We raced out of the blocks with a clear intent to score quickly as Cuthbert marked her triple century with the club by getting our opening goal after eight minutes. The rest of the first half saw both sides exchanging chances, until after the break when we doubled our advantage in the 59th minute through a Sam Kerr header.

The remainder of the second half was played at a less frenetic pace as we looked to be seeing out the contest with a clean sheet. That was, until second-half substitute Mary Fowler grabbed one back for Man City with four minutes of normal time to play.

The referee's assistant indicated seven minutes of added time at the end of the match, before Khadija Shaw – who had been wayward with her finishing for the whole game – turned and fired home the 91st-minute equaliser to send the tie to extra time.

Shaw would then produce another decisive contribution from a Yui Hasegawa cross, as she directed her header beyond Hannah Hampton to put Andree Jeglertz's side in front. Despite our best efforts to fight back, there would not be a resurgence from the Blues, as we exited the FA Cup at the semi-final stage.

Fast start

Bompastor made four changes from the side which beat Leicester City by a 3-1 scoreline last weekend, placing Hampton back in goal in place of Livia Peng, while also naming Veerle Buurman, Keira Walsh and Alyssa Thompson in her line-up in place of Lucy Bronze, Lexi Potter and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.

We made our intentions clear from the first minute when a well-worked interchange between Kerr and Lauren James in midfield allowed the No10 to set Thompson going down the right wing. The American took her shot, testing the gloves of Khiara Keating, who reacted well to tip her effort over the bar.

Keating was called into action soon afterwards when she once again had to make a save from a powerful shot by James.

Milestone moment

As Chelsea continued to push aggressively for the opener, Cuthbert began an attack by picking out Kerr in the box. As the ball bounced around following that exchange, the Scotland international pounced and fired a shot from the edge of the box, which deflected off Jade Rose, leaving Keating flat-footed as the ball crossed the line for our opening goal.

We could have doubled our advantage minutes later when Ellie Carpenter drove to the byline and picked out Kerr but, as the striker delivered the finish, the ball was judged to have crossed the line out of play before the cross came over.

Trading chances

Man City seemed stunned but recovered their composure when Lauren Hemp shot just wide of the far post. With 25 minutes gone, Kerolin created a gilt-edged opportunity for Shaw to score, but the Jamaica striker blazed her shot over the bar.

Thompson was causing havoc down the right and made a skilful dribble through several defenders in the box, and looked to be clean through on goal before hesitating just a fraction too long before pulling the trigger, and was dispossessed. The winger then took another sprint down the flank and beat her marker to deliver a pinpoint cross for Kerr, before the Australian headed just over the bar.

The Manchester outfit had a spell of pressure of their own as Shaw headed just over the bar, before Laura Blindkilde Brown saw her shot from range deflected and well saved by Hampton. As the second half began, there was a lengthy stoppage as Hemp received treatment for a bloody nose, and when the sides restarted, we went close after a goal-mouth scramble that culminated with Sjoeke Nusken scooping her shot over the bar from close range.

Doubling the advantage

After a period when the game seemed to have gone flat, Carpenter made a rapid advance down the channel, laying the ball off to Thompson on the overlap, before the American passed backwards to James in space.

The No10 scooped a dangerous cross up and under towards the far post, forcing Keating to spill the ball into the path of Kerr, who headed in from close range just before the hour mark.

The Australian's luck changed once more shortly afterwards as she had a goal ruled out by the officials for the second time in the game, when Cuthbert chipped a perfectly inviting ball towards her, and when she headed into the corner, the attempt was ruled out for offside.

Late comeback

Just one minute after her introduction, Fowler capitalised on some hesitation on the edge of the box and curled her shot into the top corner, setting up a nervy finish at the Bridge.

And after we looked to have been destined for the final at Wembley, Shaw made a good turn inside the penalty area to fire off a trademark finish to send the tie into extra time.

Final stages

The Blues appealed strongly for a penalty when Keating upended substitute Aggie Beever-Jones in the box, before Shaw fired wide when she had broken free in the penalty area.

But then the Jamaican made another breakthrough when she was picked out perfectly by Hasegawa, her glancing header beyond Hampton putting Man City ahead for the first time in the game.

In the second period of extra time, Chelsea pushed forward to get back on level terms. Keating did well to prevent a Sandy Baltimore attempt from dipping under the crossbar direct from a corner, and Cuthbert shot over the bar after she had been played in by Beever-Jones.

In the dying minutes, Wieke Kaptein crossed into the box, and Nusken delivered a superb glancing header only for Keating to somehow tip the shot onto the underside of the bar.

What is next

We play our final Women's Super League match of the season against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge next Saturday, with kick-off set for 1pm.

The teams

Chelsea: Hampton, Carpenter, Buurman (Bronze 70), Buchanan (Kaptein 98), Charles, Walsh, Nusken, Cuthbert (c), James (Baltimore 92), Thompson (Rytting Kaneryd 79), Kerr (Beever-Jones 92)
Unused subs: Peng, Spencer, Potter, Sarwie
Scorers: Cuthbert 8, Kerr 59
Booked: James 79

Manchester City: Keating, Rose, Greenwood (c), Clinton (Fujino 66), Shaw, Hemp, Kerolin, Ouahabi (Fowler 86), Casparaj (Beney 66), Blindkilde Brown (Lohmann 99), Hasegawa
Unused subs: Cumings, Coombs, Wienrither, Prior, Murphy
Scorers: Fowler 86, Shaw 90+1, 103

Referee: Phoebe Cross