Manchester United have a chance for redemption in Sunday’s FA Cup final

Manchester United Women will return to Wembley on Sunday, taking another crack at the FA Cup trophy that eluded them a year ago when Chelsea completed the first of two trophies won against the Reds to end the 2022/23 season.

In that game, United flew through the gates and beat the Blues 14-8 on the day, but Sam Kerr stepped up again to terrorize United. Her 68th-minute goal was the difference on the day as United missed out on their first real chance to win a trophy since promotion in 2019.

This time United overcame Chelsea, securing a 2-1 victory to deny Emma Hayes a final trip to Wembley in a thrilling semi-final at Leigh Sports Village. Their final opponents Tottenham are a completely different opponent, but by no means a push team.

Tottenham

Spurs have had an interesting campaign, failing in their bid to unseat any of the top teams in the Women’s Super League but managing to play an exciting brand of football. Their problem is that their goals don’t always come in droves, and they are capable of letting a few pass them by.

Former United striker Martha Thomas played a big part in that as a goalscorer, as did Grace Clinton, the young United loanee who proved more than Marc Skinner wrong in regular first-team football. Thomas leads the team with 10 goals in all competitions

Clinton caught the eye of England boss Sarina Wiegman and earned her first Lioness call-up and appearances this season. She even scored on her first start for England against Austria.

Spurs have had a strong start to the WSL season, putting up a good fight in a loss to Chelsea before winning three straight. Spurs failed to win a game from November to mid-December, including a 4-0 defeat at home to United. Hannah Blundell, Ella Toone, Melvine Malard and Hayley Ladd were all on the scoresheet on the day in one of the Reds’ best performances of the season.

Despite some good wins against Arsenal in the league and Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, Spurs have not rediscovered their winning form. They have drawn three consecutive league games, including a 2-2 FA Cup Final preview at Leigh Sports Village in April.

That match was an accurate expression of the two clubs and their respective seasons, neither delivering a knockout blow when given the opportunity. For United, taking an early lead before fading was an all-too-familiar sight and Spurs failed to stay in front, conceding an equalizer in stoppage time.

Someone has to win on Sunday though…

United’s last hope of redemption

Marc Skinner’s United side have had a difficult campaign to say the least.

They are almost certain to drop out of the top four in the final league standings for the first time and have failed to build on their best season yet, crashing out of the UEFA Women’s Champions League and falling off a cliff against England’s best . swill.

And yet they are favorites to win the FA Cup final.

United got the first win over Chelsea in their history to reach Wembley, breaking the deadlock that has long kept them out of Europe and away from silverware in England. It took guts, a strong defensive performance, Mary Earps heroics and, most importantly, some quality goals.

United have some strengths that Spurs lack on paper, but the biggest is creativity. Ella Toone and Leah Galton are two likely debutants to offer this, with Geyse a question mark given some recent drops. They were the providers for Lucia Garcia and Rachel Williams in the semi-final and have been constants in the team for years. Galton and Blundell on the left have been a reliable pairing for United as a flanking attack, with Toone pulling the strings at 10 ahead of Katie Zelem and, more recently, Lisa Naalsund.

In attack, United haven’t really replaced Alessia Russo as their talismanic goalscorer, but Melvine Malard was a fan favorite during her season on loan at Lyon. When given the chance, she was a force on the rise, and newcomer Geyse was a creative force in her own right when Skinner let her play.

There are plenty of options to get one past the Spurs defence, but it starts with the structure at the back. United’s greatest continuity comes from Earps playing behind the pair of Millie Turner and Maya Le Tissier. They helped form the best defense in England last season and although they haven’t risen to the same level this year, they are still a solid foundation with Jayde Riviere and Blundell in the full-back positions.

The last word

Oddsmakers like United and it’s probably because of experience. When it works, the structure is solid, but it has been vulnerable this season. Jessica Naz has the pace to cause problems and if she can jump between defenders she can score the kind of goal United have conceded a lot.

It is also the case of Grace Clinton’s absence. She is ineligible to play in the final because she is a Manchester United, something that is a bit unfair as it is a simple advantage for the Reds at this stage. She is a big part of Spurs finding success this season and received a WSL Player of the Season nomination for her efforts on Friday.

That said, nothing has been simple for United this season. The Reds’ regression under Skinner has led many to question their leadership, with United losing all but one of their WSL meetings with the four teams above them this season. Their cup form was something to hang on to though, picking up big wins before a signature victory over Chelsea. The talent and experience are there to make something special out of a largely lackluster campaign.