Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea: Reds exorcise their Blue demons to book a ticket to Wembley

Manchester United Women have finally beaten Chelsea.

The Queens of English football fell to the Reds in an intense Women’s FA Cup Semi-final at Leigh Sports Village on Sunday. Early goals from Lucia Garcia and Rachel Williams put United ahead, and though Lauren James pulled one back a valiant defensive effort in the second half saw the hosts finish off a well deserved 2-1 win.

The win is United’s first over Chelsea in their young history, but is long overdue considering the battles in recent years as the Reds pushed to be as relevant as their rivals at the top of the game. They have a golden chance to establish a legacy now with a trip back to Wembley to face Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup Final.

Manager Marc Skinner somewhat surprisingly selected Rachel Williams to lead the line, but the decision paid off early. She sat ahead of Ella Toone, Katie Zelem, and Lisa Naalsund in midfield, and was flanked by Lucia Garcia and Leah Galton on the wings. The back four was the same as usual apart from Aofie Mannion at right back.

Inside the first minute Chelsea’s defense failed to deal with a lofted ball forward, presenting Leah Galton with a free run down the left wing. She expertly placed a cross into the path of Garcia, who headed past Hannah Hampton to give the Reds a dream start against the Blues.

It was an expert execution of the kind of chance United are usually limited to against Chelsea, and a promising sign of the first half hour to come.

Chelsea responded and took possession as usual, but United did well limiting their chances over the opening stages of the match. The more attacking focused midfield did well to offer cover early on, and the full-backs didn’t have too much trouble with overloads in the first 20 minutes.

It would change, but not until after United had earned a second goal of the afternoon.

United got forward again in limited numbers, looking to strike quickly at the Chelsea defense as it was still setting up. This time it was Toone who collected the ball on the left wing, shaking a defender and firing a cross toward the center of the box. Williams was there this time to leap and smash the ball into the net to give United a 2-0 lead.

United in dreamland against Emma Hayes’ side.

It was a risky approach to the match, but it paid off beautifully. Marc Skinner is an under-fire manager for a reason, but on the day the setup and the adjustments would prove big.

Chelsea really woke up after the second goal, finally working the ball toward Lauren James and forcing Mary Earps into action. The England No. 1 lived up to her superstar reputation, parrying several shots and making a couple of acrobatic saves as well to keep Chelsea out.

The Blues’ attack is star-studded even without Sam Kerr, and the relentless attacks paid off in stoppage time of the first half as James finally found a chance in space to fire past Earps. The scuffle that followed got her and Millie Turner in the book, and set the tone for a fiery second half.

United came out of the break looking leggy and under siege. Earps had to make two fantastic saves to keep the Reds alive as Skinner prepared reinforcements.

Hayley Ladd, Nikita Parris, and Melvine Malard all came on to add some energy to the side, and it worked wonders. United were able to break out and pose a threat in between waves of Chelsea attacks, and Ladd was a master disruptor in the middle of the park. Her help to the back line was desperately needed, and with it, they were able to see out the match.

The Reds had to withstand a few more scary moments in the dying minutes of the 90 and eight minutes of stoppage time, but they held on to punch their tickets to Wembley. It is without a doubt the biggest win under Marc Skinner as manager and keeps hope of silverware alive in what has been a difficult season in the league.