Bunny Shaw’s red-hot form shows no signs of cooling off. The Manchester City striker netted her 21st goal of the season on Monday, a decisive first-half strike that propelled her side into the Adobe Women’s FA Cup semi-finals with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Birmingham City.

In a match defined by fine margins, Shaw’s clinical finish in the eighth minute proved the difference. A swift counter-attack saw Iman Beney slip a perfectly weighted through ball behind the Birmingham defense, and Shaw showed incredible composure to delicately slot past goalkeeper Lucy Thomas.

Manchester City, the current Women’s Super League leaders, controlled the early tempo at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park. Lauren Hemp was a constant threat down the flank, and the visitors nearly doubled their lead soon after when her volley whistled just wide of the top corner.

Birmingham, to their credit, grew into the game and created chances of their own. Lily Crosthwaite’s dangerous cross just evaded Lotta Lindström in the box, keeping the home side’s hopes alive. The woodwork then came to Birmingham’s rescue late in the first half, as captain Neve Herron deflected another Shaw effort onto the post.

The second half was a tense, tactical battle. Birmingham pressed for an equalizer but found Manchester City’s defense in resilient form. The drama peaked in the final 15 minutes when Thomas spectacularly parried a Yui Hasegawa shot onto her own crossbar, preserving the slender lead.

In the end, City’s defensive discipline and Shaw’s moment of attacking quality were enough to see them through. The victory sets up a blockbuster semi-final clash against rivals Chelsea, a fixture that promises high stakes and world-class football. For Shaw and Manchester City, the pursuit of silverware continues to gather pace.