It had to be Bunny Shaw! Man City star breaks Chelsea hearts as new WSL champions join surprise package Brighton in Women's FA Cup final

Brighton were the first to book their place at Wembley, coming out on top in a five-goal thriller on Merseyside. They did it the hard way, too, after Liverpool raced into a 2-0 lead inside 22 minutes. Ceri Holland's threat down the left was prominent in the build-up to both goals, with Denise O'Sullivan heading home one of her crosses before Beata Olsson capitalised on the chaos caused by another, powering the Reds to a dream start.

However, Brighton responded well to the setback, with Manuela Vanegas pulling one back just a minute after Liverpool's second to make her side's task that little bit easier. In the second half, the Seagulls then took control and, after Fran Kirby had hit the post, it was Madison Haley who headed home from a tight angle to level things up.

There was a long wait then for the winner. Liverpool had an improved spell, buoyed by the impact of the bench, but just as the game looked destined for extra time, it would be Brighton who punched their ticket to Wembley, in the 95th minute. Poor defending from a set piece cost the Reds for Vanegas' goal and they couldn't clear their lines again in the final moments, with Nadine Noordam pouncing to fire the ball beyond Jennifer Falk and send the Seagulls to the Women's FA Cup final.

It continues what has been a superb season for Brighton and ensures it is one that will end in historic fashion, as the women's team graces the hallowed Wembley turf for the first time. The Seagulls went into Sunday's semi-final in flying form, with their last four results producing wins over Arsenal and Man City, as well as draws with the Gunners and Man Utd, and turning up in another big game at Liverpool only adds to their momentum.

Dario Vidosic's side will hope to continue to be a thorn in the side of the elite later this month, as they take on Man City again, having just beaten the WSL champions two weeks ago. A 3-2 victory on home soil delayed City's title party last month and then a 1-1 draw against Arsenal allowed the Manchester club to start the celebrations. Brighton will be full of confidence at causing another upset then, in a final in which all the pressure will be on the opposition.

For most of the afternoon at Stamford Bridge, it looked like it would be Chelsea that Brighton would face in the final, not Man City.

It was the hosts who took the lead when Erin Cuthbert's shot deflected in after just eight minutes, giving them a valuable early advantage in what was always going to be a close encounter, and Sam Kerr extended that cushion just before the hour when she pounced on Khiara Keating's error to nod in with ease.

However, City somehow staged the most dramatic of comebacks in a match that somehow topped the earlier kick-off for twists and turns. With four minutes remaining, Mary Fowler pulled one back for the English champions, driving a lovely effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. It looked, surely, to only be a consolation.

And yet, as the clock ticked into stoppage time, an equaliser would follow. All the talk in the build-up to this fixture had been centred around Shaw, the WSL's top-scorer who appears set to leave City and potentially join Chelsea this summer. On the day, she struggled for service, getting plenty of shots off but never troubling Hannah Hampton. Then, in the 91st minute, she brilliantly turned and fired the ball beyond the England No.1 to force extra time.

There, she would be the hero once more. Hampton tried to play out quickly and instead delivered the ball right to City midfielder Yui Hasegawa, whose great cross picked out Shaw. Of course, she would head City in front, producing the sort of script more suited to Hollywood than Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea tried to respond but couldn't find another. Sandy Baltimore came close to an unlikely leveller direct from a corner which hit the woodwork, Cuthbert fired a great chance over the bar from just inside the box and Sjoeke Nusken forced Keating into a wonderful save in the dying minutes. The Blues will be left to rue their incredible late collapse instead, with two goals from the 86th minute onwards allowing City back into a game they seemed out of.

It all makes up what will be an incredible Women's FA Cup final on May 31. Man City, as the newly-elected WSL champions, will be huge favourites, of course. But Brighton will have plenty of confidence in their ability to cause an upset, given recent results and especially that one over the Cityzens just last month.

After ending a 10-year wait for a first WSL title, City can now match the feats of that 2016 season if they win at Wembley. That year, Nick Cushing's clinched a league and cup double by winning the WSL and the League Cup. Now, Andree Jeglertz's charges have the opportunity to add an FA Cup to that WSL triumph, one which would be their first since 2020.