend City’s lead before getting the fourth herself, after which there was still time for Lauren Hemp to find the net as well.
Spurs taken to extra-time by Blades
Spurs were taken to extra time by Championship side Sheffield United before securing their place in the last eight with a 2-1 victory.
Lucy Quinn gave Spurs the advantage over the Blades with half-an-hour played, cutting inside, she powered a shot into the top corner of the net.
Ria Percival came close for Spurs after the hour mark from 25 yards, Cho Sho-hyun closer still when smacking a shot against the upright.
However, with ten minutes left, Lucy Watson charged down a clearance and finished into an empty net to level the scores.
Into extra-time and Jessica Naz saw her strike well held by Fran Kitching, before crossing for Kit Graham to score with a bullet header on 109 minutes.
Kitching kept her side in it with a close-range save from Gemma Davison, while Josie Green was denied by the post.
Arsenal net nine
Arsenal enjoyed a six-goal second half as they scored nine times in total against Crystal Palace.
he Gunners were awarded a penalty after only six minutes and Kim Little converted.
Beth Mead and Daniella van de Donk both scored in a three-minute spell to see Arsenal go in three up at the interval.
Noelle Maritz thumped home the Gunners’ fourth goal with just over an hour gone, Jordan Nobbs then netting a fifth for the hosts.
Vivianne Miedema was next to get on the score-sheet, followed by Jill Roord, a second for Maritz and one from Katoir McCabe.
Brighton hit Huddersfield for six
Brighton put six goals past a Huddersfield Town side that play two tiers beneath the Seagulls.
Nora Heroum opened the scoring when the Terriers failed to clear a corner, Rianna Jarrett’s powerful header from a Megan Connolly cross making it 2-0.
The visitors then conceded an own-goal but when Heroum had a penalty, Bethan Davies saved it.
After the break, Fliss Gibbons got the fourth, followed by a Danique Kerkdijk double.
