(Football news) Women’s FA Cup holders Chelsea will take on Arsenal in the semi-finals of the competition, which would also be a repeat of last year’s finals. Rewind back to December and goals from Fran Kirby and Sam Kerr secured a 3-0 win for the Blues, thereby securing a domestic treble at Wembley Stadium. It was Chelsea’s first FA Cup victory since 2018 and the Blues won it in style in front of 40,000 fans.

The Gunners will be looking to avenge their humiliating defeat this time around when Chelsea travel to Meadow Park. The rivalry between the two sides is particularly intense, not just because of it being a repeat of last year’s finals but because they are London based clubs and are competing for the Women’s Super League title as well. Arsenal are currently leading the WSL by two points but Chelsea have a game in hand and could go on top of the table if they defeat Tottenham on Wednesday.

In the other semi-final fixture, Manchester City will take on West Ham at the Chigwell Construction Stadium in what is a repeat of the 2019 Women’s FA Cup final when City won 3-0 thanks to goals from Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway and Lauren Hemp. The ties are set to take place on Sunday, April 17th while the final will be played at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, May 15th. 

In a progressive move by the Football Association, the governing body have also announced that the prize fund for the Women’s FA Cup will be increased by £3m from next season. In a statement, the FA's director of women's football Baroness Sue Campbell said: "I'm delighted to be able to make this announcement of increased funding for the Vitality Women's FA Cup because it's going to benefit so many clubs across the women's football pyramid.

"The FA Cup, whether men's or women's, is the biggest and best domestic cup competition in the world, and this increased investment from the FA highlights that we want clubs competing in it to be rewarded, while also highlighting our ongoing commitment to the women's game.

"Women's football continues to be in a growth phase and we are always looking to make improvements and investment to drive it forward and break new boundaries. This is certainly one of the most pleasing during my time with the organisation, because I know it means so much to so many."

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