Arsenal 0, Albion 2: Super Seagulls soar into semi-finals

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Second-half goals from Madison Haley and Caitlin Hayes stun the Gunners to seal Albion's place in the last four.

Luke Nicoli

2026-04-05T15:05+01:00

Madison Haley is on the deck but her shot is heading into the top corner to give Albion the lead. 📷Kyle Hemsley

Albion reached the semi-finals of the Women's FA Cup for only the third time thanks to a stunning 2-0 victory at 14-time winners Arsenal.

Second-half goals from Madison Haley and Caitlin Hayes capped a superb performance from Dario Vidosic's side, who looked potent in attack and rock-solid in defence against a Gunners side that has been on the crest of the wave, both in the WSL and Champions League.

The tone was set as early as the second minute when Jelena Cankovic saw a fizzing 20-yard effort tipped over the bar by Arsenal keeper Daphne van Domselaar. From the resulting corner, the ball fell to Charlie Rule, whose low drive from the edge of the box was cleared off the line.

Carla Camacho is first to congratulate Caitlin Hayes after the defender doubled Albion's lead. 📷Kyle Hemsley

Manuela Vanegas also had an effort blocked but Arsenal responded through a Mariona Caldentey effort that was palmed away by Albion keeper Chiamaka Nnadozie.

The Gunners started to dominate possession and they came close to breaking the deadlock on 30 minutes when Chloe Kelly's inswinging ball was met by Smilla Holberg only for Chiamaka Nnadozie to superbly smother the effort from close range.

Stina Blackstenius also dragged an effort wide for the hosts but Albion ended the half brightly and would certainly have been pleased to go in at half-time with the scores level.

Arsenal keeper Daphne van Domselaar has no chance as she is beaten by Caitlin Hayes' header to make it 2-0. 📷Kyle Hemsley

That momentum carried over and just three minutes after the restart the Seagulls were in front. Haley met Fran Kirby's ball on the right-hand side of the penalty box and, under pressure, rifled an unstoppable first-time effort across the keeper and into the top left corner of van Domselaar's net.

Substitute Carla Camacho had an shot saved by the feet of the Arsenal keeper soon after, and it was only a matter of time before Arsenal's fully-loaded subs' bench – including Katie McCabe, Olivia Smith, Caitlin Foord and former Seagull Alessia Russo – came into play.

Russo, Smith and Foord were introduced but it counted for little as Albion doubled their lead on 63 minutes – Kirby again with the assist as her deep, inswinging corner was met at the far post by Hayes whose powerful header rippled the back of the net.

Player of the match Fran Kirby bursts to the line. 📷Kyle Hemsley

It should have been three soon after when Camacho's low ball across the face of goal was narrowly missed by the onrushing Kirby – and the let-off signalled a real push by the Gunners to get back into the game.

Nnadozie made a super save to deny Laia Codina and even with eight minutes of injury time in which Russo fired over and McCabe saw a free-kick flash wide, the visitors held on for a famous and deserved victory.

Carla Camacho tested Daphne van Domselaar with this second-half effort. 📷Kyle Hemsley

Albion: Nnadozie, Minami, Hayes, Vanegas, Rule, Cankovic, Symonds, Olislagers (sub: Mpome 80), Seike (Camacho 45), Kirby (Noordam 80), Haley (McLauchlan 89).