Mary Fowler could not have been more proud of Manchester City’s performance after her 95th-minute strike guided them past Arsenal in Thursday’s League Cup semi-final.
City faced a swift reunion with Arsenal just five days after they suffered a dramatic 4-3 defeat to the resurgent Gunners in the Women’s Super League.
Gareth Taylor’s team exacted their revenge as Fowler found the bottom corner deep into stoppage time to clinch a 2-1 win, having earlier seen a penalty saved by Daphne van Domselaar.
City will now face runaway WSL leaders Chelsea – who they beat 3-1 in the 2021-22 final – for the trophy on March 15, and Fowler has her eyes on a first major honour with the club she joined in 2022.
“It was something to be really proud of,” Fowler said of City’s victory. “Arsenal always put up a good fight and they played well tonight.
“I’m super proud of the girls and how we played and just happy to get the win. I was really happy.
“I felt mostly relief, but I was super happy, I’ve been wanting to win something with the girls for so long, so to be a step closer to doing that is really exciting.”
Fowler 26′Fowler 90+5′
Highlights from our semi-final win against Arsenal! pic.twitter.com/4TvFtMZv8J
— Manchester City Women (@ManCityWomen) February 6, 2025
Fowler had initially put City ahead before a Mariona Caldentey penalty dragged Arsenal level. City won a spot-kick of their own just moments after Arsenal’s equaliser, but Fowler shot straight at Van Domselaar.
Head coach Taylor hailed the Australian for picking herself up after that miss, saying: “It was great. I felt it was a nice moment for us to celebrate.
“I think the players really deserved that after their performance tonight. Sometimes you don’t get it, but I felt if we were going to go into extra time, I really fancied us to get a goal because we were knocking on the door a lot tonight and we showed good character.
“We surrendered a bit of possession to Arsenal in periods, but I thought the character that the team showed, and especially Mary…
“She had the bit between her teeth and it didn’t really affect her, the penalty, which is the sign of a top player.”
City’s victory was overshadowed by Khadija Shaw withdrawing from their squad after receiving racist and misogynistic abuse after Sunday’s defeat to Arsenal.
Shaw said she had taken that decision to “protect her mental well-being”, with City pledging to investigate the messages received by their leading goalscorer.
