Khadija Shaw added another memorable chapter to her outstanding Manchester City career on Sunday, helping propel the club to a historic achievement with a commanding victory on English football’s grandest stage.
The Jamaican striker opened the scoring as Manchester City overwhelmed Brighton 4-0 in the Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, securing the club’s first-ever domestic double after already capturing the Barclays Women’s Super League title.
The triumph placed City in rare company. According to FotMob, only two other clubs have previously managed to win both the league championship and the FA Cup in the same season in English women’s football.
For Shaw, it was another reminder of her importance to a side that has dominated the domestic campaign from start to finish.
Patience rewarded after Brighton’s bright start
Although Brighton began the final with confidence and energy, Manchester City gradually imposed their authority as the first half progressed.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 38th minute.
Alex Greenwood delivered a dangerous cross into the penalty area, and Shaw rose above the defense to power home a header, giving City the lead and shifting momentum firmly in their favor.
The goal was classic Shaw, decisive, clinical, and delivered when her team needed it most.
Any hopes Brighton had of regrouping before the interval were dealt another blow moments later when Greenwood turned scorer herself. The England defender curled a superb free kick into the net just before halftime, sending City into the dressing room with a commanding 2-0 advantage.
City turn control into complete dominance
With the trophy within reach, Manchester City returned for the second half determined to eliminate any possibility of a comeback.
Their grip on the contest tightened further when substitute Aoba Fujino saw her effort take a deflection that wrong-footed Brighton goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and found the back of the net for City’s third goal.
The floodgates were now fully open.
Vivianne Miedema later added the finishing touch, capping a polished team performance with City’s fourth goal and sealing a comprehensive victory that reflected their superiority throughout the afternoon.
Another milestone for Shaw
While the occasion belonged to Manchester City collectively, Shaw once again delivered a landmark moment of her own.
Her opening goal elevated her Women’s FA Cup record to an extraordinary 20 goals in just 19 appearances, underlining her reputation as one of the competition’s most prolific performers.
The strike also came less than a week after Shaw reaffirmed her commitment to the club by signing a new four-year contract, ensuring that one of the most influential players in City’s modern era will remain a central figure in the team’s future.
A season to remember
By lifting the FA Cup at Wembley, Manchester City completed a season that will stand among the finest in club history.
The league title had already confirmed their domestic supremacy, but Sunday’s emphatic triumph provided the perfect finishing touch, one that transformed an excellent campaign into a historic one.
At the heart of that success was Shaw, whose goal helped set the tone for another dominant display and ensured that City’s double-winning season ended exactly as it deserved: with silverware, celebration, and a place in the record books.
