Mary Fowler’s Heroics Propel Manchester City to League Cup Final
In a thrilling encounter at Meadow Park, Manchester City managed to knock out the defending champions, Arsenal, with a 2-1 victory, securing their spot in the League Cup final set to take place in Derby this March. This victory is a significant boost for City, who have been struggling recently with four losses in their last seven games, which saw them slip out of the Women’s Super League (WSL) title race.
The star of the night was undoubtedly Mary Fowler, whose performance was nothing short of spectacular. Fowler, who has been in excellent form, was instrumental in ensuring that City still have a chance to clinch some silverware this season. Her contributions were pivotal, as she netted twice, including a dramatic late winner that sealed the deal for City.
The match began with City taking the lead in the 26th minute. The goal came after former Arsenal player Vivianne Miedema won the ball back and made a decisive run to set up Fowler for the strike. It was only City’s second shot of the evening, but Fowler made no mistake in finding the back of the net. However, her second attempt was ruled offside, denying her a quick brace.
City maintained the momentum, creating two clear chances just before the break. Arsenal, on the other hand, had opportunities to level the score and came close just before half-time, but Kerstin Casparij made a crucial interception to thwart Frida Maanum.
The second half saw Arsenal being awarded a contentious penalty in the 58th minute after Rebecca Knaak brought down Stina Blackstenius. Mariona Caldentey converted the penalty with ease, bringing the score to 1-1. City had a chance to regain the lead with a penalty of their own shortly after, but Daphne van Domselaar made a crucial save to deny Fowler from the spot.
As the match entered its final phase, both teams had opportunities to score. However, it was Fowler who emerged as the hero, scoring her 10th goal of the season with a 94th-minute winner from the edge of the area. This goal not only secured City’s place in their first League Cup final since the 2021-22 season but also ended Arsenal’s hopes of defending their title.
Off the pitch, the match was overshadowed by the absence of Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, who withdrew from the tie after receiving “disgusting” racist and misogynistic abuse on social media following City’s 4-3 loss to Arsenal in the Women’s Super League last weekend. Manchester City has reported the abuse to the police and is providing full support to the Jamaican international.
Arsenal, who have won the past two editions of the tournament by defeating Chelsea both times, will not be able to defend their title this year. Instead, Manchester City will face the reigning WSL champions and league leaders, who defeated West Ham to secure their place at Pride Park in Derby on March 15 for the final showdown.
- Mary Fowler’s performance was crucial for Manchester City.
- City’s victory ends Arsenal’s two-year reign as League Cup champions.
- Khadija “Bunny” Shaw’s absence due to online abuse highlights ongoing issues in sports.
Originally Written by: Emily Keogh
