Manchester City Women claimed a dominant 4-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion to lift the Women’s FA Cup, completing a remarkable domestic double in the process.

Just a few weeks after clinching their first Women’s Super League (WSL) title since 2016, City added another trophy to their cabinet by winning the Women’s FA Cup — marking the first league and cup double in the club’s history.

Brighton began the match strongly and created two major chances in the opening half, both involving Marisa Olislagers. Despite her promising involvement, she could not convert either opportunity into the crucial opening goal.

Her first attempt was heroically cleared off the line by Alex Greenwood after a defensive mix-up between Jade Rose and Ayaka Yamashita left her with an open goal from distance. The second miss was even more frustrating, as City lost possession in midfield and Olislagers was played through just two yards from goal, only to unsuccessfully try and round the goalkeeper — letting a golden chance slip away.

At that stage, Brighton were on top and could easily have been two goals ahead. But just before half-time, City made them pay for their profligacy when Khadija Shaw struck. Greenwood swung in a superb cross from the left that Brighton keeper Chiamaka Nnadozie completely misjudged, allowing Shaw to head home into an empty net.

The momentum shifted completely after that. Early in the second half, Greenwood doubled City’s lead with a direct free kick from the edge of the box. While it was well struck, Nnadozie’s poor handling contributed to the goal, capping a difficult afternoon for the Brighton goalkeeper.

With City in full control, they added two more goals late in the game to seal the result emphatically. Substitute Aoba Fujino smashed home a fantastic finish in the 66th minute, and Vivianne Miedema added a fourth with a free header in the 87th minute.

Although the final scoreline of 4-0 suggests a rout, the match could have taken a very different turn had Brighton capitalised on their early chances. They will no doubt regret their missed opportunities, which might have changed the course of the game.

In the end, City were ruthless, and manager Andrée Jeglertz along with his squad can now celebrate a historic domestic double — a feat that cements their place in the record books of English women’s football.