Manchester United will be back at Wembley next month to defend their Women's FA Cup title, after beating Manchester City 2-0 in Sunday's semi-final. Celin Bizet's early stunner set the Red Devils on their way and Grace Clinton's header made the visitors' position even more comfortable before a quarter of the match had even been played, with City's defence unable to contain United's attack.
That lively performance in the final third was fuelled by the creativity of Ella Toone, who was brilliant whenever she got on the ball. Indeed, it was she who picked out Bizet to break the deadlock with just six minutes on the clock, the Norwegian matching a great ball with an excellent finish that flew into the top corner. A packed away end didn't have to wait long to celebrate again, either, with Clinton stretching to get on the end of a Gabby George corner just 16 minutes later in order to deservedly double United's advantage.
City grew into the game from there and forced Phallon Tullis-Joyce, fresh off the back of her international debut for the United States, into several top saves, but the visitors continued to have plenty of chances of their own, too. Indeed, Bizet was twice denied by Khiara Keating, with her also prodding the rebound of one of those opportunities wide, and Elisabeth Terland sent her one big chance well over the bar.
Fortunately, none of that would come back to haunt United, whose solid defence kept another clean sheet to book a rematch of the 2023 Women's FA Cup final against a Chelsea team that beat them 1-0 on that occasion and, this year, remain in the hunt for a quadruple.
GOAL rates United's players from the Joie Stadium...
