Khadija Shaw celebrates scoring for Manchester City
Image caption, Khadija Shaw, who scored one and had one assist in the final, was named the WSL Player of the Season and finished top scorer
At a glance
Khadija Shaw and Alex Greenwood put Manchester City 2-0 up by half-time
Substitute Aoba Fujino nets third for City from Shaw assist
City's Vivianne Miedema makes it 4-0 late on
Brighton were competing in their first major final
Manchester City secured a first domestic double with victory over Brighton in the Women's FA Cup final at Wembley.
Three weeks after being crowned Women's Super League champions for the first time in a decade, City proved why they have been England's best this season.
Their star striker Khadija Shaw, who announced she would be staying at the club for another four years in a shock turn of events on Monday, was once again at the centre of the action.
The Jamaican striker headed in City's opening goal after 38 minutes and later set-up Aoba Fujino to make it 3-0.
City captain Alex Greenwood's low 20-yard free-kick had given City a strong lead at half-time and Andree Jeglertz's side never looked in danger of folding, with Vivianne Miedema returning late on to round-off the scoring.
The Seagulls, who have impressed in the final two months of the WSL campaign, were the better side for large periods of the first half but did not capitalise on their chances.
Midfielder Maisie Symonds impressed, Fran Kirby threatened and Kiko Seike frustrated City but it was not enough to derail the champions.
Dario Vidosic's side were competing in their first major final, while City enjoyed a fourth FA Cup title.
It was a memorable day for Brighton despite the result as Vidosic's side capped off a season in which the club have shown immense growth.
With a purpose-built stadium for the women's team in creation and a squad packed full of talent, Brighton want to be competing on these stages for many years to come.
They tested Manchester City early on with Kirby finding space in the box and Seike racing down the right-hand side on several occasions. Madison Haley was more involved in the second half but City's lead proved too big to catch.
It was a step too far and too early for the Seagulls, who came up against a superior squad and did not have enough to get over the line.
They started the game well, pressing City's backline and causing problems.
However, their failure to capitalise on that pressure proved costly as City jumped into a commanding lead in the space of eight minutes towards the end of the first half and there was no way back for Brighton.
City's bench was stacked with quality and they were able to introduce Miedema and Fujino as substitutes - the two both scoring to extend City's lead.
Brighton's young squad were given a harsh lesson by City but they showed in patches they are capable of competing with England's best.
Their fans had travelled in numbers, saturating Wembley Way in the morning, draped in blue and white flags and striped shirts.
They unveiled a tifo before kick-off which showed an image of manager Vidosic with his father, Rado, who had been a much-loved member of staff at Brighton before he died from cancer in January.
In the week leading up to the final, Vidosic had spoken about the pride he felt in honour of his father, while words on the tifo captured his influence perfectly, and read: 'Father, coach, mentor.'
It was not a blistering performance from the WSL champions despite a flattering scoreline but Manchester City showed the ruthlessness that drove them to a first league title since 2016.
Shaw, fresh from her dramatic contract renewal u-turn, opened the scoring when she rose highest in the box, above goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, to loop a header into the net.
Her side had been on the backfoot for most of the first half and aside from tame efforts by Grace Clinton and Shaw a few moments before, City had not showed any threat.
But that was enough to break both the deadlock and Brighton's spirit.
And on the stroke of half-time City showed why they have been a class above the rest when Greenwood's pin-point free-kick curled beyond Nnadozie's dive.
Substitute Fujino made sure of the victory midway through the second half with a fine strike from 15 yards before Miedema added an emotional fourth goal, fresh from her return after missing the end of the season because of personal reasons.
Victory wrapped up a historic first domestic double for City in what has been a near-perfect campaign under manager Jeglertz, in his first season in charge in the WSL.
The Swedish boss took over in the summer after a season in which City had missed out on Champions League football and had fallen down the pecking order in the league.
His side are now firmly on top and have ambitions to do bigger things having ensured they keep star striker Shaw at the club.
She was rewarded for her loyalty with the FA Cup trophy, while captain Greenwood saved her best until the end as she netted her only goal of the season before getting her hands on more silverware.
City now have the perfect platform to build on in the summer as they look to compete in the Champions League next season and defend their domestic titles.
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