This weekend sees one of the highlights of the women’s football calendar as Barclays WSL teams enter the Adobe Women’s FA Cup at the fourth round proper stage.
This weekend’s action gets underway with an all-WSL clash between Aston Villa versus Everton, which is the only match taking place on Saturday and can be seen from 12.30pm on The FA Player.
The remaining 15 ties will be the following day and those successful will collect £54,000 from the competition prize fund, with the defeated sides still landing £13,000.
Here we highlight five of the standout ties on Sunday but there are eight matches across the round available on The FA Player so there is plenty to choose from.
Manchester United v Newcastle United – Sunday 14 January at 12pm GMT
With two division separating the teams and Manchester United’s squad boasting a host of international stars – not to mention the Red Devils playing at home – some may argue this should be a routine afternoon for Marc Skinner’s side.
But they are facing a team who are unbeaten in 13 months and went full-time professional in the summer, having become an official part of Newcastle United the year before.
The Magpies are the first club in history to become full-time professional whilst still in the FA Women's National League and have taken 31 points from a possible 33 this season.
Add in the fact this will be United’s first competitive match in almost a month – whilst Newcastle come into this having beaten Halifax FC 7-0 on Sunday – and the visitors will be hoping they can cause a huge upset at Leigh Sports Village and in front of The FA Player cameras.
Durham v Manchester City – Sunday 14 January at 12.30pm GMT
Durham players are relishing the chance to play in front of the TV cameras for the first time, with the game being shown on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport, as well as The FA Player.
Tickets for the game sold out quickly and midfielder Lauren Briggs believe the potential record attendance at the Maiden Castle will help make it ‘an amazing event for the North East’.
Durham are currently sixth in the Barclays Women’s Championship, having beaten Southampton 1-0 in their last match on December 17, but a few days before that they were given an indication of the challenge which follows this weekend when they took on Aston Villa.
Having held Villa to 0-0 at half-time in the FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup, the WSL side ran out 5-1 winners and on Sunday Durham take on a Manchester City team who are second in the league, unbeaten in their last five matches and boast a host of international players in their ranks.
But can the passionate home fans make the difference and help Durham pull off one of the great Women’s FA Cup shocks?
Chelsea v West Ham United – Sunday 14 January at 1pm GMT
A London derby between two WSL sides, this was always going to make a list of the fourth round proper ties to watch this weekend.
And now there is the added intrigue to see how Chelsea will fare off the back of the sad news that striker Sam Kerr is out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury and looks unlikely to play under Emma Hayes again, with the Blues boss set to become the USA manager.
The iconic duo have been pivotal to Chelsea winning the last three Women’s FA Cups – with Kerr scoring five games in the last three finals – and the Blues squad will be desperate to make it four WSL-FA Cup doubles on the spin.
Standing in their way on Sunday in front of The FA Player cameras will be a West Ham United team who have struggled this season, with one WSL win out of their ten matches, but Rehanne Skinner has strengthened her squad in recent weeks with the signings of Kristie Mewis, Shelina Zadorsky and Katrina Gorry.
Luton Town v Brighton & Hove Albion – Sunday 14 January at 1pm GMT
Luton Town are the lowest-ranked team left in the competition and this weekend they face a side who are four divisions higher than them in the football pyramid.
Luton are currently fifth in the Eastern Region Premier League, which is level five of the women’s football pyramid, and have already had to win five games just to reach the fourth round proper.
Brighton have struggled this season, winning two of their ten WSL games and currently sit in tenth place, yet with four divisions separating the teams, a victory for the Seagulls seems likely.
But regardless of the outcome, Luton Town’s players can feel proud of what they have achieved in the Women’s FA Cup this season.
The fourth round proper tie will be their first game to be broadcast (again on The FA Player), £56,000 in prize money has already been secured – with a minimum of £13,000 to follow from this weekend’s game – and there have been memories that will last a lifetime. These Luton players have already secured their place in the club’s history books.
Arsenal v Watford – Sunday 14 January at 1pm GMT
Like the men’s teams – whose training grounds are directly next to each other in London Colney – Arsenal and Watford’s women’s sides enjoy a local derby of sorts.
Although the Golden Girls often play their home matches at Wealdstone’s ground, just nine miles separate Watford’s Vicarage Road Stadium and Meadow Park, where Arsenal Women are based, and the links don’t stop there.
This season, three of Arsenal’s brightest talents – England youth internationals Michelle Agyemang, Laila Harbert and Katie Reid – are spending the season with Watford on dual-sign agreements and Gunners boss Jonas Eidevall has agreed the talented trio can line up against their parent club this weekend, if selected.
With Watford currently bottom of the Championship and Arsenal third in the WSL, with a squad packed with world stars, it is hard to see past a Gunners win at Meadow Park but could those tuning in to The FA Player be about to see one of the great cup upsets?
You can see the rest of the fourth round proper ties this weekend here.
