Brighton & Hove Albion walk out at Wembley this afternoon carrying more than a club’s first major trophy bid. They carry the memory of Rado Vidosic, the women’s team’s head of coaching who died from cancer in January, and whose son Dario now leads the side into the Women’s FA Cup final against Manchester City. For Dario, who grew up in Brisbane staying up past his bedtime to watch Wembley finals on television next to his father before recreating great goals in the garden, the occasion is deeply personal. “He’ll be in our thoughts,” the Brighton head coach said. “Pressure is a privilege. We have the opportunity to be the first team, male or female, to win a major trophy for the club.”
Emotional journey to Wembley
This is Brighton’s first women’s cup final in the club’s history, a landmark moment that has been shaped by a season of resilience. They came from behind to beat Liverpool in the semi-final and secured a famous quarter-final victory away at Arsenal – a result Dario Vidosic described as “one for the books”. That run has been fuelled by the determination to honour Rado, who had been working as head of coaching for the women’s side and was a constant source of wisdom for his son. Dario has spoken openly about carrying his father’s strength with him, and the Brighton squad have embraced that spirit throughout their cup campaign.
The emotion was palpable as the players emerged into the sunshine at Wembley, with the Brighton fans – some dressed as seagulls – making all the noise early on. Vidosic’s pre-match message was clear: “We take some encouragement from the league games. Today’s all about us being brave; we know we have to be better than in the first 20-30 minutes against City. Nerves got the better of us that day. We know we have to be good in all phases of play. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves an excellent chance.”
Brighton’s journey has also been defined by their recent form. They beat City 3-2 in the Women’s Super League last month, a result that gave them belief they can compete with the champions. Dario Vidosic named the same starting XI for this final, with Fran Kirby – a five-time FA Cup winner with Chelsea – in the lineup, and goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie returning to the side. The squad is fully fit, with no fresh injury concerns.
City’s dominance and the pursuit of a double
For Manchester City, this final represents the chance to complete a historic domestic double. They secured the Women’s Super League title earlier in May – their first league crown in a decade – and have already lifted the EFL Cup, beating Arsenal 2-0 in March. City’s route to the final included victories over Bournemouth (6-0), Sheffield United (4-0), Birmingham (1-0) and a hard-fought 3-2 win away at Chelsea.
A key factor in their success has been the commitment of star striker Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, who performed a remarkable U-turn to sign a new four-year contract extending her stay until 2030. The deal was announced at the club’s end-of-season party, removing any speculation about her future. Shaw has been named WSL Player of the Season and has been instrumental in City’s campaign. Manager Andrée Jeglertz said: “She has delivered for many years for this club so we are very happy that she really, really wants to continue the journey with us.”
Jeglertz, appointed ahead of the 2025/26 season, has vast experience including coaching Denmark and winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League with Umeå IK. He led City to the WSL title in his first season, and now eyes a first FA Cup since 2020. City have reached four consecutive FA Cup finals – a record – but were beaten in the 2025 final by Crystal Palace and in the 2024 final by Manchester United. “Once you get that sweet taste of long-awaited success, you want more,” Jeglertz said. “When you haven’t won for a couple of years you almost need to build the trust that you are able to win important games.”
City made one change from their WSL title-winning lineup, with Grace Clinton replacing Aoba Fujino. Goalkeeper Khiara Keating is injured and not in the squad. Swiss international Iman Beney and Austrian defender Laura Wienroither are also sidelined, but Lauren Hemp returned to full training and is available, while Ayaka Yamashita, Rebecca Knaak and Vivianne Miedema are back in contention.
Tactical battle and early exchanges
The match kicked off under a blazing afternoon sun at a packed Wembley, though the pitch still bore faint black lines from Saturday’s Challenge Cup final between Wigan and Hull KR. Grounds staff worked tirelessly to remove the markings, but the hot, dry weather made them stubbornly visible. Dario Vidosic had warned that Brighton needed to be “brave” and treat City as equals, and his side did just that from the opening minutes.
The first five minutes saw Brighton press high. Seike kept the ball in play near the byline and cut it back to Kirby, whose shot was excellently blocked by City defender Rose. All the early noise came from the Brighton end. City, in their black change strip, struggled to take control of the ball in the opening stages. Jeglertz had described Brighton as “a very good team” with “a lot of tactical flexibility” and “very strong when they end up close to our goal”. For City, the task was finding ways not to get stuck in the game Brighton wanted to play.
Brighton’s 4-4-1-1 shape, with Kirby supporting Haley, aimed to disrupt City’s 4-2-3-1, which featured Hasegawa and Blindkilde Brown in midfield behind the attacking line of Kerolin, Clinton and Hemp, with Shaw leading the line. The early signs suggested Vidosic’s tactical plan was working, as Brighton matched their opponents in intensity and created the game’s first clear chance.
