Mary Fowler could not have been more proud of the performance of Manchester City after her 95th minute strike led them past Arsenal in the semi -final of the League Cup on Thursday.
City stood for a quick reunion with Arsenal only five days after they had sustained a dramatic 4-3 defeat for the reviving Gunners in the League Super League.
The Gareth Taylor team demanded their revenge when Fowler found the bottom corner deep in the stop time to achieve a 2-1 victory, after he had previously seen a fine saved by Daphne van Domselaar.
City will now be confronted with running WSL leaders Chelsea Die defeated them 3-1 in the final of 2021-22-before the trophy on March 15, and Fowler has focused on a first big honor with the club where they arrived in 2022.
“It was something to be really proud of,” Fowler said about City's victory. “Arsenal has always applied a good fight and they played well tonight.
“I am very proud of the girls and how we played and just happy to win the victory. I was really happy.
“I mainly felt relief, but I was super happy, I wanted to win something with the girls for so long, so a step closer to doing that is really exciting.”
Fowler 26 'Fowler 90+5'
Highlights of our semi-final victory against Arsenal! pic.twitter.com/4TVFTMZV8J
– Women van Manchester City (@mancitywomen) February 6, 2025
Fowler initially put the city first before a punishment from Mariona Caldentey dragged the arsenal level. City won a spot kick from their own, only a few moments after the equalizer of Arsenal, but Fowler shot directly from Domselaar.
Head coach Taylor greeted the Australian to pick up himself after that mass and said: “It was great. I thought 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 that if we were going to go extra time, I really felt like getting a goal because we were on The door was a lot of tonight and we showed a good character.
“We have surrendered a little possession to Arsenal in periods, but I thought the character showed the team, and especially Mary …
“She had a little between her teeth and it didn't really influence her, the penalty, the sign of a top player.”
City's victory was overshadowed by Khadija Shaw who withdrew from their team after receiving racist and misogynistic abuse after Sunday's defeat against Arsenal.
Shaw said she had made that decision to “protect her mental well -being”, promising the city to investigate the messages from their leading goal scorer.
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