Introduction: A Prestigious Tournament Reaches Key Stage

The FA Women’s Cup, officially known as the Adobe Women’s Cup, represents one of the most prestigious competitions in women’s football. The 2025–26 Women’s FA Cup is the 56th staging of the Women’s FA Cup, a knockout cup competition for women’s football teams in England. As the tournament reaches its fourth round, the competition showcases the depth and quality of women’s football across England, with teams from various tiers battling for cup glory.

Fourth Round Action: Top Clubs Dominate

The fourth round, which took place between Thursday 15 and Sunday 18 January, delivered dramatic results as top-tier clubs asserted their dominance. Sam Kerr’s brace provided holders Chelsea with safe passage to the fifth round proper of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup as they won 5-0 against Crystal Palace at Kingsmeadow. Manchester City also impressed, with Vivianne Miedema coming off the bench to score twice as Women’s Super League leaders Manchester City routed Bournemouth 6-0 to take their place in the fifth round of the Women’s FA Cup.

Manchester United secured their progression with authority, as Manchester United advanced into the next round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup after a comprehensive 5-0 win over Burnley at the Progress With Unity Stadium on Sunday. Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Brighton also recorded victories, ensuring a strong WSL presence in the next round.

Looking Ahead: Fifth Round Draw and Competition Structure

Manchester United will be in the hat for the Adobe Women’s FA Cup fifth-round draw when it takes place on Monday night, with the draw due to get under way at 19:00 GMT and streamed live across the Women’s FA Cup, TNT Sports Football and Channel 4 YouTube channels. The competition has attracted record participation, with a total of 538 teams accepted into the 2025–26 Women’s FA Cup, an increase of 24 from the previous year.

The path to glory remains challenging, with the quarter-final scheduled for Sunday 5 April 2026, semi-final on Sunday 10 May 2026, and the Final on Sunday 31 May 2026. As the competition narrows, fans can expect increasingly competitive matches that showcase the best of women’s football in England.