Another trophy passes Emma Hayes by: Winners and losers as Mary Earps and Rachel Williams’ heroics send Man Utd to Women’s FA Cup final at treble-chasing Chelsea’s expense
Another trophy passes Emma Hayes by: Winners and losers as Mary Earps and Rachel Williams’ heroics send Man Utd to Women’s FA Cup final at treble-chasing Chelsea’s expense
Two weeks in the past, a quadruple was nonetheless on the playing cards for Emma Hayes in her final season accountable for Chelsea. Now, solely two trophies stay on the desk, the Blues defeated in final month’s Continental Cup final earlier than being crushed 2-1 on Sunday within the FA Cup semi-finals by Manchester United, who’ve an actual likelihood of a primary main honour as they put together to face Tottenham at Wembley subsequent month.
The Red Devils have been the underdogs towards the holders and reigning English champions, however they received off to a flying begin when Lucia Garcia broke the impasse inside the primary minute. It was terrific work by Leah Galton down the left, who capitalised on Eve Perisset’s error and put in an ideal cross for her team-mate to shock the Blues. Before Chelsea might create an actual likelihood to equalise, it was two, Ella Toone getting the higher of Melanie Leupolz earlier than catching the opposition out with one other unbelievable supply, this one transformed without warning starter Rachel Williams.
From there, Chelsea began to put United beneath actual stress. Erin Cuthbert noticed a shot deflect simply huge, Mary Earps made a flying save to thwart Lauren James and then the web rippled, James powerfully changing Niamh Charles’ cut-back in first-half stoppage-time. That momentum continued after the break, James once more bringing the most effective out of England team-mate Earps earlier than Chelsea have been left feeling aggrieved by a few penalty shouts that went ignored, first for a Katie Zelem handball and then a foul by Williams on Charles.
However, simply as we seemed poised for a grand finale, the possibilities appeared to dry up. Hayes threw on all of her attacking property – Catarina Macario, Fran Kirby and Aggie Beever-Jones have been among the many 5 names launched – but it was nearly an excessive amount of, the XI on the pitch nearly getting in one another’s approach in a gung-ho, going-for-it formation.
And so United, who might’ve even added a 3rd, noticed it out and shall be returning to Wembley subsequent month, a 12 months on from their slim 1-0 loss to Chelsea in final season’s final. Hayes’ Blues, in the meantime, want to decide themselves up and goal glory within the Women’s Super League and Champions League, after one other trophy went begging.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Leigh Sports Village…
